The staff and faculty of District 22 want to share some information with you regarding your child’s welfare in the event of a local or national emergency.

First of all, school personnel will do all things within their abilities to keep your child safe. If that means keeping your child safely inside the school for a period of time, which is commonly known as a “lock down”, then that is what we will do. If it means sending your child home to an emergency contact person or evacuating the school building to a designated shelter, then we would do that, too.
The school district has emergency/disaster plans that the staff and administration will implement if events so dictated. If necessary, school district personnel will follow these plans and/or the guidance/direction of the appropriate authorities.

Please assist school district staff and faculty in the effort to keep your children safe by insuring the following:

• You or the emergency contact will be available. We need updated telephone numbers and/or home addresses. For example, if you work in town, you may not be at home, or if you work on a military base, you may be unable to leave your position and cannot get home. If the school were sending students home in an evacuation at a time when you would/could not be home, where would you want your child to go? Is your emergency contact information on file in your child’s school up-to-date?
• If there is an emergency, we ask that you do not call the school. Most likely, the limited number of telephone lines into the school district would be over-taxed. School personnel will call you or information will be available on the local television and/or radio stations or on our website at www.ellicottschools.org.
• If you are notified to pick up your child, you will need to present picture identification and wait for staff to bring your child to you.

If you choose to remove your child from school, please make available photo identification to the office staff and your child will be brought to you.

If conditions warrant keeping all children in the school for an extended period of time, there exists enough food and drink to supply our students for a minimum of two days.

Thank you for your consideration in all of these matters. The concern you have for your child’s welfare is greatly appreciated and your help in these matters will be helpful to all involved.