Sunday, December 16, 2012

Safety at CAES

Good morning Carrollton Families
,
The tragic events in Newtown, CT are a grim reminder that violence can happen anywhere.  It hit me from two perspectives- first as a father, and second as the principal of an elementary school that closely resembles Sandy Hook.

Safety is always our first priority at CAES.  From my first day in June, we have been looking at policies, procedures and the physical environment at Carrollton to ensure that the students you send us each morning return to you safe and sound each afternoon.  Many of you remember that Deputy Gilliam used to be permanently assigned to CAES.  Although that position was cut from the county budget last year, the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Department and I worked together this summer to establish an auxiliary office at CAES for all deputies working the northern end of the county.  This satellite location aids deputies who have a formal office with their secure computer system without having to travel to their main dispatch office at the Courthouse.  This office benefits our school by providing a consistent and steady stream of deputies coming into the building.  In light of Sandy Hook, we expect an even more elevated visibility from our deputies.

We have numerous drills throughout the year to practice what would happen in the event of a fire, earthquake, or intruder.  These drills allow for both practice and repetition, but also lend themselves to evaluation and assessment for improvements.  Staff are trained to alert the front office if there are suspicious individuals anywhere on campus.  Our entry system allows us to monitor who gains access to the building.

Carrollton Elementary staff takes very seriously the trust that you delegate to us to safely educate your children.  We will do all that we can to ensure that trust is never broken.  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Kevin Goetz
Principal
Carrollton Elementary School
kgoetz@iwcs.k12.va.us

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