CLASSROOM BUCKETS
Parent groups report
 
  Parent letter from Colleen Williams, PAC Prez of Cedar Drive Elementary School in Port Coquitlam

 

    May 1, 2006:  

    Hi there - I'm writing on behalf of our school to present our Emergency Prep plan, as I think it meets the school's needs very effectively.Our team coordinator is Jane McGraw (janemcgraw@shaw.ca) and she's done an amazing job with a fabulous team.

    Last year, our outdoor emergency supply bin was completely looted. Since then, our EP Committee has worked with Wendy Bennett to identify what items should be replaced in what order of importance, and after restocking, the items have been stacked in new large, rolling garbage bins which have been zap-strapped and are near the doorway of each room children use (classes, library and resource room) regularly. Everything from emergency food and water provisions, to medical supplies, to personalized comfort kits for each child, etc. are in there, and are safely stored within the building - a particularly relevant thing as there have been far more lockdowns than evacuations in our district in the past several years.

    The much larger items are stored in a different secured spot, and we have de-emphasized the need for them (we were EXTREMELY prepared prior to the breakin - now we're just prepared - lol), with thoughtful consideration about what is in these bins and what each individual class might need to secure itself separately in a crisis.

    The benefit of the rolling cans over buckets is also that they can't be inconspicuously removed from the classroom.
    I hope that sharing this information is some help to other schools in flux - I know many in our area lost all their items last year as well.

Thanks much! Colleen

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