October 11, 2024
Dear Families,
This is a follow-up to my September communication regarding safety and security. In those letters, I emphasized that we take the physical safety and social-emotional well-being of our students and staff very seriously. Our approach is multifaceted and ongoing.
Over the past three weeks, the district administrative team has been analyzing ways to enhance Weston Public Schools' mass notification system, including adding features to quickly activate and communicate lockdowns or secure school protocols. We are in the planning stages of implementation and have been following a similar process with classroom door locks.
Additionally, new signage has been installed, and communications were sent to all district families and town residents through the First Selectwoman’s office, reminding the community that our campus facilities are closed to the public during school hours, from 7 AM to 4 PM. To clarify any confusion, I have included a campus map for your reference. In summary:
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Pedestrians should stay on the sidewalk along School Road, which is highlighted in green on the map.
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The sidewalks around HES and WIS are closed to pedestrians between 7 AM and 4 PM.
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Except for arrival and dismissal times, the auxiliary road between WHS and WIS, as well as the road leading to the back of WMS—both highlighted in red—are closed to cars and pedestrians from 7 AM to 4 PM.
Our district’s approach to safety and security, in partnership with the Weston Police Department, aligns with Homeland Security’s five Ds: deter, detect, deny, delay, and defend. Delaying unauthorized entry is a critical element of our strategy. We continually collaborate with the Weston Police Department on ways to prevent unauthorized access to our campus. We also have a dedicated team of seven security specialists, a Director of Safety and Security, two school resource officers, and a mile safety police officer on campus every day.
We are also fortunate to have the police station adjacent to Hurlbutt Elementary School. With all our schools located on one road, we benefit from exceptional response times by law enforcement.
Weston Public Schools has a detailed emergency operations plan designed to respond to a wide range of hazards. This plan is reviewed regularly in collaboration with the Weston Police Department and Weston EMS/Fire and is submitted to the State of Connecticut annually. Our emergency procedures cover various scenarios, including threats both inside and outside the school (i.e., secure school and lockdown procedures), weather-related emergencies (i.e., shelter-in-place), and evacuation and reunification plans. A reunification plan involves relocating students within the campus or, if necessary, to an alternate site, after which they are released to their parents/guardians.
Please note that we do not share the specific details of our emergency operations plan with the public to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Your cooperation during an emergency is crucial.
In addition to our physical security measures, we place a strong emphasis on the mental health and well-being of our students. The social-emotional health of our students is incredibly important, and we have implemented comprehensive programs from Pre-K through 12th grade to support this priority.
I share this information to underscore our ongoing commitment to continually improving safety and security across our campus. I am pleased with the response to our search for a new Director of Safety and Security, and we anticipate filling this critical position in the coming weeks. I would like to thank Mr. Del Mastro for serving as Interim Director.
Finally, I encourage you to visit the Safety and Security Frequently Asked Questions link on our district website. While we aim to keep you informed, please understand that we must strike a balance when sharing specifics. Over-communicating certain details about our safety and security procedures could compromise our efforts.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in creating a safe environment for our students and staff.
Sincerely,
Lisa Barbiero
Superintendent of Schools
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