In this month's issue explore ways to keep your school safe and choosing joy this school year!
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Friend,
Happy October! In so many ways, October is a month of optimism in schools. A unique point in the school year when it’s still possible to feel the enthusiasm of the back-to-school season, and at the same time feel like we’re making meaningful progress toward our end-of-year goals. It’s exciting. And energizing. And motivating.
This year, there’s one disruptive trend that has tempered that excitement at too many schools. Across the country, we’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of schools seeking support to navigate and respond to threats of violence. The majority of these threats are coming into our schools anonymously – through anonymous emails and social media accounts. These kinds of threats have become more common in recent years, and have presented a new and highly challenging “gray area” for school leaders, who are trying to manage a delicate balance between being as thorough and safe as possible while minimizing disruptions to teaching and learning.
We’ve had many (too many!) conversations with school leaders about this over the past six weeks, and with the hope of laying a foundation for all of our schools, we’ve developed three resources we hope will be helpful:
If you find yourself needing a deeper level of support, or if you have specific questions, our team is here to support you. Please reach out to us anytime for thought partnership, guidance, templates, or just a good conversation.
On October 19th, millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home. Be among them by joining the Great Shake Out! It’s a great opportunity to hold a drill in your community in solidarity with others around your region and the world.
And if you’re curious about best practices for earthquake drills, check out our blog post to get your questions answered!
Save The Date For Our Upcoming Webinars
Monday, October 16th at 9 AM PST
Our webinar will be offering a range of topics all based around October’s theme of Crime Prevention Month. With Halloween and The Great Shakeout right around the corner, Joffe will provide best practices and tips to keep students safe.
Monday, October 30th at 9 AM PST
Join Joffe expert, Emma Johnson, to learn more about behavior threat assessments, as well as see an exclusive preview of our Behavior Threat Assessment Toolkit.
Access these LIVE Webinar Events through a FREE membership on Joffe Academy.
The Risk Assessment & Response Course Bundle
Unlock a wealth of knowledge with Joffe's latest course bundle. Filled with nine Joffe Academy products, the Risk Assessment & Response Course Bundleoffers you the essential tools and expertise required for effectively planning your response to an emergency.
All Clear! Pre-order Chris Joffe’s Upcoming Book
Since the early days of the pandemic, Chris has been working to capture a catalog of stories and lessons from his work with schools in crisis over the past 10 years. Now, he’s compiled them into a new book set to be published by Jossey-Bass this November! The book, All Clear: Lessons from a Decade Managing School Crises, is designed to offer school leaders and administrators practical guidance and key principles for keeping schools safe and thriving. Pre-order a copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or a local Indy book store!
Question: “This is my first year as an Elementary School Director of Operations, and I want our students to be able to celebrate Halloween at school. However, what parameters do I put in place to make sure it’s safe for everyone?”
- Operations leader at a New York-based school
Answer from Liz Rupert, Joffe Safety Consultant
Congratulations on your new role! When it comes to making a safety plan, we always recommend starting by collaborating. In this case, you’d probably want to include your school's staff and administrators in developing your Halloween safety plan. As you plan, consider guidelines for costumes, decorations, and activities.
It's also a good idea to consider how you'll approach dietary considerations, as well as support inclusivity
and sensitivity for diverse needs and traditions within your school community.
You might even consider hosting a staff meeting or parent-teacher association gathering to communicate these guidelines and invite feedback, ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page and can contribute to a safe and enjoyable celebration. For more guidance, here’s a recent blog post we developed with Halloween safety how-to’s. We hope you enjoy a fun-filled holiday!
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