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School Safety Plan

The Mott Hall Charter School’s building level response Plan is developed pursuant to Education Law 2801- a and 8 NYCRR 155-17.  

 

You can also download & view the School Safety Plan in PDF format by clicking on the download button.

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Our Safety Plan (2022-2023)

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Introduction

Emergencies in schools must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner. Schools are at risk of acts of violence, natural, and manmade disasters. To address these threats, the State of New York has enacted the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in schools.

Goals

Our goals in creating and implementing our School SAVE Safety Plan are:

 

● To create an atmosphere and educate school community of practices that prevent violence or unsafe conditions

● To implement and execute a plan that will minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and emergencies

● To have an effective response plan for all predictable safety concern situations

● To produce a document that can be used as the basis for informing and training all school constituencies in regard to keeping our school safe.

● Plans will include the following (multi-hazard) situations: Fire, Intruder Alert, Bomb scare, Medical Emergency, Gas Leak, Civil Disturbance and will include plans for Rapid Dismissal.

School Data

  • Total Enrollment:

  • Grades: 6th-8th (MS)

  • Address: 1260 Franklin Ave. Bronx, NY 10456

  • Phone: 718-991-9139

  • Principal: Ms. Connie Lobdell

  • Transportation: MTA Bus or Subway

Local Police & Fire Department

42nd Precinct 

830 Washington Ave.

Bronx NY, 10451

718-402-3887

 

FDNY Engine 92 Ladder 44

1259 Morris Ave

Bronx NY 10456

Safety & Emergency Response Team

  • Mr. Aladji Barry - Safety Captain (Annex Sweep Exit 1)

  • Mr. Fabio Nunez (Annex Sweep, Exit 2)

  • Mr. Juwan Zapata (Annex Sweep, Exit 3)

  • Ms. Raven Baker (School Yard Sweep)

  • Ms Trisina Robinson (School Yard Sweep)

  • Mr. Kevin Opoku (5th classrooms, 4th, and 3rd Bathroom/Nurse Sweep)

  • Ms. Ryushique Bonner (E.169th Street Captain)

  • Ms. Erica Flores (Franklin Ave-Front of Building)

  • Ms. Nicole Mena (Ground Floor Sweep - Girls bathroom, Exit 9)

  • Mr. Ryan Wheeler (Ground Floor Sweep - Boys bathroom, gym, lobby)

  • Ms. Toya Woods (Auditorium, Ground Floor Sweep - Cafeteria, Exit 8)

  • Ms. Connie Lobdell (BRT Member)

Safety Prevention & intervention Stratergies

1. Building personnel training (First Aid CPR/ Responding to Emergency)

2. Coordination with Emergency Officials

3. All Staff Annual Training

4. Safety Drills

Building Safety (Ops)

  • Exits Postings 

  • Stairwells 

  • Lighting 

  • Alarm/keys 

Scholar Safety

  • Supported scholar transition 

  • Speedy response to incidents between scholars 

  • Supervision of scholars 

Staff Safety

  • Staff parking

  • Staff belongings

  • Personal information (staff/scholar)

Fire Drill Procedure Signal

Signal: 5 short bells rung in a continuous cycle

Response To Alarms

  • Remain calm, evacuate and stay with your students.

  • Take your class roster with you to the designated evacuation area.

  • Once you have reached the designated area, account for all students by taking attendance and report any missing students to the principal.

  • Only return to the building when directed by the principal.

Procedures During P.E.

Teacher, or supervising adult, stops play, organizes class(es) into silent and orderly lines and conducts class(es) to the assembly area.

Procedures Used Before School & During Lunch & Recess

Students WALK to the assigned place on the yard where they meet their teacher before school. Students wait in orderly and silent lines for their teacher, or other supervising adults, to conduct them to their proper assembly area.

Procedures when not in your

own Classroom

Teachers should be familiar with the assembly area and evacuation route designated for that classroom or area.

 

Once you have safely exited the building:

  • Scholars exit classrooms and building SILENTLY and WALK in orderly lines.

  • Scholars evacuate the building following designated routes to the assembly area (see map).

  • Walk towards Boston Road gate

  • Walk out of the yard left down Boston Road towards 169th street.

  • The first group out will stop at the C-Town supermarket

****NO TALKING IS PERMITTED****

****All School Staff are to participate in all fire drills**** Parents, guests on the grounds during a drill must participate. Adults are reminded that no talking is allowed. Please be good role models for the children.

Additional Fire Drill Reminders

  • The EMERGENCY FOLDER should accompany the class and be used by the teacher, or supervising adult, to account for all students.

  • Check that all students are out of the classroom.

  • Check that all exits are clear.

  • Close the classroom door.  DO NOT LOCK.  Later entry may be required.

  • In the assembly area, take roll and account for each child.

  • Students in classrooms other than their own are to remain with that class until given permission to rejoin their class by both teachers.

  • Students remain in orderly and silent lines until given signal by the teacher.

****All School Staff are to participate in all fire drills****

 Parents, guests on the grounds during a drill must participate.

 Adults are reminded that no talking is allowed.  

Please be good role models for the children.

If you discover Fire or Smoke

REMEMBER: R.A.C.E.

Rescue: Remove anyone from immediate danger

Alarm: Notify the office of the fire situation and activate the nearest emergency pull station

Contain: Close all doors to confine the smoke and fire

Evacuate: Unless otherwise directed, follow the evacuation plan and proceed to the designated safe area outside the building

RESPONSE TO AUDIBLE FIRE ALARMS

  • Remain calm, evacuate and stay with your students

  • Remember to take your class roster with you to the designated evacuation area

  • Once you have reached the designated area, account for all students and report any missing students to the principal

  • Only return to the building when directed by the principal

SHELTER IN PLACE

This is a precaution aimed to keep the school community safe while remaining indoors. Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there.

  • Close the school. Activate the school’s emergency plan. 

  • If there are visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay – not leave. 

  • Provide for answering telephone inquiries from concerned parents by having at least one telephone with the school’s listed telephone number available in the room selected to provide shelter for the school secretary, or the person designated to answer these calls. This room should also be sealed. Communication should be used via walkie-talkie.

  • Ideally, provide for a way to make announcements over the school-wide public address system from the room where the top school official takes shelter.

  • If children have cell phones, allow them to use them to call a parent or guardian to let them know that they have been asked to remain in school until further notice, and that they are safe.

  • If the school has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate that the school is closed, students and staff are remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave.

  • Provide directions to close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside.

  • If not in a room, a staff member will bring everyone into the room. Shut and lock the door.

  • Take attendance and notify Dean of any missing persons 

  • Listen for an official announcement from school officials via the public address system, and stay where you are until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate.  

SOFT LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES

A soft lockdown is primarily used in two different scenarios. The first is when conditions exist outside of the school building that could potentially present a threat to the safety of the students and staff. The second is a situation inside the building where the school or local emergency responders need to keep students and staff in their classrooms and away from an incident or activity. 

During soft lockdowns, these procedures should be followed:

  • Students must move out of sight and maintain silence

  • Staff should check the hallway outside of their classrooms for students, lock classroom doors, and turn the lights off

  • Students and staff should move away from sight and maintain silence

  • Wait for First Responders to open door or the “All Clear” message, “The Lockdown has been lifted” followed by specific directions 

  • Take attendance and account for missing students by contacting the main office. 

  • No one should enter or leave the building until the soft lockdown has ended.

HARD LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES

A hard lockdown is used when a serious/volatile situation exists that could jeopardize the physical safety of the students and staff. During a hard lockdown, staff members will ignore all bells and fire alarms unless they receive verbal instructions from local emergency responders or the conditions (fire, structural damage, etc.) warrant the evacuation of the area. 

 

During hard lockdowns, these procedures should be followed:

  • Students must move out of sight and maintain silence

  • Staff should check the hallway outside of their classrooms for students, lock classroom doors, and turn the lights off

  • Students and staff should move away from sight and maintain silence

  • Wait for First Responders to open door or the “All Clear” message, “The Lockdown has been lifted” followed by specific directions 

  • Take attendance and account for missing students by contacting the main office. 

  • No one should enter or leave the building until the soft lockdown has ended.

Soft/Hard Lockdown Procedure During P.E. 

In the case of a hard lockdown during the physical education period, if the class is in the gym then the teacher needs to proceed with transitioning scholars into room 102 (Main Office). If the scholars are in the yard for the gym, the teacher needs to exit the schoolyard, turn left and head to a public space (ie. Evacuation Site or a library)

Soft/Hard Lockdown Procedure During Lunch/Recess

In case of a hard lockdown during the time scholars are eating in the cafeteria, staff should transition scholars to the auditorium. If students are in the schoolyard when a hard lockdown is announced, the teacher/staff should have scholars proceed to the back gate and exit the schoolyard. Once out of the schoolyard, teacher/staff should transition scholars to the library around the corner or report to the Primary Evacuation Site.

RELOCATION PROCEDURES 

An evacuation may be necessary whenever it is determined that it is safer outside of the building than inside of the building. In situations where the weather is inclement or students and staff will be required to evacuate for an extended period of time, an off-campus evacuation may be initiated rather than evacuating to the on-campus location. Conditions requiring an evacuation may include a fire, an explosion, a hazardous material release within the building, or some type of structural failure in the building.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS RELATED

TO COVID-19

Promoting behaviors that reduce spread:

  • Staying home when appropriate

  • Educating staff and families about when they/their children should stay home and when they can return to school

  • Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette

  • Face coverings/masks

  • Providing adequate supplies (e.g., pencils)

  • Post signs and messages about behaviors to help reduce spread

Maintaining Healthy Environments

  • Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces

  • Discourage sharing of objects/physical resources

  • Proper ventilation

  • Discontinue use of water fountain

  • Modified layouts in classrooms (e.g., desks 6 ft apart, desk all in the same direction)

  • Use of physical barriers

  • Minimal use of communal spaces (e.g., cafeteria, gym)

Maintaining Healthy Operations

  • Provide additional protections for staff and students at higher risk

  • Limit group events, gatherings, and field trips to virtual events 

  • Staggered scheduling

  • Designated COVID-19 Point of Contact (e.g., school nurse). 

Preparing for When Someone Gets Sick

  • Advise staff and families of sick students of home isolation criteria

  • Isolate those who are sick in designated location (e.g., nurse’s office) and work with families to transport them home

  • Clean and disinfect

  • Notify health officials and close contacts

Post Incident

Response Teams

Post Incident

Response Teams Members

Incident response team 

Building-specific team designated by the building level emergency response team that includes appropriate school personnel, medical personnel, mental health counselors and others who can assist the school community in coping with the aftermath of a violent incident or emergency In a school.

 

Principal: Ms. Connie Lobdell
Vice Principal of Guidance: Ms. Ryushique Bonner
Dean Of School Culture: Aladji Barry
Guidance Counselor: Toya Woods
School Nurse: Nurse on site

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