Just last week we had the count down to the New Year. . . how many of you are going to do a count down to that dreaded alarm clock going off "OH TOO EARLY" tomorrow?
I set my alarm this morning for 7:00 . . .
Just a practice, but I did want to get up early and go to school for a couple hours.
It went off at 7:00 but I didn't move only to hit the snooze. . . and again. . . and then finally got up at 7:18.
That won't be such a good idea tomorrow. I guess I should go to bed right now, so I can get up with out a problem.
Have you added the TPT app to your phone yet? If you haven't you MUST. The best part is hearing that little "Cha-Ching!" It's so cute and it makes me see $$$$ every time it happens.
Has your school changed their security? We have a new doorbell outside our front door now.
Get this.. . . it's not just a doorbell. . . NOPE, it's also a camera! Uh huh! "I see you!"
And it's not just a doorbell and a camera. . .
You got it. . . It's also an intercom.
So not only can we see you, we can talk to you too! I'm anxious to see how well this works. Our secretary will have access to these things and will be buzzing people in when they come up.
I know what you're thinking. . . because I'm thinking it too.
How will parents feel about this when they just want to drop off some cupcakes for a birthday, a forgotten backpack or lunch, a child arriving late, or wanting to just wait inside 20 minutes before we dismiss? Time will tell how we deal with each of these possibilities. I hope we can help parents feel secure about their children as well as be accessible to parents who want to visit.
Another security measure is that we must keep our doors to our classrooms locked at all times, and SHUT too. Before the break, I practiced this, and I allowed students to open the doors. I realized that having students open a door to a possible stranger (my window is too high for them to see out) was a big problem. So I moved my work table closer to the door so that I am the only one who opens the door. During the summer, I will move my desk closer to the door so that it's easier for me to always be the one to open the door.
Leave me a message about the changes you are doing to your school to be safer. I'd love to hear about them.
Patty
We've had a buzzer/camera/intercommy thing for a while. It's really not a big deal and the parents are used to it. I hope it works out well for you guys!:) The door locked and shut thing would be so hard. I totally understand, but isn't it disrupting when a kid needs to go to the bathroom or something? I tired it for a few days- but I became more frustrated and I always feel so trapped in my room. How have you been liking it?
ReplyDeleteKatie
Smiles from 2nd Grade
They told us it would be ok to leave the doors open a crack when they use the bathroom or get a drink (the drinking fountain is right outside my door). I do feel trapped. I am one who always teaches with my door open unless we are doing a loud activity. Plus there is a curtain on my window, so I can't see who's out there, unless I move the curtain aside. It will feel pretty enclosed, but if this is what we have to do to feel safe, then we will do it.
DeleteMy school is 2 separate buildings--Newer building is where our office/principal, gym and 4 classrooms (mainly kindergarten) are and the Older building has everyone else. We've had to make some changes and they did kind of begin before break (we were having some threats) There were 2 doors that remained unlocked in the newer building(this way kids could get in to go to the nurse office in between buildings) however now only the main door is unlocked. The door that's in between the buildings has a doorbell on it, so kids can ring it. The old building always remains locked and you need a key card to get into it from the front. Also we are supposed to wear our ID tags at all times and have our doors locked and closed. I totally get what you mean about having a student open the door and they can't see who it is. However, I feel that most likely it's one of my students who has accidentally closed the door when they went to the bathroom. I do try to answer it most times but if I'm in the middle of a reading group, my kiddos just run to help out--they are such good helpers and I love that about them. I had been practicing keeping the door closed most of the fall, partly for security and partly to keep our heat in the classroom. Anyways, I do feel pretty secure in my building, however the other building has more traffic being that it has the office and such. I have a feeling as our district gets money they will in adding buzzers and intercoms. I hope I made sense about the 2 buildings. Good luck with your changes!
ReplyDeleteIt did make sense. Thanks for telling me about your plans. We too have to wear our badges all the time now. I have taught the kids to ask, "who is it?" And if they recognize the name or the voice they can let them in. That's a good skill for kids to use in their own homes, too.
DeletePatty