School Safety

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Staff,

In light of the tragic events at Chardon High School on February 27, 2012, I am writing to request your continued vigilance, support, and open communication with the Rocky River City School District.  I am asking you to proactively communicate and report possible violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying. 

One of the most effective ways to prevent violence, criminal activity, threats, and bullying in schools is for communication (reporting) to take place between students/parents and school personnel.  Please report information to the building principal, teachers, and/or staff.  Collectively we can work to prevent violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying.  Be assured, district personnel take all reports of violence, criminal activity, threats, and bullying seriously.  Once a threat is reported, district personnel investigate and involve the Rocky River Police Department (RRPD) to prevent any such acts in our schools. 

Knowing that school personnel take all threats of violence seriously, the Rocky River City School District has a safety plan that is updated, reviewed, and ready for use when needed.  This important, secure, and detailed plan includes the practice of safety drills, such as building lockdowns and evacuations, as well as other necessary action steps.  Additionally, the safety plan has been reviewed by the Rocky River Police and Fire Departments and can be jointly implemented when needed.

Being proactive in sharing and reporting information about violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying is the first step, but additional measures are in place.  The Rocky River City School District has coupled our school safety plan with other tools to help keep all children safe at school.  For example, the district has implemented the Safe School Helpline.  The Safe School Helpline accepts anonymous information and reports about violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying.  Once a report is submitted, school personnel are immediately notified.  School personnel review the report, investigate the information, contact the RRPD if appropriate, take action, and report back to the caller about the measures that were taken and/or to seek additional information.  You can reach the Safe School Helpline at 1.800.418.6423 extension 359 or at www.safeschoolhelpline.com.  Please use the Safe School Helpline to report and prevent violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying in our schools. 

Additionally, effective with the 2011-2012 school year, the district has partnered with the Rocky River Police Department to have a School Resource Officer (SRO) at the high school on a daily basis.  The SRO is a very important part of district security not only at Rocky River High School but in all of our buildings.  The SRO has been involved in all Rocky River City School District buildings to investigate reports and to take action when necessary.  Please contact School Resource Officer Mike Bernhardt at 440.356.6810 or via email at bernhardt.mike@rrcs.org to share information or to make a report. 

The Rocky River City School District also has secured entrances at all school buildings.  The recently opened office at Kensington Intermediate School provides a new level of security and a camera entrance is in place at Goldwood until the new passive-entry entrance is built as part of the current construction project.  Rocky River Middle School has a secured entrance and Rocky River High School has a staffed security entrance in place until the new secured entrance is constructed. 

District administrators, faculty, staff, and the School Resource Officer are committed to investigating all reports of possible violence, criminal misconduct, threats and bullying in our schools. 

Parents and guardians, please review this information with your children as appropriate.

In closing, we will continue to use AlertNow email to inform and update parents and guardians as needed.  In an emergency, we will also use the AlertNow phone system for immediate notifications.

Thank you, 

Michael G. Shoaf, Ed.D.

Superintendent  

Levy Information Night

Rocky River residents are invited to a Levy Information Night on Monday, January 30 at 7 PM at Rocky River Public Library.

Crossing Guard Update

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Rocky River Police Chief Stillman asked us to send the following message to families in our District. As crossing guards are under the jurisdiction of the police department/city, any questions should be directed to Chief Stillman.

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Dear Parents,

We have had several school guards resign recently and in response with this I am evaluating the program on a continual basis and strategically placing the school guards in and around the schools to more effectively utilize the school guards for the safe arrival/departure of the children that attend our schools. We as parents, and that includes myself, have to work closely with your our local Police Department and be patient as we work thru a very challenging situation. I am asking parents to work in a collaborative effort with the Rocky River PD to assist us in the safe travels of your children to and from school. This means reinforcing the safe crossing of streets, proper utilization of the walk/don't walk buttons, actually walking the route that your child will take with him/her and reinforcing the proper route so you as a parent knows what route your child will walk each and every day. A very important fact to remember is that after school hours, on weekends and during the summer months school guards are no longer in place.

I completely understand your concerns, but we are going to have to adapt to changing times and economic conditions as best we can. As school guards are moved and placed in strategic locations you will be notified by the Rocky River School System as we have an excellent working relationship and we both work hand in hand to make sure school children arrive and depart safely. I have received a number of emails from concerned parents that are interested in establishing a volunteer base of parents to fill in as school guards themselves in locales that once had a school guard but are now vacant. I would gladly accept any help from concerned parents that are willing to explore a program such as this and I ask that those who wish to volunteer contact my office so we can discuss this further.

I hope this email has answered your questions, if not, you are more than welcome to contact my office at any time and speak directly with me on this issue. Thank you for your concern and effort in assisting us in making Rocky River safe for our children.

Sincerely,

Chief Kelly J. Stillman

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Kelly J. Stillman, Chief

Rocky River Police Department

21012 Hilliard Blvd

Rocky River, Ohio 44116

440-331-1234 ext 2150

Fax 440-895-2622

chiefstillman@rrcity.com