The safety of all students and staff in the Stillwater Central School District is our top priority. To maintain a safe environment, we must practice our emergency response procedures by conducting drills.

As required by New York State Education Law, all students and staff in the district will be practicing “Evacuation Drills” and “Lockdown Drills.” These drills will help enhance and refine our emergency response procedures. Each type of drill is explained below.

Evacuation Drills (ex. Fire Drills):

During an “Evacuation Drill,” the school community will practice leaving the building. Students will be escorted to a safe location outside of the building. After the drill, all students will be escorted back into the building. Evacuation drills are important because they help students and staff practice leaving the building in an orderly and safe manner in the event of an emergency.

Lockdown Drills:

Lockdown drills are designed to keep everyone safe from danger inside or outside of the building. During a lockdown drill, all doors inside and outside of the building will be secured and no one is allowed to enter or leave the school building until the drill is completed. Students and staff must stay inside their classroom until released by law enforcement and/or administrative staff.

Before a lockdown drill is conducted, staff will explain the importance of this procedure to students. A lockdown drill will be clearly announced as a drill and conducted in a trauma-informed manner. After the drill, students will be reminded there was no danger and the drill was to practice our safety protocols. For some of these drills, local law enforcement will be present. Lockdown drills are important because they help students and staff prepare to respond safely and quietly in an emergency.

You will be notified of any impending drills within one week of its scheduled date via ParentSquare. The message will explicitly state whether the upcoming drill is a lockdown drill or an evacuation drill and will contain the following language:

I am writing to inform you that all schools in the Stillwater Central School District will be conducting required emergency response drills the week of [date]. Before the drills, staff will review procedures with students, explain what to do and why their actions are important. After the drills, staff will reassure students there is no danger and they are safe. These drills are conducted to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a dangerous situation, our school community is prepared and knows how to stay safe.

In the event of an actual lockdown and during drills, we kindly ask for your support and cooperation. Please do not contact your child’s cell phone, call the school offices or come to campus. It’s vital our safe locations remain quiet and civilized.

We encourage families to speak with their child about these procedures and their importance. We realize that even the mention of the word “Lockdown” may cause unwelcome thoughts. We hope that it is reassuring to know that we are practicing and improving our emergency response through these drills.

Please remind your student that any concern regarding safety within our schools should be immediately reported to a school staff member. We appreciate your support as we work collaboratively to provide a safe learning environment for all.

Sincerely,

Joseph Mariano, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools