Emergency Preparedness – Drills on 4/27

Dear Lafayette Families –

We take emergency preparedness very seriously at Lafayette.  Part of emergency preparation includes practicing different drills throughout the school year.  Every month, we do a school wide fire drill.  Today, (4/27) we had a fire drill as well as a  reverse evacuation drill with students in grades 2 – 5.  In grades PK – 1st, we talked to students about how to come inside quickly and safely, but didn’t actually practice the drill yet.  We would utilize a reverse evacuation drill in the event that students are outside of the building (line up, dismissal, recess, etc) and would need to come inside quickly due to an urgent threat (severe weather, safety threat, etc). 

Below is a whole list of drills we practice, with a brief description, and the month we will do those drills. 

In the event of a real emergency, families would be notified via text message, robocall, email, and our website.  Please note, if we ever have to evacuate our building, our reunification site is Blessed Sacrament school at 5949 Western Ave, NW.  All families would be directed to our reunification site via school communications.

 

Drill Type Description Date Conducted
Fire Drill Exiting the building in the event of fire, gas leak, or unsafe conditions inside 1 time per month
Reverse Evacuation Drill If students are outside (recess, line up, dismissal, etc) and there is a safety threat outside (severe weather, bobcat, police activity, etc) we would move the students inside quickly through the nearest door.  Students and staff all return to their homerooms. 4/27/22
Alert Status In the event of activity outside the building in the neighborhood that could be potentially unsafe, we would move into “alert status”.  This means that students and staff should stay within their classrooms and not exit into hallways.  Classrooms continue teaching and learning.  Outside doors are checked and secured. June
Lockdown drill In the event of an imminent safety threat inside the building, students and staff are required to stay in their classrooms, close and secure their doors and seek shelter out of site.

**To note, we do not use the word “active shooter” with students.  Teachers teach students how to do this drill in age appropriate language.**

Required 2x per school year
Severe Weather Drill In the event of severe weather (tornadoes, etc) students would move to an interior hallway away from windows.  Students are asked to crouch down next to the wall and cover their heads. May

 

If you have any questions about any of the drills, emergency preparedness, or how we address safety issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out: 

 

Finally – Please don’t forget to do your enrollment paperwork!!!!  https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/76

Here’s to a great rest of the week!

Dr. B