Crazy Person on the Loose...

Yesterday was quite the eventful day. A couple days ago a guy being transported to one of our local courthouses escaped. Long story short about him, he stole the gun, took the car and well, went away.

I get to school yesterday and was talking about it with another teacher, who was telling me that they spotted the guy that morning about 2? miles from where our school is at. So neighboring school districts started to call a "soft" lockdown meaning no one can enter or leave school. Well seconds after that conversation, our secretary makes an announcement that all kids need to line up inside (kind of like a rainy day).

My kids, lined up outside my door were all riled up about a killer being on the loose. I had to set them straight on that one and put an end to the gossip being spread around.

One of my girls says she got a call from the district this morning informing parents of our lockdown today, this is even before school started. Well no one told me about it! I check my email, the district website, no word. Hummm, think of that, the classroom teacher being told of a school lockdown???

We start our day normal, about ten minutes after school starts we go down the hallway to put in our change in for our fundraiser, when a staff memeber comes by to say they just announced a lockdown. Now let me tell you what LOCKDOWN means, it means, get to your room or nearest room, shut off the lights, lock your door, close the blinds, and hide in the corner. Of which at that time everyone takes off with their kids, does what they are supposed to do and hides in the corner.

I was just preparing the kids in the corner for the long haul, since lockdowns can happen for hours. Five minutes later a message over the PA systems comes on, "This lockdown is the type where no one can enter or leave the building." At that was that. The teacher next door and I (through our drive through window) were throughly confused, what were we supposed to do now?

Ok, now another thing. When you are in lockdown... THAT IS NOT THE SIGNAL to release us! The police have to come and let you out. How do I know that someone is not holding a gun to her head making her say it. So being the good teacher I am, stayed in the corner. Teacher next door calls the office on her cell phone. We waited until a staff memeber came banging on the door, which I still know not to go there, but I knew the situation and knew that they made a lockdown mistake.

All in all, I was proud of our building for following procedures, mad at everyone else (district) wise for lack of communication regarding a "prelimary" lockdown, which I think is a term they made up just yesterday, we have never been trained on a "soft" or "preliminary" lockdown. Way to go staff, everyone else, get your act together! Had this been real, we would have been in trouble!