Irvington School

• March 15 -- Irvington School Auction - Auction Newsletter
• March 25-29 -- Spring Break

Reminder to please check in at the office when visiting or volunteering in your child's classroom.

Irvington School's Response to Connecticut Tragedy

I know that many of you watched the tragedy in Connecticut unfold just as winter break began for your students, raising concerns about school safety for all us that we will address when we return to begin the New Year.

Let me also say that I know we all grieve together for the children and the families who are the victims of this terrible tragedy, and that we, as parents, all share a measure of their sorrow. It weighs heavily on my heart personally, and it is a sobering reminder of the professional responsibility I have for your children and their safety.

Before we return to school with the arrival of 2013, I encourage parents to spend time with their children and to shield them from too much television coverage of the shootings in Connecticut. I have listed some guidelines below, provided by the Crisis Management Institute, for possible discussions about this tragic event. They are also available at www.cmionline.org.

In addition to the crisis resources, the following suggestions are recommended especially for parents:

• Checking on children before bedtime each evening is very helpful, even if the child isn't asking anything directly related to this traumatic event.
• Give children as much warning as possible when their routine will be interrupted or there is some change that may affect them.
• Be aware that night terrors, nightmares, flashbacks and other disconcerting reactions are typical when children are reminded of a traumatic event.
• And perhaps most importantly, remember that children will do as well as the adults around them. If we don't take care of ourselves as adults, we won't be able to care for the children.

Please rest assured that school safety has always been a top priority for me and the Irvington staff and that emergency preparedness procedures are firmly in place. Like all schools in PPS, Irvington has a school emergency team (SET) that has been trained to respond quickly to any event. Our SET team will continue to conduct practice exercises as a way of assessing the school’s ability to provide help to the injured, get outside help to the school and conduct an emergency accounting of everybody in the building.

Before the tragedies in Connecticut and at Clackamas Town Center here in Oregon, we had been exploring ways to provide a more secure exterior around the school building. Our School Safety Committee will meet on Friday, January 4th, to discuss safety procedures.

PPS uses the Flash Alert service to relay emergency closure information to news media. If you would like to subscribe to the Flash Alert service, click on the following PPS link for instructions: www.pps.k12.or.us/about-us/6178.htm.

Finally, when we return to school, I invite parents to do a little extra volunteering in your child's classroom to help increase the presence of caring and understanding adults in the building during a difficult time. As a reminder, all visitors and volunteers must sign in at the office.

Sincerely,
Lisa McCall
Principal

Principal’s Thoughts

Welcome back to school as we begin the new year! But with the return from the holiday after the tragic events of last month, let me take a moment to assure all of our parents that school safety is, and has always been, a top priority for me and the Irvington staff.

In a concerted effort to create a safe learning environment for your child, Portland Public Schools have developed a comprehensive plan to respond to emergencies on or around school campuses. The work is detailed in PPS Pulse. Irvington staff will continue to conduct required emergency preparedness drills in order ensure that students and staff are familiar with the school’s emergency procedures. Like all schools in PPS, Irvington has a school emergency team (SET) that has been trained to respond quickly to any event. Our SET team will continue to conduct practice exercises as a way of assessing the school’s ability to provide help to the injured, get outside help to the school and conduct an emergency accounting of everybody in the building.

In addition to what has already gone out from the school and the District, I have encouraged teachers to be alert to student concerns and communicate our safety procedures to families.

I have listed some guidelines below, provided by the Crisis Management Institute, which includes resources on talking to students. In addition to the crisis resources, the following suggestions are recommended especially for parents:

• Checking on children before bedtime each evening is very helpful, even if the child isn't asking anything directly related to this traumatic event.
• Give children as much warning as possible when their routine will be interrupted or there is some change that may affect them.
• Be aware that night terrors, nightmares, flashbacks and other disconcerting reactions are typical when children are reminded of a traumatic event.
• And perhaps most importantly, remember that children will do as well as the adults around them. If we don't take care of ourselves as adults, we won't be able to care for the children.

Before the tragedies in Connecticut and at Clackamas Town Center here in Oregon, we had been exploring ways to provide a more secure exterior around the school building. We are also reinforcing the following rules and guidelines:

• All visitors and volunteers must sign in at the office and wear a name tag or ID badge.
• All exterior doors with the exception of the front doors to our school remain locked.
• Classroom doors will remain locked
• Make sure you provide up-to-date contact information for your family.
• Please contact the school if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Lisa McCall, Principal