Branham, let’s talk.

The advisory topic for today is safety. This is not a political talk. It is about increasing our confidence and knowledge as a school community. It is about every person’s safety.

Things have been pretty intense, so before we start... (seriously) ...take a few slow breaths.

Why the conversation? Students and staff have a right to an educational and workplace experience free from emotional and physical danger. Bullying, physical altercation, and other forms of emotional or physical violence should not be tolerated on our campus. Recent events have brought school safety to the forefront of our minds.

What’s going on across the nation? The US is unique in the number of mass shootings we have experienced. Since 1990 and through Parkland, there have been 186 incidents of gun violence in a K - 12 school, resulting in 177 fatalities and 340 injuries. On 2/14/18, another random 17 innocent students and teachers lost their lives while on a school campus.

While studies have been done, there is no distinct profile of those who commit school violence. Many of them have, however felt bullied, persecuted, or emotionally injured by others prior to the attack.

Actions youth and adults are doing nationwide to raise awareness surrounding school safety: Political: calling/emailing/tweeting/visiting/writing letters to politicians; registering new voters; holding press conferences; creating and sharing memes and art; organizing marches and walkouts; building coalitions between different groups with common goals. Commercial: calling/emailing/tweeting/visiting/writing letters and choosing to support businesses and corporations that are in line with your personal values. Community: churches, mosques, temples, and other spiritual communities have all been targets of shootings in the past 5 years. People of different faiths are helping each other in crises and organizing together to stay safe, secure, and strong. Getting to know the people around you, maintaining positive interactions, and staying aware of unmet needs builds stronger, safer communities.

Our Safety on Campus Here are improvements that are already planned to make Branham safer: Drills to learn emergency procedures for lunch/break/ event times. Better locks on doors and additional keys for staff. Emergency communication protocols by text, cell phone, PA system, and land-line phone. Wrought Iron perimeter fence around campus. Students learning emergency protocols in case of sub or other circumstances.

Share out and record your ideas: What’s missing from that list? What else should students, staff, parents, and/or our district administration do to keep us all feeling safe on campus?

Choose from these activities: DISCUSS AS A CLASS How are cell phones and social media changing our experience of feeling safe on a school campus? What are the positives and negatives? GOOGLE SURVEY Fill out this survey to share your ideas about what else students, staff, parents, and/or our district administration can do to keep us all feeling safe on campus. Link: [https://tinyurl.com/Branhamsafesurvey] WRITE A LETTER (OR POEM, DRAWING, ETC) TO: The Parkland Students, Staff, or Other OR 2) Anyone else you would like ℅ Diane Wolk-Rogers [ALSO Sandy Hook Elementary Stoneman Douglas High School 12 Dickenson Dr 5901 Pine Island Road Sandy Hook, CT 06482] Parkland, Florida 33076 Link for additional information ...and do your part. This is your school and your community. Make it safer for all.

before you go... Adults on this campus love you and we care about your safety. We think about you a lot. A bookkeeper named Antoinette Tuff once stopped a school shooting. She talked with the man, she told him that violence on that day wasn’t his best option, she told him how things were going to go, and she calmly kept him away from students until the police got there. There are so many quiet forces working for good. We hope you are one of those forces too. <3