Safety Message from Milford Schools
Dear Milford Parents:
In light of the school shooting in Florida, I don't think any of us slept well last night. I was a little teary kissing my daughter good-bye this morning as she left for Milford High School. As a parent and educator, I want to share with our school families what we are doing as a district for the safety and well-being of our staff and students and ask for your help to keep our schools safe.
Safety Drills
Through cooperation with our local law enforcement, Milford has been on the forefront of ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training. All of our teachers and most of our staff have gone through ALICE training which provides preparation and a plan on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or an active shooter.
Each building is required by the state to conduct at least six rapid dismissal drills and nine in buildings without sprinkler systems. During the school year, three safety drills are conducted that involve either an active shooter or a lockdown scenario.
Speak Up!
Students or parents who have other concerns which may jeopardize the safety of students, employees or school facilities, are asked to Speak Up! and promptly report the issue using our district’s student/parent hotline – accessible both online and by telephone. A live attendant answers these calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will contact a district administrator immediately.
Options to report an issue:
- Call 1-866-listen2me (1-866-547-8362) and talk with a live attendant or leave a voice message.
- Go to our district website www.milfordschools.org/rebuild/rebuild and click on the "Stay Safe! Speak Up" icon located at the top of the district home page and all school home pages.
Mental Health
If one of our students is struggling with mental health issues, the district has support and counseling resources available. We have contracted with the Ohio Children’s Home and Child Focus to have therapists on site to work with students in need. In December, Milford hired William Cates to serve as the district's comprehensive mental health support specialist. He will be coordinating mental health services for our students districtwide. Mr. Cates isa licensed professional counselor in the state of Ohio, and has 11 years of experience working with all ages, and a multitude of complex behavioral health concerns. He has experience in crisis management and de-escalation, risk-assessment, treatment analysis and planning, and the coordination of mental health services.
Talking to Your Child
The subject of school shootings is difficult to share with children and teens. Here is a link from The National Association of School Psychologists for parents and teachers on how to talk to children about violence. The article also gives suggested points of emphasis and links to additional resources.
We need to work together as a community to keep our students safe. If you or your child see something suspicious, please say something. If you have concerns, please share them. Together, we can protect our students and make sure everyone feels safe in our school.
Sincerely,
Nancy House
Superintendent
