Twin Oaks Elementary School
Principal’s Safety Assurance Plan
Silvia Jacobsen, Principal
The 2014-2015 Comprehensive School Safety Plan was written by school administration and approved by the Twin Oaks Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization. It was developed and designed to be a working document and to ensure policies and procedures are in place and followed appropriately. Local law enforcement and city officials are regularly consulted to assist the administration in designing safety, disaster and behavior plans.
Three essential components were addressed when writing the plan.
1. Assuring a Safe and Physical environment
2. Characteristics of Students and Staff
3. School Culture
Listed below are strategies to ensure that components in place are met.
Assuring a Safe Physical Environment
· Disaster plan, procedures and drills are designed and rehearsed to ensure the safety of all students in the event of a disaster or armed intruder.
· Emergency containers in each classroom contain supplies in case of an emergency.
· An Emergency Response Crisis Management system has been instituted. Adults on campus have been assigned to teams in the event of an emergency.
· California Education Code and SMUSD Board Policies regarding behavior, suspension and expulsion are communicated to students, parents and staff via parent handbooks, behavior assemblies and staff meetings.
· Mandated reporting policies on child abuse, dangerous students and sexual harassment are presented verbally and in written form to all members of the staff prior to the school year.
· School discipline plans are communicated to students during the opening week of school assemblies and provide students with an understanding of the school rules as well as rewards and consequences.
· Visitor policies are communicated and logs are kept to protect the safety of all students. Student checkout procedures are clearly posted for anyone picking up a child from school prior to dismissal.
· The observation policy is provided to all parents who wish to observe in their child’s classroom.
· Evacuation procedures are posted on the school website in English and in Spanish to assist parents in the case of a local emergency.
Characteristics of Students and Staff
· Emotional assistance is provided to those students determined by the Student Success Team as at-risk. This assistance is provided by the school counselor, the school psychologist, or staff trained in this area.
· Student awards foster positive character traits, manners and citizenship. All school awards assemblies are held every two weeks on Friday mornings. Students are regularly recognized for academic progress, physical fitness, attendance and citizenship.
· Students are encouraged to check their behavior to be sure it is kind, safe, honest, and is how they would like to be treated.
· A Bully Prevention Program is in place. A counselor presents bully prevention strategies to students within their classrooms. Students are educated in the forms of bully behaviors and encouraged to report incidents of bullying.
· A counselor is available to work with individual students or groups with students with similar needs. The counselor is also able to see students grouped according to specific needs.
· Rady’s Children’s Outpatient Psychiatry provides on-site counseling for students who qualify for MediCal services and for those students who do not have insurance.
School Culture
· A character education program, include seven habits that help students be in control of their actions. Each habit is introduced at the Student of the Month Flag salute. The habits include: being proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, see first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw. Students are selected monthly for their adherence to these traits.
· Red Ribbon Week activities stress drug awareness and a commitment to remain drug free.
· Student Council fosters student involvement in community and school services and shared decision- making.
· The school’s leadership team meets regularly to ensure students’ safety, emotional, and academic needs.
· Ability Awareness Week is scheduled in spring to provide information to all students about disabilities such as autism, diabetes, and other differences. Our goal is to focus on the abilities people posses rather than their disabilities. Special education students are mainstreamed whenever possible. A reverse mainstream program is in place in our pre-K special education programs.
The above policies are in place at Twin Oaks Elementary in order to create an environment where children feel safe and secure and have the ability to learn every day.
Revised October 2014