Dear Kentfield Community,

We take the safety and security of your children very seriously. Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the Kentfield School District have made preparations through a detailed disaster plan, formulated to respond effectively to any crisis situation. All public schools in California are required to meet stringent disaster response standards.

The Kentfield School District has identified a Building Emergency Response Team and maintains a current Building Emergency Operations Plan. Every staff member is trained in the appropriate responses and their responsibilities.

In order to maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans by having drills designed to exercise our procedures. The Kentfield School District regularly conducts fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills to ensure that our staff and students are prepared in case of an emergency. We work closely with our local fire and police emergency responders to guarantee quick response times in case of an emergency.

To help ensure the safety of your children during emergencies and drills, your cooperation is vital. In case of such an emergency, please help us by doing the following:

• Do not telephone the school, as phone lines are needed for emergency or drill communication. Any large overload of calls may result in the entire phone system shutting down, disabling phone contact with emergency personnel.
• In the event of a serious incident, students will be kept safe until they are picked up by an identified, responsible adult, who was designated as an emergency contact by parents through our online registration system, Aeries.
• Please do not rush to the school during or after an emergency. We will follow safety procedures, which include having all students and staff assembling at a safe location on campus. We will not dismiss students during or after an emergency if students’ and staff members’ safety is at risk.
• In the event of an actual emergency evacuation, you will receive notification where to pick up your child as soon as practicable.
• Do not contact students or staff members via cell phone or social media (as they will be busy with the drill or actual emergency)
• Avoid social media posts. Correct information will be disseminated through our automated system as soon as possible.
• Please make sure that your contact information is current at all times so that you can be reached without delay in the event of an emergency.
• Be sure to update your family’s Aeries profile anytime your phone number(s) and/or email(s) change, so we have updated contact information to reach you in case of an emergency.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these procedures, please contact me at lschott@kentfieldschools.org.