Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for choosing St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School. We are honored to serve your family and are committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment where students can grow in faith and learning.

The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is a top priority. To ensure preparedness, we follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. This nationally recognized framework provides consistent, clear actions for schools to take during different types of emergencies. Practicing these drills helps staff and students respond quickly and calmly should a real situation occur.

Throughout the school year, we will conduct a variety of safety drills. Below is a summary of the five standard actions in SRP and how we will practice them:

• Hold – Students remain in their classrooms and continue learning while the halls are kept clear. This may be used if a medical issue or other situation requires hallways to remain empty.
• Secure – The school secures the perimeter of the building. Everyone remains inside, and learning continues as normal. This is sometimes referred to as “lockout” and is used when there is a potential safety concern outside the building.
• Lockdown – Classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off, and students move out of sight. This drill prepares us for a situation where there is a potential threat inside the building.
• Evacuate – Students and staff exit the building to a safe location. Monthly fire drills are examples of evacuation practice.
• Shelter – Students move to designated safe locations inside the building, depending on the hazard. For example, we will conduct tornado drills twice a year.

Wednesday, August 20th we conducted our first fire drill of the school year. We are pleased to share that the students did a wonderful job following directions quickly and calmly. Their attentiveness and cooperation helped make the drill a success, and we are proud of the way they practiced safety procedures. It is important that students practice these drills so they are familiar with the procedures, and do not feel afraid when they occur. By knowing what to do, they can remain calm and focused in the event of an actual emergency.

To help us keep you informed:

• Please ensure your contact information in SchoolSpeak is current, including your cell phone number and carrier so you can receive texts.
• In the event of an emergency evacuation, you will be notified by text and email where to reunite with your child. Our designated reunification sites are St. Catherine of Siena Church or Tyler Run Park (830 Pineview Dr., Wake Forest).

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe learning environment. These drills are a vital part of our safety plan and allow us to care for your children with confidence.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Catherine Schwarz

Principal