Dear Grassy Creek Families,

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how excited the Grassy Creek family is about the start of the school year and to share our process for emergency preparedness. In an effort to make sure our students and staff understand and know what to do in the case of emergencies, we plan practice drills throughout the school year. Some of these drills include procedures we practice monthly, like fire drills, and some we practice only a few times during the year, like wind/tornado drills.

We wanted you to be aware of the types of drills that we practice together in the event of a school safety concern so that you can talk with your students about these situations if they should come home with questions.

• Fire Drills – Students and staff evacuate their classrooms and exit the building. All classrooms report to a designated location outside of the school building. During these drills, cars entering campus will be stopped by staff until our perimeter is clear of students and staff.

• Wind/Tornado Drills – Students and staff report to designated locations in the building away from large windows and doors with windows. During this drill, our exterior doors will be locked so that all office staff can participate as well.

• Lockdown Drills – Our buildings are secured internally and externally. Students remain with staff and wait for directions. During these drills, if you visit campus, you may see law enforcement agencies like Warren Police, parked on our campus supporting this practice.

• Bus Evacuation Drills – Students practice exiting the bus using emergency exits upon arriving to school. During these drills, cars entering campus will be stopped by staff until our perimeter is clear of students and staff.

It is important to note that your student’s focus and cooperation during our drills is paramount. When drills are conducted, all individuals on our campus must participate, and that number can be upwards of 500 people. Paying attention, being alert and following directions allows for the best learning experience during the drills. Please reinforce this at home. Also, please know that if you are in the building when these drills are being practiced, you will be asked to practice with our school.

I appreciate your support and ask that you reach out with any questions.

Christy Merchant, Principal