Safety Drills at Thurgood Marshall

Throughout the year—and at least monthly—our school Safety Team plans a drill for students and staff to practice. This is a district requirement, and our purpose is to help students practice for a variety of scenarios so that in the event of an actual emergency, they would know exactly what to do. The types of drills we practice include fire drills, earthquake drills, shelter in place, reverse evacuation, and lock-down drills. Here’s what it looks like in each type of drill:

Fire Drill: Fire alarm will be triggered, and classes immediately exit the building following their assigned exit route. Classes line up with their teacher in their assigned location until all students and staff are accounted for and the “all clear” signal is given.

Earthquake Drill: An announcement is made over the intercom: Earthquake, earthquake! Everyone in the building drops and takes cover under desks for 60 seconds. A second announcement is made letting everyone know when the shaking has stopped and it is safe to come out from under cover. This is sometimes also followed by a complete building evacuation with staff moving to duty locations as they would in a real earthquake (such as First Aid, Search and Rescue, Student Supervision, etc.).

Shelter in Place: All outside doors are locked. Classroom windows are covered. Classes can move within the building as needed, but students do not go outside.

Reverse Evacuation: This drill is to practice bringing students safely inside the building if there was an outside threat such as an environmental issue. Once several years ago, there was a fire a short distance from the school and the fumes were strong enough that we needed to bring students in from recess.

Lock-down Drill: During a lock-down drill, teachers lock the classroom doors and cover the windows. The lights are turned out and teachers gather students in a corner of the room least visible from the hallway or outside windows. In our younger classrooms, teachers will sometimes read to the students very quietly. The drill ends when an administrator comes to unlock the classroom door and let students know they are safe.

As we practice our drills, we ask that students and staff take them seriously. We do not talk during drills so that everyone can hear the important directions given during this time. We make sure that in drills where we exit or re-enter the building, all are walking in a calm way so that we are safe. And while we take the drills seriously, we also talk to students to reassure them that this practice keeps us safe, so we know what to do if there ever were an emergency while they are at school.

This month, we will practice a reverse evacuation drill. We sometimes find that lock-down drills may make some families or students feel anxious. If you should happen to come to school while a lock-down drill is in progress, we will not be able to buzz you into the building until the drill is completed. On the day we have this drill, as soon as it is complete, I will send you a message via email to let you know we had a practice lock-down drill. This helps you know that there was no actual danger to your students and helps you to dispel any concerns your child might have.

As always—please let us know if you have questions about drills or safety at school.

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Why Do Schools Need Levies?

State, local, and federal dollars fund school districts. There continues to be a disparity between what the state funds for education and what it costs Seattle Public Schools (SPS) to serve our students. So, every three years, the district asks voters to consider renewing expiring levies.   

The district is asking voters to consider renewing two levies in the Feb. 11 election.  

• Prop. 1 – The Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy continues funding for areas like student transportation, support staff, meals, special education, and student opportunities like athletics, music and art.   

• Prop. 2 – The Building Excellence VI (BEX VI) Levy focuses on maintaining and improving school facilities. It funds renovation, repair and replacement of schools, as well as repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, and playgrounds. The capital levy also funds 90 percent of the district’s technology budget. 

Ballots for the levy renewals will be mailed around Jan. 22 and are due to King County Elections by 8 p.m. on Feb. 11. Visit the SPS website to learn more about what the levies fund. 

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