Blair County - Safe Schools
Safe Schools Network
The Role of Parents & Families in Safe Schools & Crisis Response Brochure
Safe Schools Contacts
If you have a question or concern regarding safe schools and/or emergency response, please contact the following persons identified in each school:ALTOONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTPaula Foreman pforeman@aasdcat. comALTOONA CENTRAL CATHOLICJeffrey Maucieri mrjefmaucieri@yahoo. com
BELLWOOD-ANTIS SCHOOL DISTRICTG. Brian Toth gbt@blwd. k12. pa. usBISHOP GUILFOYLE HIGH SCHOOLJoan Donnelly jdonnelly@bguilfoyle. orgCLAYSBURG-KIMMEL SCHOOL DISTRICTJames O'Harrow jimo@cksd. k12. pa. usDIOCESE OF ALTOONA-JOHNSTOWNSister Donna Marie Leiden leiden. donna@daj. k12. pa. usGREATER ALTOONA CAREER & TECH. CENTERDan Bender dbender@gactc. comGREAT COMMISSIONS SCHOOLSVan Wiedemann vwiedema@grcmsc. orgHOLLIDAYSBURG AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTGary Robinson gary_robinson@tigerwires. comHOLLIDAYSBURG CATHOLIC SCHOOLElaine Spencer spencer. elaine@daj. k12. pa. usPENN MONT ACADEMYMary Zajac zajacmary@gmail. comSAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST SCHOOLTabitha Griffin stjohnprincipal@atlanticbb. netSAINT MATTHEW SCHOOLNancy A. Francisco smsnancy@gmail. comSAINT ROSE OF LIMA SCHOOLPatricia Ronan pronan@stroselima. comSAINT PATRICK SCHOOLJoan Keller jkeller@stpatsnewry. orgSPRING COVE SCHOOL DISTRICTFrank Pannebaker fpannebaker@scsd. k12pen. comTYRONE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTTom Muir trmuir@tyrone. k12. pa. usWILLIAMSBURG COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICTMaureen Letcher mletcher@williamsburg. k12. pa. us
Overview
This brochure, published by the Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 (located in Altoona, PA), outlines the critical role parents and families play in maintaining school safety and managing crisis response. It emphasizes that while school personnel handle prevention planning, parents have a vested interest in their children's safety and must be active participants.
Key Responsibilities for Parents
The document outlines three primary actions parents should take to support school safety:
- Stay Informed: Carefully read all information and updates regarding safety procedures sent by the school.
- Follow Access Policies: Adhere strictly to school policies for parking, gaining access, and visitation. This includes registering in the office and obtaining a visitor badge, even for regular volunteers. This ensures officials know who is authorized to be in the building and how many people are present during an emergency.
- Report Threats: Contact the principal immediately with any information regarding student safety, such as threats of suicide or violence. Parents are urged to take all threats seriously and not assume they are jokes.
Findings on Targeted Violence
The brochure cites research conducted by the U. S. Secret Service on incidents of targeted school violence since 1974. Key findings include:
- Not Impulsive: Incidents are rarely sudden or impulsive; students typically plan and discuss their ideas beforehand.
- Warning Signs: Planning may manifest as threats in writing or artwork, notes between students, overhearing discussions of harm, or online threats.
- Lack of Reporting: In 75% of cases, other people knew about the attacker's idea or plan but did not share that information with adults.
- No Specific Profile: There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engage in targeted violence. Focus should be on thinking and behaviors rather than the type of student perceived.
- Prior Concerns: Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused concern or indicated a need for help.