Lincoln County School District #2 continues to maintain student and staff safety among top priorities within the district’s policies and procedures. Emotional and mental health awareness and emergency incident training remain critical as students and staff return to school.
“The trust our parents and guardians have in LCSD#2 to educate and care for their students is never lost on us,” said LCSD#2 Safety Director Nathan Wescott. “All our schools make student safety an embedded practice throughout the school year. Our building leaders and teachers see that safety begins with prevention through positive behavior systems based on observable, teachable values that are evident throughout the school day, in all locations, and carry over into everyday life.”
District personnel continue to send a message to students of “Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.” Additionally, all personnel learn from awareness and prevention organizations such as Stand 4 Kind, the Discovery Program, and Leader in Me. In-house programs, such as CLASSY at Star Valley Middle School and The Brave Way at Star Valley High School “provide students with opportunities to develop social and citizenship skills.”
“Our student health and counseling programs aim to support students with medical and mental health challenges” allowing them full access to a safe and stable educational experience,” Wescott added. “Our psychologists and counselors educate students in how the brain works, what emotional regulation is, and how to embrace learning and social challenges with resilience” as they acquire the skills to become safe and “independent adults.”
To prepare for emergency incidents, LCSD#2 partners with The I Love U Guys Foundation for standard district response protocols and reunification procedures. Throughout the school year, staff members and students frequently drill age-appropriate procedures that teach principles of “Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter,” educating staff and students about emergency response.
If, or when, an emergency incident occurs, “parents and the community can expect that our first priority is to address the concern and ensure the safety of the students,” said Wescott. “The school and district will communicate based on confirmed information and, as needed, maintain updates when the event may be prolonged.”
Parents and guardians are invited to freely contact school staff “with ANY safety concerns,” said Wescott. “Encourage your children to speak to a trusted adult if something doesn’t seem right. We appreciate the cooperation and commitment of our staff, our SRO, Deputy Correy Bassett, local law enforcement, and our parents and guardians in implementing and engaging in our safety practices.”
To ensure that safety, emergency response and communication measures, when needed go as smoothly as possible, parents are asked to do the following at their earliest opportunity:
■Update your contact information. Ensure your contact details in Infinite Campus are up to date, including phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts.
■Update your communication preferences: Verify that you’ve set your preferences in Infinite Campus to receive district communications through your preferred mode (text, call, or email).
■Review safety protocols with your child: To reinforce their understanding, learn about and familiarize your children with the district’s Standard Response Protocols (Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Shelter, Evacuate).
■Understand the reunification process: When notified that it is safe to pick up your child, be prepared to follow our reunification procedures.
