Family Handbook 2026-27

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, POLICIES AND IT SUPPORT

Lockdown

Lockdown drills are practised two times in the academic year, in accordance with Ontario Safe Schools guidelines. A lockdown is a response to a critical emergency situation wherein the evacuation of a school building is neither safe nor advisable and steps are required to isolate students and employees from danger. Generally the threat lies inside the building. In a lockdown situation, students gather in the closest lockable space. When signaled to go into a lockdown, students will follow the specific safety protocols shared with them and posted in all classroom locations. Students are expected to immediately follow the instructions of school employees throughout the situation. Please note that during a lockdown, all communication into and out of the school is temporarily halted. This ensures that our staff and emergency personnel can focus entirely on the critical steps required to secure and safeguard our campus. We understand this can be a stressful time for families and we commit to sharing accurate updates as information becomes available. Situations may occur where the school may leave lockdown without the support of police personnel these include: ●​ Lockdown Drills: In a planned lockdown drill, the school will be notified that the drill is over by Security on the PA System. ●​ Accidental Lockdown Notification: In the case of an accidental lockdown notification, the school will be told the lockdown is over by a school administered mass notification system and an announcement by Security on the PA System. Students, employees, guests and parents who are on campus grounds in the immediate vicinity of the school will be alerted by the outdoor speaker that the school is in lockdown. Entry into the school will not be permitted once the lockdown procedure is initiated. Anyone impacted externally should move to the nearest security location off-site.

Bomb Threat

Bomb Threat is a response to a potential explosive hazard, suspicious package or security threat reported within or near the facility. Normal operations are paused or modified to prioritize safety while emergency personnel and a designated sweep team assess the situation. Depending on the

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