Safety Procedures at Brant Hills

The Safety of our Students, Staff and School is Always a Priority

In order to maintain a safe traffic flow and supervise students efficiently we use different entry doors for different grade levels; students, even in inclement weather, consistently use these entry and exit doors.  If however, your child is arriving late or leaving early from the school, they will be directed to use the front door and sign in or out at the office. All visitors to Brant Hills are asked to sign in at the office and required to wear a visitor identification tag.  Any volunteer or hired supervisor is required by the Board to have a current police check on file at the school. Fire Drills: we practice fire drills a minimum of 6 times during the year. The Fire Department is present for at least one of those drills.  During a fire drill, students are asked to leave the building through the nearest designated exit and line up by class at a safe distance from the school.  All staff and students are aware of the fire drill procedures during scheduled class times.  This year we will also be practicing fire drills at the Nutrition Break times, to ensure that students know how to respond in a safe and timely manner for any occurrence.   Lock Downs: A lockdown is a response to an emergency situation wherein the evacuation of a school building is neither safe nor advisable and steps are required to isolate students and staff members from danger.  During a lockdown lights are turned off in the classrooms, curtains/blinds are closed, and students are kept in a safe place until further instructions are given. Twice a year Brant Hills performs a practice lockdown drill to familiarize the students with the emergency procedures. How can you help to keep Brant Hills safe?   Always sign in at the office If your child is sick or away, please report the absence at 1-877-409-6310 or hdsb.schoolconnects.com Please let us know if your child has any flu like symptoms Please ensure that your child is entering and exiting the school through their assigned door

SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Our students are counseled on a regular basis about personal safety and protection during their walks to and from school.  We encourage them to travel with others, accept and welcome others who may be alone, to stay on the public visible walkways and to head straight for their destination.  All students are expected to go directly home after dismissal from school.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION:

Each school day, teacher supervision of the playground area begins at 8:35.  To ensure your child’s safety, we request that parents time their child’s arrival at school to coincide with the time that the playground is supervised.  Adults supervise the students during the 1^st and 2^nd nutrition breaks and again from 3:10 - 3:25 at the bus pick up area.

BUS ZONE SAFETY:

When buses are not present, parents may use the bus zone as a drop off.  Please be mindful that school buses have the right of way and must be permitted to pull up to the curb in order to discharge their riders. When buses are present please allow your child to disembark from the car at the west end of the parking lot near the path leading up to the blacktop.  

BICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS, ROLLERBLADES, SCOOTERS:

For those who ride bicycles to school, racks are provided.  It is strongly recommended that bicycles be locked and that the lock be of sturdy construction.

The racks are considered an "out-of-bounds" area for play.  For safety's sake, bicycle riding is not allowed on the school grounds, which means dismounting and walking bicycles to and from the racks.

Skateboards, rollerblades and scooters can be used to travel to and from school, however safety of all must be observed.  Skateboards are to be picked up and stored in the student’s locker.  Scooters are to be folded up and also stored in the locker.  Rollerblades are to be removed outdoors and stored in the locker. Please ensure your child wears his/her helmet when riding to school in accordance with the laws.