September School Committee Recap

During Monday night’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard was pleased to announce that 92 percent of school staff members have completed their ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) online training. The training is possible thanks to a grant that was received by the district, dedicated to increasing an organization and individual’s odds of survival during a violent intruder event.

Enacted after the tragedies at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook, the training strategy goes beyond the conventional lockdown training that teachers have received in the past and strives for a more aggressive approach.

“I think it will be helpful for parents to understand why we are adding one more layer of safety for our students, and what one would do if there was an intruder in the building,” said Howard, who hosted a parent information meeting about the training. “These are things we don’t like to think about, but it’s the reality of the world we live in today.”

In other news:

Students from around the district participated in a town-wide trash cleanup last Sunday. All materials were provided by the 11 Foundation.

Jon Cadigan celebrated his first team win as the WHS football coach on Friday, Sept. 14 after a game against Medford. The final score was 28-20.

The Winthrop Parent Teacher Club is selling calendars. Proceeds fund events during the year, as well as scholarships. Please contact Mary Gillis or Sue Griffiths, or write to whsvikings400@gmail.com.