Anyone know anything about Bay Elementary? They had a deputy outside this morning at drop off and I heard they were not letting kids outside today for P.E. or Recess.
butler lock down?
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At PTO yesterday,(BAY) they said they would be having a drill this am, about 8:15 or so. They could be doing that county wide.
Heard that Butler, Bay and SWMA are locked down. I'm not sure what that means exactly. At SWMA they are staying inside and have a deputy outside.
Butler has apparently returned to a "normal" day. Don't know about Bay or SWMA. Is SWMA the montessori school?
glad it was nothing serious, but happy they take things seriously. These days, the schools Can't be too careful with our kids!
From the Walton Sun web page:
Local News Article
Breaking News
UPDATE: Suspicious phone message at local elementary school proves to be an accident
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 04, 2006
Gabriel Tynes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two South Walton County schools implemented crisis management measures after receiving a suspicious phone call on an answering machine this morning. From approximately 7:30 a.m. until noon, doors were locked and law enforcement was present at Butler Elementary and Emerald Coast Middle schools on County Road 30A. Meanwhile, county school superintendent Carlene Anderson said the two schools were never in ?lockdown,? which she said was an alarmist term reserved for intruder situations.
The incident began when a Butler Elementary secretary heard a suspicious message on the school?s answering machine. According to Anderson, the message sounded like a television news broadcast of recent school violence in other parts of the country. Officials with the Walton County Sheriff?s Department were able to trace the call to an elderly woman, and they concluded she had perhaps mistaken her telephone for the remote control.
Anderson said the situation was handled professionally, although there is no protocol in the district?s Crisis Management Plan for a suspicious answering machine message. According to sources at Butler Elementary, the secretary who initially heard the message relayed it to school administrators, who in turn requested the involvement of the School Resource Officer and the sheriff?s department.
Butler principal Tammy Smith, who had referred to the message as ?non-threatening, but at the minimum harassment,? emphasized her concern for students.
?Recent violence has been at the back of everyone?s minds not only as educators but also as parents,? Smith said.
Smith said that while parents have not been officially notified of the incident, some had heard and elected to withdrawal their children for the day.
?We are confident our students are secure, and they are going right on with their normal routines,? Smith said. ?Their safety is our priority.?
While officers from the Sheriff?s Office investigated, all interior and exterior doors to the adjacent schools were bolted shut. Students were only allowed to move from room to room under the watchful eyes of teachers, administrators, law enforcement and maintenance employees.
Anderson was headed to the scene by 9:30 a.m., but had issued a statement for media and parents.
?We solicit the support of our school resource officers to follow procedures in place in our Crisis Management Plan,? the statement said.
The superintendent did not believe there was any cause for further action at the time.
Dr. John Haro, the principal of Emerald Coast Middle School, said that despite any specific threat to his students, he decided to follow minimum lockdown procedures because of the proximity of the two schools.
?We make these decisions based strictly on the safety of our students,? Haro said. ?We were prepared to implement the procedure within five or 10 seconds.?
Butler Elementary has approximately 550 students while ECMS has around 300. Neither school has had to carry out a lockdown procedure before. The enhanced security measures were terminated upon completion of the investigation, and administrators reported classes were not disrupted.
Local News Article
Breaking News
UPDATE: Suspicious phone message at local elementary school proves to be an accident
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 04, 2006
Gabriel Tynes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two South Walton County schools implemented crisis management measures after receiving a suspicious phone call on an answering machine this morning. From approximately 7:30 a.m. until noon, doors were locked and law enforcement was present at Butler Elementary and Emerald Coast Middle schools on County Road 30A. Meanwhile, county school superintendent Carlene Anderson said the two schools were never in ?lockdown,? which she said was an alarmist term reserved for intruder situations.
The incident began when a Butler Elementary secretary heard a suspicious message on the school?s answering machine. According to Anderson, the message sounded like a television news broadcast of recent school violence in other parts of the country. Officials with the Walton County Sheriff?s Department were able to trace the call to an elderly woman, and they concluded she had perhaps mistaken her telephone for the remote control.
Anderson said the situation was handled professionally, although there is no protocol in the district?s Crisis Management Plan for a suspicious answering machine message. According to sources at Butler Elementary, the secretary who initially heard the message relayed it to school administrators, who in turn requested the involvement of the School Resource Officer and the sheriff?s department.
Butler principal Tammy Smith, who had referred to the message as ?non-threatening, but at the minimum harassment,? emphasized her concern for students.
?Recent violence has been at the back of everyone?s minds not only as educators but also as parents,? Smith said.
Smith said that while parents have not been officially notified of the incident, some had heard and elected to withdrawal their children for the day.
?We are confident our students are secure, and they are going right on with their normal routines,? Smith said. ?Their safety is our priority.?
While officers from the Sheriff?s Office investigated, all interior and exterior doors to the adjacent schools were bolted shut. Students were only allowed to move from room to room under the watchful eyes of teachers, administrators, law enforcement and maintenance employees.
Anderson was headed to the scene by 9:30 a.m., but had issued a statement for media and parents.
?We solicit the support of our school resource officers to follow procedures in place in our Crisis Management Plan,? the statement said.
The superintendent did not believe there was any cause for further action at the time.
Dr. John Haro, the principal of Emerald Coast Middle School, said that despite any specific threat to his students, he decided to follow minimum lockdown procedures because of the proximity of the two schools.
?We make these decisions based strictly on the safety of our students,? Haro said. ?We were prepared to implement the procedure within five or 10 seconds.?
Butler Elementary has approximately 550 students while ECMS has around 300. Neither school has had to carry out a lockdown procedure before. The enhanced security measures were terminated upon completion of the investigation, and administrators reported classes were not disrupted.
According to Anderson, the message sounded like a television news broadcast of recent school violence in other parts of the country. Officials with the Walton County Sheriff?s Department were able to trace the call to an elderly woman, and they concluded she had perhaps mistaken her telephone for the remote control.Anderson said the situation was handled professionally, although there is no protocol in the district?s Crisis Management Plan for a suspicious answering machine message. investigation, and administrators reported classes were not disrupted.[/QUOTE]
Oh my goodness, what are the chances of that happening...and the school violence new report was on at the exact same time? Hmm.
I do agree though, you can never be too safe when kids are involved.
Oh my goodness, what are the chances of that happening...and the school violence new report was on at the exact same time? Hmm.
I do agree though, you can never be too safe when kids are involved.