Last night, I accompanied Christine to the informational meeting regarding Kindergarten in our town. Now, I knew that even if I sent Sebastian to school next year, I wouldn't want him to be in K anyway. But it doesn't hurt to see what the public schools are all about these days. There are 3 schools in our town and the current method for placement is "inclusion" so they interview all the kids in a group situation to determine what their strengths and weaknesses, gender, socio-economic level, etc. are. Then they spread them out as evenly as possible across the 6 K classrooms. I'm not even going to get into my personal opinions on that topic.
I will say that the K day sounded very much like Sebastian's preschool day. Lots of "choice time" and a few structured activities. So far so good. Academically, there would be absolutely no challenge for my child, but as I said I had no real intention of signing him up anyway.
Here was the kicker. One of the fathers asked whether there was security at the school. I found this a little disturbing that someone would think it necessary in this relatively small town. But the Principal's response was truly terrifying. They have fire drills once a month. (Good idea. I imagine Sebastian totally freaking out about the noise, but that's his problem.) They have evacuation drills regularly. (Also a good idea considering we live a few short miles from the nuclear power plant.) And they have "lockdown" drills where all the doors are locked and the adults and children "huddle in a corner." What?!
What does this say about our society that in a town of about 15,000 people in the second least populated state in the nation, our children have to practice hiding from gunmen? At least, that's what I'm assuming they are hiding from. How does your 5 year old, or your 10 year old for that matter, not have nightmares after been presented with the information that not only could this happen, but that we had better prepare for it?
I don't know if this is some federal policy, or the state's, or the town's. I was too agog at the very thought that this happens at all to think to ask. Those of you who work in schools, or have children in school: is this normal? Does it happen at your school? If so, how do the kids react to it?
3 comments:
Our VT school has only monthly firedrills. But I recently learned that there is a panic button under the front desk that locks the doors and alerts the police. So far I don't think they've tested it!
K
We have a lockdown drill every year. I believe it is required by the school district, not sure if its a law. Naturally the high school students don't find it terrifying, they think its kind of silly, because if sommeone really wanted to get into the classroom they could just break the window glass and unlock open the door from the inside. Which is true. We had these drill in Maryland too. They started after 9-11. Those kids knew the reality of needing them also because of the that gunman that was loose for a number of terrifying days in that area. It is the times we are living in, unfortunately.
Mum
yeah, we have some plans in place. the kids don't get worried because i'm vague about why we need to stay in the classroom rather than go outside. i usually just say, in case there's a hurricane or something we need to know how to be safe inside.
crazy shit happens everywhere - in fact most of the crazy school shootings are in small towns not big cities so it doesn't hurt to have some sort of plan.
that being said, huddling in a corner sounds a bit strange to me.
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