In this month's issue explore ways to keep your school safe and choosing joy this school year!
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Friend,
First and foremost, Happy New Year! I hope the break brought you relaxation, rest, and most importantly, joy. As we have for the past several years, we’re dedicating this first newsletter of 2024 to sharing our perspective on what lies ahead for this calendar year – a year that will no doubt bring great joy to our campuses and may also usher in some new or continuing challenges.
We’re in a moment where several crucial issues loom on the horizon — a national election, potential economic turbulence, and the sunsetting of key educational funds, among others. It’s a moment of anticipation, of wondering what the future may hold, and seeking the best ways to prepare for it. I certainly don’t have a crystal ball, but based on the trends we’re seeing and research we’re reading, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlightthree key issues that we believe will have implications for school and community safety over the next 12 months, and actions you can take this month to prepare for each. This is by no means comprehensive, but it should help give you a few new items to add to your New Year's resolutions list:
1. A widening political divide leading up to the election. Elections, especially national elections, lead to increased tension and polarization within communities. This heightened emotional climate may affect interactions on school campuses. Depending on the political climate, there may be concerns about security threats or protests that could spill onto school grounds. Schools need to be prepared for potential disruptions and may also need to address any negative or tense dynamics among students and staff. Three steps you can take this month:
Designate spaces within the school (physical or virtual) where students can engage in constructive discussions about political topics.
Develop a crisis management plan that addresses potential disruptions related to political divisiveness.
Make counseling services available for students who may feel overwhelmed or distressed by political tensions.
This year will more than likely be even more significant than the 2020 election year given the added reality of two wars that are high in our social consciousness. Importantly, any protest regarding the election could easily become geared toward one or both wars and visa versa. For that reason, just like Covid, smaller groups, shorter periods of time, and limited access are very valuable tools to keep a protest relatively more contained. We'll likely dedicate some space on a future webinar to helping plan for staged walkouts, sit-ins, and other types of demonstrations that may occur on or near your campus.
2. More severe and more unpredictable natural disasters. The frequency and intensity of natural disasters have significantly impacted many school communities in recent years. Comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, regular drills, and investments in resilient infrastructure are critical components of mitigating the impact of natural disasters on school safety.
Three steps you can take this month:
Begin reviewing and updating your school’s emergency plan to ensure it covers multiple natural disaster responses
Test your communication systems to make sure all students, staff, and families will receive information in the event of an emergency
Pro tip: Store templates in your ENS (Emergency Notification System) for emergencies that are reasonably likely to occur so that you don't have to wordsmith in the moment.
Set a date to hold a reunification drill sometime in the future, and begin planning backwards to lay out key milestones of preparation
Soapbox: I believe every school should hold a reunification drill because I believe it's the most tangible way to demonstrate your capacity to perform all of the smaller tasks that make emergency response successful. Moreover, we know that all emergencies will end with returning our students to their guardians. Even if you choose a date that's years out, I strongly believe planning for this drill and executing it will cause exponential progress in your safety program overall.
3. Higher incidence of suicide in the general community. More than 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023 -- this is more than any year on record. A higher incidence of suicide in the community may result in more instances of students or staff experiencing grief and trauma, and schools may need to provide additional support and resources to help.
Three steps you can take this month:
Schedule additional staff training to recognize signs of distress, respond effectively to mental health concerns, and provide appropriate support to students and colleagues.
Send a New Year message to families reiterating your commitment to mental health and well-being.
Discuss with your leadership team how to address situations where the community experiences any loss of life, especially by suicide.
This year is sure to bring some challenging moments, but I continue to feel both hopeful and optimistic about what’s to come. As always, if you find yourself needing support, please call us. We’re here and ready to help you achieve your school safety goals for 2024.
As we navigate the complex landscape of the coming year, we understand the importance of being prepared. In our latest blog post, "Lessons from the Field: Improving ICS Implementation in Schools," we delve into critical insights to enhance your school's emergency response plans through exploration of common practices, role assignments, and the vital aspect of training to maximize the effectiveness of your emergency response management systems.
Question: “We have some new staff and students starting at our school in January. How do we quickly catch them up on “all things safety?”
- School Leader in Florida
Excellent question! For starters, we recommend looking back at some of the communication you’ve used recently within your community to help them understand the bigger picture. For example, what kind of safety information did you share with familiesand staff in their summer resources packets, or in their back-to-school information?
What do you share with substitute teachers and visitors currently? What training do you provide during your fall or winter PD? What training do you provide during your fall or winter PD? Creating a list of these kinds of resources, and updating it regularly, can help enormously when you have a new team member on board. To streamline this process, we've designed a template for you to utilize through our simple school solution accessible below.
We also have several Joffe Academy modules that are great for exactly this! Our ICS Bundle is a great starting point and will teach your team the basic roles and purpose of Incident Command Systems (roles and responsibilities during an emergency). Check out our library to explore other resources that might be a good fit! And if there’s anything you want to see us add that isn’t included, we’d love to hear about it!
In response to the question above, we have developed a concise, one-page template of Top Safety Info for Schools. This valuable document highlights essential information that should be shared with new staff each year. Download it now to kickstart your communication efforts.
All Clear! "A tutorial on how to master panic and turn crisis into calm"
Chris’s book has officially been released, and Katherine Schweit, J.D., CCEP recently shared this about it: "Chris Joffe’s book is a tutorial on how to master panic and turn crisis into calm. The secrets he shares in All Clear focus on the real-life lessons he learned about the value of working with the people around you, not in spite of them.
From the time he was plucked from his mother’s arms and dropped into foster care, Chris Joffe clearly has been mastering how to communicate and empower people around him during a crisis. You will want to join him after reading All Clear."
Thanks for the kind words, Katherine! Get your copy of Chris’s book today!
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