During Thanksgiving break, the Montezuma-Cortez school district and Montezuma-Cortez High School sent out information to families regarding attendance and safety, urging families to use the break to discuss and refresh on school safety measures while also emphasizing the importance of attendance.
The safety processes emphasized are Standard Response Protocol through the schools’ adopted “I Love U Guys” Foundation protocol, which includes lockdowns, live events and other situations that may require students and staff to shelter in place or lock down their classroom. They also answer questions about how parents can respond in the event of an incident.
According to the district, the protocol is an “all-hazards approach” that is based on multiple situations and hazards rather than individual scenarios, using common language and flexibility based on the situation.
SRP actions include “hold,” “secure,” “lockdown,” “evacuate” and “shelter.” While they may be similar, the specific action is chosen based on what the hazard is or is thought to be present.
In “hold,” students and teachers remain in their classroom with a locked door, keeping business and classroom activity as normal until the “all clear” is announced.
“Secure” has the same premise, but students are asked to return to the inside of the building and increase situational awareness while doing business as usual in the locked classroom.
The key in a lockdown is “lock, lights out of sight.” Students are asked to stay out of sight, remain silent and to not open the door at the threat may be inside the building. Adults and staff lock the door and turn out the lights while maintaining silence. They are also prepared to “evade or defend” in the case of a threat breaching the locked classroom.
In the case of an evacuation, students are trained to leave their belongings behind if necessary, bring their phone if possible and follow the instructions of the adults or staff in charge.
Staff are asked to bring a go-bag and roll sheet (unless told not to), lead students to the evacuation location and account for students with the roll sheet.
A shelter alert would normally take place in the event of severe weather, earthquake or hazmat. This would require students and staff to follow appropriate hazard and safety strategies, based on what the hazard is.
The district also provided information for parents in the event of an incident in order to provide parents with direction on their role if something were to happen.
During a “secure” event, parents are asked not to come to campus, as school is going on as usual though the doors are locked.
In the case of a brief secure event, parents may not be notified, but parents will be notified in the event of a longer or more dangerous event, as the school will increase their security.
Lockdowns are only activated when there is a known and active threat inside or close to the vicinity of the building. As in the case of a secure event, parents are asked not to come to the school, as law enforcement will be responding and this could complicate operations.
Depending on the reason for the lockdown, it may not be safe for students to text their parents, but students will be encouraged to update and inform their parents on the situation if it is safe to do so.
There will also be instances where the school may have unscheduled drills, though it will be announced as a drill to keep from causing stress or panic. Parents are permitted to observe or participate in the drills if they wish to do so.
More information on “I Love U Guys” and SRP can be found at www.iloveuguys.org.
Montezuma-Cortez High School informed parents that lunch detention will begin Nov. 27. Students who have been tardy more than five times or have “cut” class will be given lunch detention. After detention, their tardy count will be reset. A report will be pulled each Wednesday to determine which students qualify for lunch detention.
According to the district, parents will be notified every Thursday if their students will have lunch detention the following Monday. Students in lunch detention will not be permitted to leave campus and will be given a free cafeteria lunch.
Students who do not show up to their required lunch detention will then be assigned after school detention, and a parent or guardian will have to pick them up from school after detention ends.
If the student doesn’t show up to after school detention, they will not be allowed to return to school until the parent or guardian has met with the principal.
This update will begin after Thanksgiving break.
