A message about school safety from RCPS Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely
Updated
We join the nation in expressing our sadness over the recent events at Apalachee High School in Georgia and mourn the loss of students and teachers. It is natural for parents to have questions about the safety at their child’s school when a tragedy such as this happens.
Coping with tragedies
When there is a national tragedy, some students can have difficulty comprehending and coping with what has happened. If any students need counseling, we encourage parents to reach out to their school counselor or LIFE counselor and see this page for tips and resources for helping students deal with trauma.
Safety is paramount
The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We want to ensure our students have a safe, welcoming environment to learn and succeed. We are very fortunate to have a close working relationship with the Roanoke County Police Department, the Roanoke County Sheriff’s office and the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department. We also work closely with the police departments in Salem and Vinton. Keeping our schools safe is a team effort. Over the past decade and more, we have invested millions of dollars in safety measures for our schools. Our safety task force and our school safety advisory committee are constantly working to evaluate our safety plans and consider new ideas.
If you see or hear something, say something
Parents and students also play a huge role in the safety and security of our schools. About 90-percent of the time, those who commit violent crimes against schools told someone or posted something on social media prior to committing the act. We encourage you to report anything concerning. Even if it seems trivial, it might be a sign of something larger. If you see or hear something concerning, please say something to a teacher, school administrator, school resource officer or the police department. Remember, report it, don’t share it. Sharing social media rumors makes it harder for us to discover the source of the rumor or post and you may become part of the investigation.
Learn more about our safety initiatives
We encourage you to review our many safety initiatives and the public version of our safety plan at www.rcps.us/safety and see how you can not only help maintain the safety and security at our schools but also learn what you should do if our schools have a safety incident. We also encourage you to view the parent safety video on our safety page.
Talk with your children
Unfortunately, many school districts across the state have experienced disruptions in the past few days due to individuals or groups making threats, often posted online. Parents, we encourage you to speak with your children about the significant dangers of making statements that could be interpreted as threatening, either in person or online. We take all such actions very seriously and anyone found to be making threatening statements, even if as a “joke,” will result in serious school consequences and could result in criminal charges.
Together, we can help make sure our schools stay safe and secure as we prepare our students to be Opportunity Ready.
Dr. Ken Nicely
Superintendent