School Safety
School Safety & Security
The Gardiner School District is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors. We work closely with safety officials – Gardiner Emergency Services, Yellowstone National Park Law Enforcement. County Emergency Services, Park County Health Department, Red Cross - to ensure our schools are well prepared for an emergency. We have developed a comprehensive plan that covers a wide variety of situations to help staff and our public safety and community partners respond swiftly should a crisis occur in our schools. In the event of a school emergency, a parent can get important information and directions by doing one or all of the following:
Tune into the local television and radio stations for news alerts
Check your email or cell phone if you are subscribed to School Messenger
Visit the school home page.
The information included on this page provides an overview of the many safety measures that we have implemented and that can serve as a guide for parents, students, and staff should there be a school emergency or if schools are closed/canceled due to inclement weather. Please report any safety concerns you may have to the principal or superintendent.
Safety Measures in Our Schools
Students and families – take comfort in knowing that the safety measures in place are extensive. The District uses the City of Livingston, Yellowstone National Park and County law enforcement and safety officials. The committee works diligently to ensure that the system-wide emergency plan is current and that all staff members are prepared to respond to a wide variety of school emergencies.
The following are district level initiatives. If you have questions or comments about procedures, please contact the principal or superintendent.
Security Personnel:
Police/YNP Drop-Ins - Due to heightened awareness around our nation regarding school safety, our local law enforcement provides drop-in visits by other uniformed officers during the school day as much as possible.
Canine Detection – In addition to local law enforcement canine detection, we have contracted with a private security company to implement a canine detection program. The dogs are trained to detect illegal drugs, medication (both prescription and over the counter), gunpowder, firearms, and alcohol.
For emergencies and in-progress crimes call 911.
Emergency Procedures:
Safety Drills - We have emergency procedures for our building, including specific procedures for intruders in the building. With support and guidance from the local law enforcement we practice these procedures throughout the school year. School administration routinely conducts teacher training regarding emergency procedures. Printed copies of the emergency procedures are kept in every classroom and they are reviewed and updated.
Safety Audits - Safety are conducted on a semi-annual basis by our insurance carrier. A safety audit is a process that examines issues such as: school access, environmental hazards and communication systems.
Crisis Response Team - Our team works to provide calm, well thought out responses to crisis situations that affect District students and staff. Comprised of district counselors, school psychologists, administrators and other trained staff members, the team receives professional development to be able to provide quality, research-based support during tragic events. What constitutes a crisis? There isn't one definition that fits all crisis situations. A crisis could be any of the following and more: the death of a student, the death of a staff member, the death of a community person who had contact with students and/or staff, a catastrophe of nature such as a severe storm etc. that has affected students and/or staff, a local, state, regional, national, or world-wide situation that causes alarm among students and/or staff, serious injury to a student, staff member, or community person who had contact with students and/or staff, and other situations deemed by members of the team to be of crisis nature.
Access to school buildings:
Limited Access - All of our school buildings have limited access during the school day with specific visitor check in procedures. Visitors are required to check in at the main office or in the main lobby and sign in while in the building.
Community Partners
Policy - The District has in place several policies and procedures related to school safety, including procedures for Registered Sex or Violent Offenders and Relations with the Law Enforcement and Child Protective Agencies. We meet frequently with our community partners to analyze our policies and update as needed.
Mental Health - We provide mental health support for students who may need extra help. We Partner with Livingston Health Care Services for Mental health outreach.
Important Partners - Students and Parents
We recognize students and parents as important partners who serve as a key resource to help us keep our schools safe.
Potential Threats - We take all reports seriously and we work closely with our Local Law Enforcement when we believe there is a potential threat. We take immediate action to protect students when we believe the threat to be credible.
Student Relationships - We prioritize our relationships with our students and families. Students are encouraged to tell a trusted adult at school if they have a concern about themselves or another individual. We are often able to intervene to support a student or to mediate a disagreement between students because we are provided with information by caring students. This type of communication would not happen if positive relationships were not nurtured by all in our education community.
Messaging System - We make every effort to keep parents notified by when we have potential threats to school safety or if we have an actual emergency event at a school. We also rely on local media sources to help us spread the word in the event of an actual emergency. To help with the process of parent notification, we recently invested in a computer based program, Infinite Campus, that will allow us to send mass text and email messages to parents. We use School Messenger to not only communicate information in the event of an emergency, but also to keep parents informed of other special school events and general information.
Partners with Public Safety Agencies:
School staff works closely with the appropriate local public safety agencies, such as police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health to effectively deal with a wide range of crises.
Specifically, we partner with the Park County Sherriff, Park County Rural Fire Department, Park County Health Department, Emergency Services, American Red Cross, and other agencies in planning and training activities to promote emergency preparedness throughout the District and the community.
As a Parent How Can You Prepare for a School Emergency?
As a parent, there are three simple steps parents can take to prepare for a school emergency.
Provide accurate emergency contact information and notify the school immediately if it changes.
Subscribe to the District’s School Messenger system. School Messenger is an electronic notification service that sends e-mail and text messages to your personal or work device. School Messenger provides subscribers with up-to-date information about school closings and cancellations, early dismissals, and other unforeseen emergencies.
Communicate with your child about being prepared for emergencies. This includes taking drills, such as fire and earthquake drills, seriously. It also includes reporting when unidentified visitors are on school property or reporting anything that is out of the ordinary or unusual in the school day to an adult at school.
Communications During a School Emergency:
During an emergency, it is critical that parents receive important information and directions from school officials before going to the school or scene of an emergency. You can be confident that accurate and timely information will be released to parents, the public, and the media during any significant emergencies. Should a significant school emergency occur, a parent can get important information and directions by doing one or all of the following:
Tune into the local television and radio stations for news alerts
Check your e-mail or cell phone if you are subscribed to School Messenger
Visit the school home page.
If the school building is evacuated or is locked down, how will I be able to locate my child?
Parents will be directed to a specific location where they will be required to show proper identification. Remember, a student can only be released to an adult that is documented as an emergency contact. If you are a non-custodial parent, you must be listed with your child's emergency contact information as a guardian and show proper identification.
Staff Training for Emergencies is Ongoing:
As a parent, you should feel confident to know that we provide emergency and crisis management training to school administrators and staff. The school system’s emergency response plan is modeled on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that has been developed by the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, every school conducts emergency drills throughout the school year so that students and staff are aware of the most effective and safe emergency responses.
Emotional Support for Students During Times of Crisis:
It is important that our students feel safe in our schools, especially after a crisis has occurred. Should there be a need, the District provides psychological services and support to students and staff through the use of its Crisis Response Team, which includes community partners. The crisis response team will provide assistance to students to help them understand what has happened and to help them cope with their emotions and reactions. For more information, please see the Resource guide for parents & teachers when talking with children about crisis & tragedy .
Stranger Danger:
School Resource Officer Clint Anderson talks about Stranger Danger in this safety video appropriate for grades K-5. Please use this video as a start to on-going conversations with your children to assist in protecting themselves in dangerous situations.
Officer Anderson - Stranger Danger Video
Helmet Safety:
School Resource Officer Clint Anderson is the star of this 2-minute safety video in which he talks about Helmet Safety. This video briefly touches on helmet safety - its main focus is proper fitting of a helmet. Please use this video to start to a conversation about just why wearing a helmet is important, not only when riding a bike or motorcycle but also when we ski, rock climb, skateboard, scooter, or ride a horse along, with many other activities.
Officer Anderson - Helmet Safety
Water Safety:
School Resource Officer Clint Anderson is the star of this 2-minute safety video in which he talks about Water Safety. This video briefly touches on water safety and the importance of wearing a life jacket.