Safety Department

Student health and safety is a high priority of Harmony Public Schools. Student cooperation is essential to ensuring health and safety. Students should:

• Avoid conduct that is likely to put the student or other students at risk.
• Follow the behavioral standards set forth in our Student/Parent Handbook, including the Student Code of Conduct, as well as any additional rules for behavior and safety set by the Principal, teachers, or other school staff.
• Remain alert to and promptly report safety hazards, such as intruders on campus and threats made by a person toward a student or staff member.
• Know emergency evacuation routes and signals.
• Immediately follow instructions from staff members who are overseeing student welfare.

Harmony Public Schools places the highest priority on the safety of our students and team members. HPS constantly seeks to provide a circle of protection that generates safety and security in all schools and facilities. Controlled access to buildings, visitor registry, crisis communication, employees and first responders are all essential to that cause.

Looking to implement best practices for safety and security, Harmony has implemented the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Created by the Colorado-based I Love You Guys Foundation, this standard simplifies the district’s emergency response—making it a powerful, informative and efficient guide.

The SRP refers to five specific actions in the event of an emergency or crisis. Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter and Hold are the actions students and employees are trained to perform during an emergency. A brief synopsis of each action is below.

• Secure (Lockout) – Occurs when a threat or hazard is outside of the school building. Students will remain or return inside the building. Staff will help recover students and colleagues outside the building, take roll and increase their situational awareness.
• Lockdown – Occurs when a threat or hazard is inside the building. Students will stay quiet and out-of-sight. Staff will lock the classroom door, turn off lights, maintain silence and obscured visibility, take roll and wait for first responders to open the door.
• Evacuate – Occurs when students and staff must move to another location. Students will leave all but cell phones behind, form a single-file line, show hands and be prepared for changes. Staff will lead students to the evacuation location and take roll, if possible.
• Shelter – Occurs when the need for personal protection is necessary, such as during a tornado or biohazard situation. Students and staff will employ appropriate safety strategies. Teachers will also take roll to account for students.
• Hold – Occurs when there is a need for students to clear the hallways for issues, such a medical emergency. Students will remain in their classroom until they receive an “all clear” and classes will continue as they normally would.

This protocol helps us maintain a safe learning and working environment for all students and staff.