School Safety

Avonworth Safety Information

 

Safety will always remain a top priority. Below is a brief overview of items we have in place throughout our district. All families must be aware of the resources we have in place to collectively make Avonworth the safest environment possible. 

All families must update emergency contact information for each child in our student information system, ALMA. In an emergency, the individuals listed in our system are the only people allowed to pick up a student. 

Directions for Updating Emergency Contact Information in ALMA

 

Proactive Systems

Proactively approaching safety is the best way to maintain a safe environment. We work hard to find ways to be proactive in identifying students and families in need of assistance. We do this by utilizing all available resources. Forging relationships between students, parents, teachers, staff, and administration is paramount to maintaining a supportive culture. The school fosters this through mentoring programs, advisory, and connections programs. Our goal is for all students to have a go-to adult in their school. A team approach allows adults to become aware of student needs and proactively address them. 

From a proactive support perspective, we have the following programs/resources. 

• School Counselors - Each building has a school counselor. After the teachers, the counselors are the next level of support for all school-related matters, from social relationships to school performance. 
• Student Assistance Program (SAP)- Group of teachers, counselors, and administrators trained to support students and families in need. The SAP team can help families navigate challenges by providing resources as needed. 
• Community Partnerships - The District has liaison partnerships with several school-based therapy providers, the Department of Human Services and the Office of Behavioral Health. 
• Social Worker - Works K-12 to coordinate student support through connecting schools, home, and community resources for mental health interventions, crisis management, and support services
• Licensed Professional Counselor -  Works K-12 to coordinate student support through behavioral plans, mental health interventions, crisis management, and support services. 
• School Resource Officer - The Avonworth School District has a fantastic relationship with the Ohio Township Police Department (OTPD), the Ohio Township Fire Department (OTFD), and other local municipality support.  The District's Memorandum of Understanding with the Ohio Township Police Department formalizes this support relationship. Included in the support that the OTPD provides is a school resource officer.
• Safe 2 Say - Act 44 mandates establishing and using the “Safe2Say Something”(S2SS) anonymous reporting system by every Pennsylvania school entity.  S2SS is a life-saving and changing school safety program that teaches students, educators, and administrators how: (1) to recognize the signs and signals of individuals who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others and (2) to anonymously report this information through the S2SS app, website, or 24/7 Crisis Center Hotline. 
• Threat Assessment Teams - Avonworth School District has a trained threat assessment team for both campuses. All threats of violence are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.  The entire process is used to determine the threat level, and support needed moving forward. Teams are listed below. 

Reactive Systems

We also need to be prepared and able to react to an emergency situation if it were to arise. Below are some of the training and systems we have in place should an emergency situation present itself. 

Lockdowns

We conduct “Lockdowns” for a variety of reasons. The three general categories are explained below: 

• General Lockdown/Shelter In Place - Implemented when we need the hallways clear for medical reasons or a routine canine search of the building/parking lot. It allows for confidentiality to be preserved.    

• Lockdown-Exterior Threat - Implemented when students are not permitted to be outside the school building due to an emergency or potential danger in the community. 

• Lockdown -Interior Threat - Implemented if there would be an active danger in the building (Run-Hide-Fight approach).

Run-Hide-Fight 

• RUN. When an active shooter is in your vicinity.
• HIDE. If an evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide.
• FIGHT. As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger.