Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The district's safety committee, made up of administrators and local public safety officials, said the schools' buzz-in systems should be upgraded and visitor background checks should be performed, but did not support armed security in the schools.
After last month’s horrific Newtown, CT, school shooting, the District 181 Safety Committee said it supported several new safety measures in district schools at Monday night’s school board meeting. The safety committee, made up of local public safety officials including Hinsdale Police Chief Brad Bloom, Clarendon Hills DARE officer Rick Talerico, and Burr Ridge Police Deputy Chief Tim Vaclav, met on Dec. 20, less than a week after the Dec. 14 Newtown shooting, and determined that District 181 should advance single-buzzer entry systems to double-buzzer systems at each school and have building secretaries perform criminal checks of visitors before entry. The committee stopped short Monday night of recommending bulletproof windows, metal …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Random and disturbing threats in the Chicago area followed the Newtown school killings, underscoring vulnerabilities and prompting discussions of gun control and guns for teachers.
The first day of school after the Sandy Hook school massacre brought a wave of fear, worry and outright threats to Chicago-area communities as educators and police sought to reassure people that efforts to protect their children would be redoubled. Parents and educators everywhere were talking about school security even as incidents locally in the last three days underscored potential vulnerability. Here's a glimpse of what's taken place the past few days. In Downers Grove, parents discovered that schoolhouse doors were unlocked and flooded the district with calls. The school district decided to lock the doors this week and install temporary buzzers. Administrators will consider installing an advanced system. A buzzer and badge system is …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Clarendon Hills Police Chief Ted Jenkins said his department got about a dozen calls over the weekend from concerned parents in the wake of the Newtown, CT, school shooting.
Clarendon Hills Middle School officials have determined that a rumor spread about a student's plans to bring to school a gun and "kill list" of peers to shoot on Dec. 21 is unfounded and false, according to The Doings Clarendon Hills. "Apparently, the rumor began after two girls began telling fellow students they heard a boy make threats," The Doings reported. "School officials did investigate a report about a concerning statement being overheard, which included no reference to Dec. 21." District 181 communications director Bridget McGuiggan told Patch the rumor was first spread more than two weeks ago, and the comment in question was an off-the-cuff, heat-of-the-moment comment from the student. McGuiggan said the rumor's proximity to …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Superintendent Renée Schuster sent a letter to the community, detailing the district's safety measures in the wake of the Newtown, CT, school shooting during which 20 students were killed.
The following is a statement Patch received from District 181 Superintendent Renée Schuster Monday morning: Our thoughts are with the students, staff and families of Sandy Hook Elementary and the town of Newtown, CT. These incidents are a devastating reminder that we must continue to be mindful of the need for strong safety protocols in our schools. Through these efforts and in partnership with our District families, we will continue to provide the safest learning environment we can for our students. We encourage families to visit our website at www.d181.org to view Tips for Talking with Children about Tragic Events, a resource that can be helpful during this difficult time. We wish our school community a safe and happy winter break. See …
Friday, December 14, 2012
District 181 communications director Bridget McGuiggan sent a tip sheet from the National Association of School Psychologists that addresses how best to address high-profile acts of violence.
On Monday, District 181 posted the following note on their website, in reaction to Friday's shooting in Newtown, CT: As a country and as a community, we continue to struggle to understand Friday’s tragedy in Newtown, CT. As hard as it is for us as adults, it can be even harder for children to process the sad realities of a traumatic experience, especially one involving other children. We have compiled tips from the National Association of School Psychologists and National Mental Health Association, which parents can refer to in talking to their children in an age-appropriate way and will enable them to feel safe in school. They are attached and are posted on our website. We hope this information will help families during this very …
FRANK
3:52 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
True that the majority of children are safe. However, isn't protecting our children to a greater extent than they are protected today worth it? In my opinion, our children are most precious and valuable. It’s worth the investment. We have armed security for many other things that are much less valuable. So why not them? I am in favor and want to see some sort of armed security within our schools… more ›