A note from Mrs. Dennis | Safety at Swigert

Posted April 4, 2023

**Here is the Safety presentation that was given on April 6th if you weren’t able to attend:

Dear Swigert Families,

We know that recent events in Denver and other parts of the country have created a lot of concern for families when thinking about the safety of their children in school. As a school leader and parent it’s incredibly hard to navigate our current environment on a social emotional level. It’s hard not to be able to have more answers. I am committed to providing an environment where our staff and students are known and seen, where we work daily to provide an authentic learning environment and we put in place protocols to be as safe as possible. As a staff, yesterday we talked about ways we can tighten our own protocols and advocate for changes on a district, state and national level. We are working as a school to tighten our safety protocols.

In the last week, troubling stories of safety plans have been shared in the media. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify the status of safety plans within our community, along with current safety policies and procedures followed here at Swigert. Safety plans are created for students when they have emotional, social, or physical needs that need to be met in order to keep themselves or others safe. Safety plans are intended to provide appropriate support and care for a student to be successful in school and the community. They can be created for a wide variety of reasons (such as keeping two students separated who might have struggled with ongoing conflict/flighting). Often safety plans have nothing to do with a weapon or the need to search or pat down a student. The majority of students on safety plans do not pose a safety risk to the broader community. We cannot share the specific details of student safety plans because all educators have a legal obligation to keep specific student data private. We can share with you, however, that currently there are no students at Swigert who are on a safety plan.

At Swigert, the safety of our students is a top priority. We have many safety protocols in place to help maintain a safe environment, including:

All exterior doors to the building are locked at all times, and guests are asked to enter the building only through the front doors.
We utilize the Raptor Visitor Screening system for all unknown visitors, who must present identification that is scanned and background checked through the system. Visitors then wear a detailed visitor badge printed by the system for the duration of their school visit.
Safety drills are conducted monthly to practice safety routines and procedures with students and staff. If you are interested in learning more about our safety drills you can read more here – Safety Protocols and Drills

There are ways that you can help us maintain a safe environment at the school.

Always enter the school by buzzing in at the front doors. Don’t attempt to enter the building by knocking or gaining the attention of someone in the building at other doors.
If you are volunteering in the school or assisting at school events, never leave doors propped open or let other adults in the building through other doors.
If front office staff doesn’t recognize you as a parent and asks for your identification to run through the Raptor system, please be patient and know it’s for safety reasons.

I know there will be more questions but wanted to share this information with you. I will be available on Thursday evening from 5-6 in the library to answer any in person questions or at our parent coffee on anxiety on Friday morning at 8:20. These continue to be challenging times, a letter, note or encouraging word goes a long way for a school staff member right now. Thank you for your continued support. Please reach out with any questions or clarifications via email at Shelby_Dennis@dpsk12.net

Sincerely,

Shelby Dennis