Lockdown
Peel schools provide a safe environment for staff and students to work and learn. The board has many procedures to ensure safety — including regular fire drills, evacuation plans and criminal records checks for new staff and volunteers. Together with Peel Regional Police and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the Peel board developed a lockdown procedure to help keep schools safe during any potentially serious violent incident.
During lockdowns and lockdown rehearsals, the principal will announce on the PA, "Initiate lockdown procedure." The school bell will ring continuously for a period of time.
Students and staff inside the school will:
- go to the closest room and close the door, and lock it if possible
- lie down on the floor away from doors and windows
- remain on the floor until further directions are given
Note: Police have cautioned against parents calling their child's cell phone as this hinders the safety measures put in place.
Students and staff outside the school will:
- move as far away from the building as possible
- remain outside until the bell is rung once to signal re-entry or until further directions are given
As part of the school's overall safety plan, rehearsals will take place a minimum of two times during the school year. For more information or for a copy of the complete lockdown procedure, speak to your school principal.
During a lockdown, information will be posted on our school’s website. It is your best source of information. Schools cannot answer the phone during a lockdown.
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Hold and Secure or Shelter in Place
If it is necessary to secure a school due to an ongoing situation in the community and not related to the school, a hold and secure or shelter in place procedure will be activated. The school will continue to function in a near normal state with the exception that all exterior doors and windows are locked and no one enters or exits the building without police approval.
A shelter in place is used in the event of an environmental or weather-related situation.
Bomb Threats
In accordance with the Ministry of Education, the Peel board worked with Peel Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police and school boards in the Peel region to develop protocols for critical situations including bomb threats to help keep schools and worksites safe in the event of a bomb threat or suspicious device/substance.
During bomb threat or suspicious device/substance and rehearsals, the principal will announce on the PA, "Initiate emergency school inspection, students remain with or return to your supervising teacher or staff member immediately. Staff please await further instructions."
Staff inside the school will:
- conduct a visual scan of their immediate work area for an unusual package/item
Students inside the school will:
- remain with or return to their supervising teacher or staff member immediately
- be advised to turn off their phones or to put them on vibrate
- continue school routines in the classroom
Students and staff outside the school will:
- move as far away from the building as possible
- remain outside until further directions are given
In a real situation, depending on the circumstances, students and staff inside and outside the building may be directed to conduct a school or site evacuation. It is important that students follow the instructions of their supervising teacher or staff member carefully and do not stop at lockers or other in-school locations.
When the rehearsal drill is completed and in a real event, the situation has been cleared, I will make another announcement, “inspection complete, please resume regular activities.”
Students are requested to turn off their cell phones during these emergency procedures. Safety is our number one priority and police have advised that cell phone usage can cause more safety risks and danger than benefits. Parents are also requested NOT to call the school or your child’s cell phone during emergency procedures. Please monitor your child’s school website for updates. In some cases, police will designate a Parent Information Site for you to attend and get up-to-date, accurate information.
In the unlikely circumstance of an actual event, police ask that parents do not go to the school unless requested to do so. For safety reasons, you will not be allowed to enter the school premises.
If you have any questions about our bomb threat, suspicious device/substance protocol, or any of the procedures we have in place to keep students and staff safe, please speak to your school principal.
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