Keep your child’s information up-to-date. This ensures that the District can contact you during an emergency, and it lets your school know who has permission to pick up your child. Please also provide multiple emergency contacts. If you need to update your contact information, please call your school office.

Opt in to receive text messages. The District will sometimes use text messaging in addition to email and phone calls when communicating emergency information.

To receive text messages, text YES to 67587. You can always opt out by texting STOP to 67587.

Follow the rules. Exterior school doors are locked during the school day. Visitors must ring the doorbell and be visually and verbally identified via the entry camera before gaining school entry. Visitors will be asked to provide a valid ID, which will be scanned into the Raptor Visitor System. The system checks the visitor's name with a national database of sexual predators. Once entry is approved, Raptor will print a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. Visitors will be asked to wear this badge before continuing to their destination. Thank you for your cooperation!

 Be a role model. District 58 expects mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among all visitors while on school property or when communicating with school district staff via telephone or email. School property includes all District and school buildings, grounds, parking areas, school-sponsored events, Board of Education meetings, and buses/vehicles used for school purposes. Please see Board Policy 8:30 for details. Please note: parents/guardians are not allowed on the bus or in school, unless authorized by school personnel.

Talk to your child and monitor their social media usage. Use age-appropriate language to: 

• Describe the importance of safety drills in preparing for the unlikely event of an emergency.
• Stress the importance of remaining calm and listening to the teacher or trusted employee in charge during a drill or an actual emergency. 
• Encourage children to be vigilant and report information if they see or hear something suspicious. 
• Emphasize that it is never okay to make a threat (even as a joke) against anyone or the school, either in person or online. 
• Remind children that they cannot bring a weapon or lookalike weapon to school, including toys.

Create a family plan. School safety drills complement home safety drills. If you haven’t already, create a family preparedness plan.

Keep informed. Depending on the crisis, District 58 will send emails, texts and/or robocalls district-wide informing families and staff of updates. If a situation merits early dismissal, please be aware you may need to arrange a pickup for your child.

Avoid calling or driving to school. If there is a crisis, the school may be locked down, and you will not have immediate access to your child. Clogging the phone lines may hinder other important emergency response calls from getting through. In addition, heavy vehicle traffic near school can delay access for emergency vehicles. Please remain vigilant and wait for communication regarding next steps.