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El Niño Readiness Toolkit

Free tabletop exercises and planning templates for school leaders. Pick a card, talk it through with your team, then put your plan on paper.

Storm Season · 6 Cards

Built for a strong El Niño season: what a campus does when the weather turns, from the closure call to reopening the next morning.

Before You Start

How to Run This

6storm-season scenarios
2 minto read each card aloud
Joffe Emergency Services
  1. Read the setup out loud, then hand the two named roles to whoever's in the room. No prep needed.
  2. Work through it live: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?
  3. Tap the card to flip it and check your thinking against Joffe's guidance, then talk about what fits your school. Tap again to flip it back.

There's no single right answer here. Talking it through together is the point.

Weather · Operations 01/6
Storm-day closure protocol

The 5 a.m. call no one wants to make

A storm advisory posts overnight. Buses are already staged for the morning route by the time anyone at the school sees it. What should the buses do?

🎭 Who Plays This
Superintendent / Head of SchoolTransportation Lead
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Storm-day decisions, in practice

  • NowThe named decision-maker, with a backup ready if needed, makes the delay-or-closure call before the first bus leaves.
  • NextThat call reaches every driver and every family through more than one channel at once.
  • LaterThe call and its timing get reviewed at the next staff meeting, so it holds up better next storm.

Takeaway: Test the notification channels every year alongside the decision-making call.

Tap to flip back ↻
Weather · Facilities 02/6
Arrival & dismissal routing

When the drop-off loop floods

Heavy rain has turned the main drop-off loop into standing water during morning arrival. Where do families drop off, and how do they find out?

🎭 Who Plays This
FacilitiesFront Office
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Arrival & dismissal, in practice

  • NowFacilities opens the alternate entrance the team mapped ahead of time.
  • NextThe front office texts arriving families the new drop-off point, and a staff member directs cars at the loop.
  • LaterFacilities logs the drainage issue and has it checked before the next storm.

Takeaway: Walk the backup route with the whole staff once a year so anyone on staff can open it.

Tap to flip back ↻
Weather · Communication 03/6
Backup emergency communication

The intercom goes quiet with the power

A storm knocks out power campus-wide in the middle of the school day, taking the intercom, phones, and wifi down with it. How does the school reach everyone?

🎭 Who Plays This
TeachersBuilding Admin
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Backup communication, in practice

  • NowTeachers keep their own classroom calm and accounted for with what's already in the room.
  • NextBuilding Admin gets word to the rest of campus through a backup system that runs on its own power.
  • LaterThe no-power version of the drill gets practiced again next year.

Takeaway: Confirm the backup doesn't share wiring or a network with the primary system.

Tap to flip back ↻
Weather · Site Risk 04/6
Slope & drainage risk zones

Days of rain, and a hillside to watch

Days of steady rain have saturated the hillside near campus, and a debris flow advisory comes through for the area. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Facilities / SecurityPrincipal / Head of School
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Slope & site risk, in practice

  • NowFacilities and Security clear the mapped high-risk area first.
  • NextThe Principal or Head of School sends families an update at the same time.
  • LaterThe heavy-rain policy gets checked against what happened.

Takeaway: Map the campus's high-risk zones every year, before storm season starts.

Tap to flip back ↻
Weather · Supervision 05/6
Off-campus weather protocol

A field trip when the warning hits

A class is off-campus on a field trip when a flash flood or severe weather warning is issued for their area. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Trip LeaderFront Office
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Off-campus supervision, in practice

  • NowThe Trip Leader gets the warning in real time and calls the one named contact back at school.
  • NextFront Office decides whether the trip turns back.
  • LaterFamilies hear what happened and why, the same day.

Takeaway: Give every trip leader one named contact to call directly.

Tap to flip back ↻
Weather · Facilities 06/6
Post-storm reopening inspection

The campus, the morning after

The storm has moved on, and tomorrow is a normal school day, on paper. What needs to happen before students come back on campus?

🎭 Who Plays This
PrincipalFacilities
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Reopening, in practice

  • NowFacilities walks roofs, electrical, standing water, and trees before anyone else arrives.
  • NextThe Principal fixes or fences off anything found, before the first bell.
  • LaterThe walk-through is a named, written responsibility that belongs to one person every time.

Takeaway: Put the walk-through on the calendar as a standing, named job.

Tap to flip back ↻

Also here: the Ten Conversations Tabletop. Same format, built from Joffe's full school safety framework instead of storm season specifically. Switch tabs above to see it.

Ten Conversations · 10 Cards

Built from Joffe's full school safety framework. Ten scenarios your leadership team can talk through, two minutes at a time.

Before You Start

How to Run This

10conversations
2 minto read each card aloud
Joffe Emergency Services
  1. Read the setup out loud, then hand the two named roles to whoever's in the room. No prep, no script.
  2. Work through it live: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?
  3. Tap the card to flip it and check your thinking against Joffe's guidance, then talk about what fits your school. Tap again to flip it back.

There's no single right answer here. Talking it through together is the point.

Physical 01/10
Visitor management system

A relative who isn't on the list

Someone buzzes in claiming to be a relative picking up a student early, but they aren't on file as an approved contact. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Front OfficeBuilding Admin
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Visitor management, in practice

  • NowFront Office says no and asks for ID, calmly, with no exceptions for familiar faces.
  • NextBuilding Admin backs that up if the visitor pushes back.
  • LaterThe family hears about it the same day, calmly.

Takeaway: Agree on the ID policy in writing, before someone has to enforce it alone.

Tap to flip back ↻
Physical 02/10
Surveillance and monitoring

A camera running, with no one watching

The cameras catch an incident on the back field, but no one was watching the monitor when it happened. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Facilities/SecurityBuilding Admin
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Surveillance, in practice

  • NowFacilities/Security can name, by name, who is watching the monitors right now, including if the answer is no one.
  • NextBuilding Admin schedules a review of the footage.
  • LaterBlind spots get mapped once a year, on purpose.

Takeaway: Cameras answer what happened. A plan answers what happens next.

Tap to flip back ↻
Operational 03/10
Emergency communication systems

A portable classroom, out of the intercom's reach

A teacher in a portable classroom needs to alert the office right now, but the intercom doesn't reach that building. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Classroom TeacherFront Office
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Emergency communication, in practice

  • NowThe teacher gets help from that room right now, using the backup system.
  • NextFront Office confirms a test message goes out monthly, so a failure shows up in a drill.
  • LaterThe backup system is checked to make sure it doesn't rely on the same wiring or network as the primary one.

Takeaway: Test every room's alert path once a year, portables included.

Tap to flip back ↻
Operational 04/10
Staff training and drills

A new hire, after the last drill

A new staff member joins mid-year, after the school's last lockdown drill already happened. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
New Staff MemberDepartment Head
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Staff training, in practice

  • NowThe Department Head walks through the lockdown protocol as it's taught today, timed at under 90 seconds.
  • NextNew hires get that same training in week one.
  • LaterAt least one drill a year happens without advance notice.

Takeaway: Put new-hire safety training on the same checklist as their first-week paperwork.

Tap to flip back ↻
Operational 05/10
Student supervision protocols

Dismissal, ten chaotic minutes

Dismissal is chaotic, with cars, buses, and walkers all arriving in the same ten-minute window. Who's watching each one?

🎭 Who Plays This
Dismissal Duty StaffAdministrator
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Supervision, in practice

  • NowDuty Staff can name the exact moment a student stops being their responsibility.
  • NextThe Administrator can say who would notice if a student never made it to their ride.
  • LaterSupervision zones are mapped on paper for arrival too, the same way they already are for dismissal.

Takeaway: Map arrival supervision zones with the same care dismissal already gets.

Tap to flip back ↻
Behavioral 06/10
Behavioral threat assessment team

A comment that might mean something

A staff member overhears a comment from a student that feels concerning, but isn't sure it rises to a threat. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Staff WitnessTeam Lead
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Threat assessment, in practice

  • NowThe Staff Witness can name exactly who they'd tell, in the next ten minutes.
  • NextThe Team Lead treats "I'm not sure if this counts" the same as a yes, and logs it the same way.
  • LaterThe team meets monthly, on a standing schedule.

Takeaway: Decide in advance that "maybe" always gets logged and reviewed.

Tap to flip back ↻
Behavioral 07/10
Anonymous reporting system

A student afraid to say something out loud

A student knows something concerning about a classmate, but is afraid of being identified if they say anything. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Student (role-played)Counselor
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Anonymous reporting, in practice

  • NowStudents know the reporting system by name and how to use it, because it's been introduced more than once.
  • NextWhoever receives a tip gives it a same-day first response, even if it's just confirming it was received.
  • LaterThe system gets mentioned again partway through the year, beyond the first orientation.

Takeaway: A reporting system only works if students can name it when asked. Test that.

Tap to flip back ↻
Planning 08/10
Crisis response plans

The crisis lead is out today

An emergency happens on the exact day the usual crisis lead has called in sick. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Acting LeadSecond-in-Command
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Crisis plans, in practice

  • NowThe written plan is saved somewhere every second-in-command can open in under a minute, from a phone or laptop.
  • NextA named second-in-command exists for every key role, written into the plan itself.
  • LaterThe plan gets reread and updated at least once a year.

Takeaway: Time how long it takes your team to find the plan today.

Tap to flip back ↻
Planning 09/10
Reunification procedures

Hundreds of parents, all at once

An incident ends safely, but now hundreds of anxious parents are converging on campus at the same time. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
Reunification LeadParent (role-played)
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

Reunification, in practice

  • NowThe school has a named physical site for reunification, and the person leading it knows where that is without checking.
  • NextEvery parent's identity gets checked at pickup, using a method the team has practiced together.
  • LaterParents hear about the reunification process before they ever need it.

Takeaway: Walk through the reunification site and identity check once, before you need it.

Tap to flip back ↻
Planning 10/10
After-incident review process

Months after the incident

An incident happened last semester, and the immediate response has been over for months. What happens next?

🎭 Who Plays This
PrincipalLeadership Team
▶ Play It Out

Work through it out loud: what do you do right now, what happens next, and what happens later?

Tap to flip ↻
Ideas to Build On

After-incident review, in practice

  • NowThe Principal can describe specifically what changed as a result of the incident.
  • NextThe Leadership Team confirms every incident gets a formal debrief within two weeks, while it's fresh.
  • LaterSomeone checks back in three months to confirm the change stuck.

Takeaway: Schedule the three-month check-in on the same day as the debrief itself.

Tap to flip back ↻
Slides and Templates · 10 Resources

A guided lesson on this winter’s outlook, plus editable documents to use with your leadership team. Fill in the brackets, assign owners, and keep a copy in your emergency plan.

  • Super El Niño 2026-27: A Guided Lesson

    A seven-step web lesson on how a warm stretch of the tropical Pacific reshapes winter weather, and how families and schools can prepare before the peak. By Dr. Joshua Durkee, Western Kentucky University. Opens on the WKU website.

    Open the lesson

  • Severe Weather Protocol Review

    Slides for reviewing your severe-weather protocol and emergency operations plan, with a good-versus-bad comparison. PowerPoint.

    Download

  • Emergency At-A-Glance Template

    A one-page quick-reference sheet for staff: calling 911, key phone numbers, and the steps for fire, earthquake, hold, shelter-in-place, secure campus, and lockdown. Fill in your school’s details.

    Copy in Google Docs Download Word

  • El Niño Communication Templates

    Ready-to-edit messages for families, staff, and partners. Word document.

    Download

  • El Niño Facilities Checklist

    A walk-through checklist for drainage, roofs, and grounds, with owners and due dates. Word document.

    Download

  • El Niño Family Support and Continuity Planning Worksheet

    Plan how to connect families to help and keep teaching if school cannot open. Word document.

    Download

  • El Niño ICS Job Action Sheets

    Role sheets so everyone on your response team knows their job. Word document.

    Download

  • El Niño Reunification Planning Toolkit

    Roles and steps for safely reuniting students with families. Word document.

    Download

  • El Niño Severe-Weather Protocol Template

    A fill-in protocol for the closure decision, communication, and recovery. Word document.

    Download

  • Family Handout: Preparing for El Niño

    A one-page handout to send home so families know what to expect. Word document.

    Download
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