We want to make you aware that we will practice a lockdown drill with students on Friday, September 14th. This drill is one of the safety measures that all HCPSS schools conduct periodically throughout the year as part of our Emergency Response Plan, and is good practice for students and staff to review safety procedures.

A lockdown is a procedure that we would use in any number of scenarios, but in general, it involves our students and staff remaining in their classroom or assigned area, locking the doors and waiting for further instructions from the leadership team.

Your child may have questions about what to do in a lockdown. Please be reassured that our staff will instruct students on what to do and we will tell students in advance to avoid any unnecessary anxiety or alarm.

We encourage you to ask your child about the drill and let us know if they have any questions or concerns. Also, please let us know if you have any questions in advance. You can also find detailed information about what occurs during lockdowns, modified lockdowns, and other protective actions taken during emergencies at www.hcpss.org/safety/.

Additionally, we will be sending home in this week's Friday Folder, Tips for Talking to Children About Violence from the National Association of School Psychologists. Many of you have asked for talking points about this topic and we thought this might help you faciliate conversations at home.