Safety is our highest priority at Saint Ursula Academy.  Each year we carefully plan a number of safety drills so that students know how to respond to a variety of emergency situations, including fire, tornado/severe weather, environmental hazards requiring shelter-in-place, and active threats.  These drills are mandated by the State of Ohio for all schools.

On Friday, September 13, we will hold our first active threat drill.  The drill will start with a review of the Run, Hide, Fight protocols and the importance of situational awareness.  These are concepts that are reinforced annually at our opening class meetings.  Run, Hide, Fight is a safety plan that is adopted and endorsed by Homeland Security.  In the case of an active threat, or active intruder, it outlines very clear and specific steps that people may take to evacuate from the area of a threat, secure themselves, or prepare to counter.  

During our drill on Friday, we will practice the decision-making involved in Run, Hide, Fight by presenting a scenario.  Teachers will guide students through deciding if they are going to evacuate, lockdown, and/or prepare to counter based on their location relative to the scenario.  We have shared the basic steps in the drill with the students in their Sunday Message because we want students to be able to anticipate and mentally prepare for this first drill.  

We appreciate that these drills may create uncomfortable feelings, and we also remind the students that we practice to keep them safe.  If students have any questions or concerns, we have encouraged them to contact their counselor or get in touch with Mrs. Restle.  Parents and guardians, please reach out to Mrs. Restle if you have any questions or concerns about the safety drill.