Crisis Response Plan

If there is a local threat, Heatherwood is alerted by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and our school district’s administration offices. The following is some information that may be helpful to you if certain scenarios arise:

• If the safety of the school is in jeopardy, a decision to evacuate to another location could be made. Arrangements have already been made with the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Heatherwood should we ever need to relocate to another building. In such a situation, we would take emergency cards with us and begin contacting families from the evacuation site. It is essential that we have current and correct telephone numbers and emergency contacts. Students are “signed-out” only to approved adults with identification from the evacuation site.
• If the school site is deemed safe but additional security is warranted, we will activate various phases of "lock-down." This could involve locking all external doors and/or locking internal hallway entry doors. At any time during a lock-down, parents may enter the school through the main entrance. A staff member will be at the doors and may require identification for you to enter.

Parents or guardians should follow these procedures for picking up your child during an incident described above:

1. Sign their own child out in the lobby/pit area
   
2. Receive a “Heatherwood bear” as proof of check in
3. Go to the classroom and present the “bear” to the classroom teacher
   
4. Pick up your child
   
5. Return to the front entrance and have a staff member check off that you are leaving the building through the main entrance with your child

• Due to the number of working parents, we will not dismiss school early or allow children to leave unaccompanied by an adult. An occasion could occur whereby school dismissal is delayed in which case buses will be held and parents will be asked to enter individually or in small groups to pick up their students from the inside of the school.
• During these situations, the phone lines will be busy. Please be patient and try to keep your phone calls brief.
• If a crisis were to occur, we recognize that maintaining routines is very comforting to children. Even during a "lock-down," we will make every attempt to proceed with the school day as normal as possible.
• If a member of your household or family is deployed for military action, please contact your child’s teacher. Our school staff, teachers, psychologist and social worker can offer support strategies to the children and let you know of typical reactions for children.