-
Propping open a door may be convenient, but it’s unsafe. The WCASD Public Safety Department teamed up with the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute (PennSSI) to STOP THE PROP! Doors propped open during and after school give outside threats easy access to our buildings. When external doors are closed properly, a critical step in protecting the safety of our students and staff has been taken. The WCASD Public Safety Department placed Stop the Prop! stickers on exterior doors in our seventeen schools. Do the stickers make a difference? Let's ask the safety team to weigh in.
Matthew Bristow, Campus Safety Officer, says, “We have noticed a big difference with doors not being propped at Rustin High School since the stickers were placed.”
-
ALICE Strategic Roll Out
Phase 1: 2021 – 2022 school year. Online eLearning Alice Basic for Schools.
Phase 2: 2022 – 2023 school year. Train-the-Trainer. The instructor leads scenario training.
Phase 3: 2023 – 2024 school year. Age-appropriate training for students K-12. ALICE incorporated into mandatory drills.
-
On Thursday, July 13, 2023, the West Chester Area School District’s (WCASD) Campus Safety Department accompanied by several WCASD School Resource Officers traveled to Mechanicsburg to visit the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute for school safety training.The impressive training center is home to the newly constructed state-of-the-art 360-degree smart screen and a multi-room school building simulator.
-
On July 24 and 25, 2023, WCASD’s Campus Safety Officers (CSO) John O’Hare, Shane Moyer, John Canterino, and Security Greeter Tom Augie attended the 5th Annual School Safety Conference in Harrisburg Pa. Pennsylvania Association of School Resource Officers (PASRO) brings together school resource officers, law enforcement, school security/safety professionals, school board members, and school administrators with the goal of providing best practices for keeping our kids and communities engaged and safe.Over the two-day conference, several speakers spoke to the 200-plus attendees. Here are just a few of the professionals that spoke at the conference:
- Darryl Hunter is a 34-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department –shared strategies to reach the understood. Officer Hunter shared his story of how he was born into generational poverty and survived to become a decorative officer and mentor to children and young adults in the city of Baltimore.
-
In August, Campus Security Officer, Christina Spigarelli, attended the NFHS Sports Summit on “Behavior in Sports”. The Summit brought together coaches, administrators, media members, state association directors, and campus safety officers in an attempt to help find solutions, to change the atmosphere and culture at middle school and high school sporting events. A key topic covered was “Sporting Officials” addressing behavior issues that have caused thousands of individuals to leave the officiating vocation.
“The Roadmap to Healthy Behavior in Education-Based Sports” Topics covered:
- “Working with parents and other Fans to promote better behavior”
- “Be the Authority at Middle/High school Events”
- “Adjusting Media Coverage from High school Sports to College and Pro sports”
-
National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) training was held in Doylestown August 14th-18th. Greeters Tom Aughey and Tom Bucco were in attendance along with other campus safety officers, school administrators, current police officers as well as retired police officers. The 40-hour training course based on NASRO’s Triad Model of school based safety. The topics covered were:
- Foundations of School-Based Law Enforcement
- The SRO as Informal Counselor/Mentor
- The SRO as Public Safety Educator
- School Law
- Ethics and the SRO
-
The ALICE Training Institute has officially designated the West Chester Area School District (WCASD) as an ALICE Certified Organization for the second consecutive year. ALICE, an acronym for Alert, Lock-down, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, equips both staff and students with valuable safety options, situational awareness, and survival skills for school and life. This premier safety program has the endorsement of the US Department of Education, Homeland Security, and other reputable entities.
ALICE training is a rigorous three-year process that integrates online learning modules on school safety and drills involving both staff and students. WCASD, now in its third year of training, is dedicated to ensuring the ongoing preparedness and resilience of its school community.
After having first trained school staff in the ALICE program through online modules, the WCASD moved into the next phase of staff training with hands-on scenario drills. In the current phase, WCASD’s safety team is reinforcing critical strategies with staff and introducing students and families to the program.
