August 1, 2023

Dear GHS parent:                                

This letter informs you that Guyer High School has adopted an Emergency Operations Plan and has procedures in place to address student and staff safety issues that may arise during the school year.  The GHS Emergency Operations Plan is a proactive measure designed to prepare students, staff, and faculty for the most common emergencies a school may face, and we enact this plan in the event of a local disaster or school emergency.  Each school in our district has a safety and security audit every three years in cooperation with the Denton Police Department, Denton Fire Department, and Central Administration officials.

 Drills:

Even though statistics show schools are still among the safest places to be on a day-to-day basis, disasters can occur. Because of this, no community can be complacent in its efforts to make its schools even safer.  To ensure everyone knows what to do, we conduct drills and training all through the year to ensure that students, staff, faculty, and first responders know what is expected of them.

In addition to practicing the drills, we will also be discussing with the students the appropriate actions to take during emergencies. These drills and accompanying discussions are designed to prepare your child to act quickly and to minimize your child’s fear should an emergency occur.

Emergencies:

In certain types of emergencies, neither the building nor the school grounds are safe.  These situations would necessitate students and staff leaving the campus.  In this case, the GHS Crisis Management Team has constructed a plan that includes three off-campus sites for evacuation.  The first location is directly across the street (Teasley) from Guyer High School at the Hickory Creek Baptist Church, 5724 Teasley Lane.  The second location is directly across the street (Teasley) at the Faith United Methodist Church, 6060 Teasley Lane.  The third off-campus evacuation site is McNair Elementary School, located at 1212 Hickory Creek Road.  Guyer administrators have been in contact with the principal of McNair, Mrs. Bolton, and have her cooperation and permission to move our students to that location if necessary.  At all evacuation sites, the Guyer Emergency Response Team will have a designated parent pick-up location as well as a parent/public information location.

We know crisis situations are stressful for students, staff, and parents.  We continue to be proactive in practicing for emergencies and keeping students, staff, and parents informed.

Your cooperation is vital in any emergency.  In case of such an emergency, please help us by reviewing and putting into action the following:

●     Please follow directions from police, fire department, and school administrators during the emergency.

●     Do not call the school.  The D.I.S.D. information officer will provide information to parents and the public and you will be told how to access the latest information.

●     Know that if we are involved in a bomb threat, we ask students and staff not to use their cell phones.

●     Talk to your son or daughter about what they should do should they see any inappropriate item or action at school.  Please encourage them to share their concerns with a trusted adult at Guyer.  This could be a teacher, counselor, or an administrator.  I want to assure them that their name will be kept confidential.

●     Discuss the things that we are doing at Guyer with your student to help keep everyone safe and why we must practice. (drill)

●     If your son or daughter shares something with you that does not seem “right”, please notify an administrator immediately.

●     Be sure that you sign in at the front office or the 9th grade office each time that you enter the building.

●     Please understand the lunch visitor policy and let us know if there is a special relative that wants to visit during lunch.

●     Read and understand the Guyer High School parking rules and share why they are important with your student.

Students will be released only to parents and persons identified on the School District Emergency Card.  They must have picture identification.

During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion gates located on school campuses.  Parents should plan on being patient and understanding with the student release process.  It is a methodical process designed to ensure that your child has been released to the adult of your choice or is being taken care of by us until you, the parent, arrive.  Please instruct your student to remain at school until you or a designee arrives.  Since local telephone service may be disrupted, also list an out-of-state contact on the emergency card since calls may still be made out of the area while incoming calls are affected.

The basic disaster responses are:

Evacuations may be ordered in the event of such incidents as fire and/or explosions.  All students are to quickly go to their assigned exit and report to their appropriate classroom teacher.

In case of a “hazardous release event” (chemical spill) or “police emergency” near the school area, “Shelter-in-Place” procedures will be implemented to provide in place protection.  All students and staff will clear the areas, report to their rooms, and all efforts will be made to prevent outside air or intruders from entering classrooms during the emergency.  Students arriving at school during a “Shelter-in-Place” drill or event should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school since classrooms will be inaccessible.  When the dangerous incident has subsided, an all-clear signal will be given.

During the threat of severe weather, students will be evacuated to their weather safe locations in the main building well before the weather is predicted to hit.  The weather is monitored in a variety of ways by office staff.

Please discuss these matters with your immediate family.  You may even want to begin your own family plan of action.  Planning will help alleviate concern during any type of emergency or disaster incident that may occur.

It is our hope and prayer that an emergency would never happen at Guyer.  I believe with parents, students, and staff working together, we can be proactive in making Guyer a safe place.  Should you have questions regarding the Emergency Operations Plan, please contact me at 940-369-4905 or jparker2@dentonisd.org.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Parker

GHS Safety Coordinator