Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! |
We wish you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday season filled with moments of rest, reflection, and connection. May the new year bring health, happiness, and continued success to all.
Thank you for being such an important part of our community. We look forward to an exciting and productive year ahead!
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Strengthening School Safety through County Collaboration |
In recent months, school safety leaders from Skagit and Snohomish Counties have joined forces to strengthen safety protocols and emergency preparedness. Meeting monthly, this collective fosters collaboration and open communication among districts, focusing on:
a. Coordinating exercises and training,
b. Partnering with the Department of Emergency Management, local law enforcement, and other agencies, and
c. Streamlining shared processes for responding to school emergencies.
Whatcom County has been a pioneer in this work, holding regular meetings for over three years. Their collaboration has led to significant improvements in emergency responses, including the adoption of the "I Love U Guys" Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method. These efforts, combined with strong partnerships with law enforcement and community-based organizations, have set a high standard for school safety. The county is now pursuing new goals to further enhance their collective approach.
If your school is not yet part of this initiative, we encourage you to join. Participation ensures your district has access to valuable resources, training, and collaborative opportunities. Monthly meetings for each county are as follows:
Skagit County: 1st Friday of the Month
Snohomish County: 2nd Friday of the Month
Whatcom County: 3rd Friday of the Month
Please reach out to Erum Mohiuddin @ emohiuddin@nwesd.org to be connected to the appropriate group and receive an invitation.
Together, we can build safer schools and stronger communities.
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Training Opportunity to Support Students with Disabilities |
Laws regarding Immigration and Citizenship Status |
The NWESD remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where all students and families feel safe and valued, regardless of their immigration status. Our mission is to provide equitable access to education while upholding the rights and dignity of every individual in our schools.
To further support trust and safety within our schools, we encourage school resource officers (SROs), school security officers (SSOs), and local law enforcement to review the applicable Revised Code of Washington (RCW) laws (linked below) that guide their practices. Transparency, adherence, and communication to these laws and sharing of these laws play a critical role in fostering a sense of security and trust among our students and their families.
In these times of uncertainty, we encourage our community to rely on trusted sources of information and reach out if they have questions or need support. Together, we will continue to build a nurturing, resilient, and inclusive educational environment for all.
RCW 10.93.160: (Read Full RCW)
The legislature finds that it is not the primary purpose of state and local law enforcement agencies or school resource officers to enforce civil federal immigration law. The legislature further finds that the immigration status of an individual or an individual's presence in, entry, or reentry to, or employment in the United States alone, is not a matter for police action, and that United States federal immigration authority has primary jurisdiction for enforcement of the provisions of Title 8 U.S.C. dealing with illegal entry.
(3) School resource officers, when acting in their official capacity as a school resource officer, may not:
(a) Inquire into or collect information about an individual's immigration or citizenship status, or place of birth; or
(b) Provide information pursuant to notification requests from federal immigration authorities for the purposes of civil immigration enforcement, except as required by law.
RCW 2.28.310
RCW 2.28.320
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Schools are required to have at least one drill per month, including summer sessions with students. Due to geographic location, schools have unique safety challenges. It is the responsibility of school principals and administrators to assess the threats and hazards most likely to impact their school.
Drill Documentation
To ensure that schools practice at least one drill per month, and to allow for response to locally identified threats and hazards, schools may practice basic selected drills more than once.
At a minimum, schools shall document the date, time, and type (shelter-in-place, lockdown, evacuation, or earthquake) of each required drill, and shall maintain the documentation in the school office. Districts and schools may also determine additional documentation sites and methods. Schools must document each drill. Adapt this Sample Drill Reporting Form as needed for local use. Coordination with local fire and emergency responders is strongly encouraged.
Defining Emergency Terms for Schools is a 5-minute video tutorial for Washington schools to assist them in their preparedness efforts.
Read Strategies for School Lockdown Drills. This article will help you explore essential issues to keep in mind when seeking to minimize student anxiety and ensure their optimal preparedness.
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Need an AED for your school. Don't miss this opportunity. |
Announcing Grant Opportunity: FP 40 - AED Access
This competitive grant increases access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public schools. Grants of $3,000 will be awarded to school districts, including charter and State Tribal Education Compact (STEC) schools for the purchase of AEDs.
Deadline for application: January 31, 2025
Use of Grants Funds
Add an AED to school buildings that do not have one, includes accessories such as cabinets and Personal Protective Equipment
Increase the number of AEDs in schools that already have an AED program but require additional AEDs to increase access in a larger campus or a secondary campus
Replace AEDs that are past the recommended use date
CPR/AED Training
Preference will be given to:
School with no AED or inadequate AEDs to provide access within three minutes on campus
Highly diverse student populations
Commitment to Project Adam Heart Safe school designation
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This page is a one-stop reference for everything related to drugs -- from their appearance, paraphernalia, effects on the body, and more.
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OSPI Twice a Month Office Hours |
Open to all school district staff, join OSPI & regional Educational Service District Safety Center representatives with questions related to student discipline, comprehensive school safety, threat assessment, behavioral health, suicide prevention, and HIB (harassment, intimidation, and bullying). Office Hours are question-and-answer style and breakout rooms are available for confidential topics.
New Times Office Hours are hosted twice a month on the first Monday from 8:30-9:30am and third Monday from 3:30-4:30pm.
Visit OSPI's School Safety Center and Student Discipline webpages for additional information. Email the School Safety Team to sign up for office hours.
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Emergency Operations Planning Support |
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| @SchoolSafetyGov is the official account of School Safety.gov. Likes, links, reposts, followers & endorsements.
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| Erum Mohiuddin she/her
emohiuddin@nwesd.org
Comprehensive School Safety Coordinator
Northwest Educational Service District 189
360-299-4006
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