lockdown?!?!

WTH?! i am shocked and unimpressed that this is what my children's school life is! there is no note from the principal or nothing. just a small blurb on the monthly calendar that there will be a lockdown on april 27th at 10am! is this really freakin necessary?! how are kids today supposed to become contributing adults when society is making them afraid of their own shadow!!!!!!!! ridiculous imo!

What is a lockdown? Is it a practice of it? I thought a lockdown was when there was a problem, they would lockdown the school so noone gets in or goes out. Maybe it is a drill, like a fire drill???? Being prepared is a good thing. But scareing them is not!!!

Good Luck with the whole thing!

Ashley even had a lockdown drill in preschool! I happened to be present when it was going on. They cover up all the windows, lock the doors, and hide very quietly beside a wall out of view. It's so they know what to do if there is an intruder in the school or someone with a weapon. The problem is that the kids confused it with a fire drill (where you want to get OUT of the school). I am concerned that they will try to hide in a fire now, not good. The preschool director told me that it was mandatory and all schools were doing this drill.

OMG I can't believe the school is doing something like that! That's just awful! I wish you could move the boys to another school!

I think a lock-down drill would be good. There's no reason it need scare the kids. As long as the teachers explain what's going on and that it's practice only, like a fire drill, then it should be OK. If the police are planning to do some sort of drill along with it, then I think it's a bad idea and no matter what the kids are told they're going to come away scared.

I think its a good idea. In this day and age you can never be too safe. Its right up there with fire and tornado drills. My kid's safety is a priority.

my kids safety is important to me too..no need to imply otherwise, but i don't see how lockdown is necessary in that neighborhood at their age. it is frightening for them and it probably has something to do with the fact that one of our PTA guys is a cop. i just don't agree with shoving the uglies of life at my kids in grade school.

It never seems necessary until its too late

When I was in grade school we used to practice hiding under our desks in the event of a nuclear attack. At least this preparatory drill makes a little bit of sense.

We have 4 lockdown drills a year, by state law, and it is just as M2A described. Last year, we had 2 real lockdowns, and because of the drills, the kids weren't scared at all. They only last about 5 minutes or so. We actually have a survival bucket, known as "the pee bucket" as that is what it is used for during an extended lockdown. They had to do that when I wad out on maternity leave with Giselle. It's not just for a gunman on campus, but any time there is a police incident nearby, in case the suspect tries to flee inside the school.

The folks at Pearl MS, Columbine CO, etc would have said the same thing. You never know these days. I agree that it COULD be scary for kids but its its handled properly I think its a wonderful idea. Better for them to have some idea of what is going on than for it to be total chaos if some nutcase does get into their school.

I could see how a lockdown drill would be of importance. I think I like that idea, although I have never heard of such. As long as the school keeps it as a positive learning tool and not something to scare the children.

i find it interesting that the only person as shocked by this as me is a fellow Canadian. maybe this is all the norm for the US but it's not for me.

I am not shocked by it, they have been having these drills for the past couple of years with the rise in violence all across the city. Ever since 911 and the incidents of strangers entering the schools un noticed they have tightened all the security and safety measures in the schools. I know of a few schools in the past year that have had to use the lock-down procedure due to police activity in the area. I think as mentioned previously that they should be taught what to do in those scenerios in a non-threating, non-frightening way. JMO, the boys have one this month too.

The folks at Pearl MS, Columbine CO, etc would have said the same thing. You never know these days. I agree that it COULD be scary for kids but its its handled properly I think its a wonderful idea. Better for them to have some idea of what is going on than for it to be total chaos if some nutcase does get into their school.

I agree. They all said the same thing.

HUmmm I dont think Kaitlins school has done anythin like this, course you cant get in with out a code or buzzing, I know they have practiced tornado and fire drills.

Interesting thought about the Canada vs Us mindset. Just kind of an cool fact - do yall know that school shootings have actually DECREASED in the last 10 years but media coverage has made it seem like they've gone up about 200% - its all perception.

When I started reading this thread I was confused because I didn't know what a lockdown drill was. Then I read further and understood what it was, and my first reaction was fear and shock. The more I read in this thread I do realize the importance of it, but it scares the daylights out of me that my children have to do something like this. It breaks my heart that they have to see how cruel the world is and how we have to live being 'prepared' all the time for what might be thrown our way.

I do agree that, at least here in the US, that lock downs are probably a common place with Columbine, the recent killing spree on that poor Amish school, etc - so I think the states almost HAVE to have laws, rules in place to protect the children. If they didn't do this, there would be a lot of legal suits against them. People are so sue-happy these days to place blame on everyone besides who it really should be on, that more and more laws are being made that might not be so necessary. I do think this one is necessary, but I think the schools were forced into it not so much for safety reasons, but legality issues.

Most schools do these now, and I think they are a good idea as well. In some of the most unpopulated areas in our state they have had real lockdowns this last year, so you can never say "never". Even in my home daycare we do fire and tornado drills. You can never be too safe when teaching about safety. I can't imagine NOT doing them and having hundreds of children walking around clueless as to what to do when an actual event came about. Always best to be prepared. There are ways to prepare them and practice without getting them scared and as long as the people around them aren't making a huge deal about it then there is no reason they should get freaked out. It is just reality, and preparing them for the reality.

This post has been edited by TannerBugsMom on Apr 4 2007, 06:32 AM

Fellow Canadian here 50% shicked, 50% not shocked. In my neighborhood there was a scare about a year ago and they did a lockdown and nobody really knew what was going on and they were just not prepared. So in that respect I think it is good. I mean, the world has changed since we were kids and this is life now.......you need to be safe and keep your children safe in the event of something

On the other hand, it really freaks me out that we are in the sort of society..........

I like the idea of practice lockdowns. You never know this day in age. Robbie has had practice drills at two different schools that he's gone to, and remember we're on a military base--how threating is that?? Not really when everyone around you is considered family. They really quite simple and quite short. I think them sending a calender is a good idea in this case, it gives you a chance to discuss with the kids that it is practice and it's not scary. What would be scarier is if something happened and they didn't know what to do or didn't have safety measures in place.

Schools practice lockdowns not only in case of school shootings, nuclear attack etc...but for something as simple as what happened in your neighbourhood not to long ago with the cops standing down the neighbourhood and keeping everyone indoors. Lockdowns are also there in case of God forbid something happening in the neighbourhood so that crimminals aren't allowed into the school for hide out.

Hope some of that information helps. It really is no big deal.

Dee Dee I believe the difference with the lock down and firedrill is that the alarm goes off when there's a fire and a lockdown the teacher will get a call on a phone in the classroom to lock the doors and have the children hide. I'm not sure if that's how it is everywhere but that's the way it was explained to me.
If an alarm is used, I could understand how that would be confusing.

Considering unlike in the US, here in canada, not every Joe Blow can walk into a store or a bank and get a gun, so just with that difference, the rate of gun violence is very drastically cut down in Canada, if you compare it to the US.... we don't have hundreds of gun-related crimes every day... That said - I don't see how it should become a nationwide thing... but for big cities like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, you know, the hang outs for illegals... it may not necessarily be a bad thing. It could be a good thing Kimberley....

but I'd be annoyed if it was in my area too.

Yes, when there is a fire drill (or real fire), a bell is sounded and with the lockdown, the teacher just tells the kids it is a lockdown... so there is a difference. But, I did hear the kids call the drill a fire drill, so to them it was the same thing. I had a talk with Ashley about the difference between a fire drill and the lockdown after we left school. I wanted to make sure she knew not to hide in a fire. But, I was the only parent that was there and I am not sure the other kids got that there is a difference.

The lockdown was not frightening, at least not for Ashley's class. They really had no idea why they were hiding and being quiet, other than the teacher said that is what they are supposed to do. But, I could see how it might be frightening to older kids that were a little more aware of why they were doing this.

The thing I didn't get was that they had the teacher do something that is supposed to be a universal sign to officials outside that everyone in the classroom is safe. Now, had that been a true incident, couldn't the bad guy do the same since it will be common knowledge?

Di, I thought the same thing as you... Ashley's preschool building is secure and the doors are kept locked. But, the preschool director told me that it is mandatory that all schools do this in Ohio. So, if Kaitlin's school hasn't done it yet, they probably will.

ok...idk if i am really qualified to post my opinion on this but here's my take and i am only posting this because i have a different perspective from what's already been mentioned so here goes.
first of all, i don't think a fire drill and a lockdown drill are really the same in the sense that granted, a fire can start anywhere and you can't predict what will cause it and where it will start and/or spread, the idea of a fire drill is to get the kids out of the building as quickly as possible and that is what you want to do in the case of any fire, obviously.
with regard to a lockdown, i guess i am not convinced that it really serves the purpose it is intended. i agree that our world is no longer safe (not sure if it ever really was) but the thing is, what happened in Columbine would have IMO happened just the same with or without lockdown preparation. my reasoning is that a gunman can come from anywhere, in the case of Columbine it was from within and where you would run and hide and how you would handle the situation IMO varies depending on the situation...i don't think it's like a fire in the sense that the end goal is always the same. sometimes, if someone shows up with a gun or a bomb, obviously you want to get the kids out ASAP but the circumstances will always be different and they are totally unpredictable. consider what happened in Beslan, Russia some years back...no lockdown would have prepared them, not the kids, not the parents (some of whom were inside with the kids and some of whom were killed in the seige), and no the teachers either.
i think my only real issue with lockdown drills, aside from the fact that IMO they can scare children is that they create a false sense of security, assuming the circumstances will always fit those of the drill. i think a better way to prevent tragedies it to educate children about the dangers that exist and to constantly tell them that if they see a strange person that they don't recognize or doesn't seem to belong there in the halls, to let someone know right away. children are smarter than we give them credit for and while i wouldn't rely on them to let adults know if something is wrong, i think they can tell more often than we would guess. i also think schools need to be more vigilant and if that means hiring more security guards and taking more security measures i think it's far better than a lockdown drill even though it's obviously more expensive but our children are worth it IMO.
as far as the drills Ed was talking about, IMO those drills were not so much designed to save kids should there be a nuclear attack but rather to drill into the kids' heads to hate the enemy commies and in the same way, Russian kids had the same drills to hate the West. i don't think hiding under a desk will save anyone in the event of a nuclear attack and i don't know if hiding under a desk will save anyone if a gunman or someone with a bomb or any sicko shows up.
i think schools need to be WAY more vigilant, hire more security and train teachers and other school staff to be on alert and to go thru whatever procedures are necessary should an emergency arise, the same way airline personnel are trained in the event of an air emergency. i don't think a lockdown will serve the intended purpose anymore so than having emergency drills on airplanes for passengers...you just can't predict what will happen and how and IMO it would only serve to make people afraid to fly and by the same token, this will either scare the children or will confuse them about the dangers because they won't realize what they're really locking down from.
JMO of course, hope it didn't offend anyone.