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This past week we remembered the events of September 11, 2001 with a morning assembly hosted by students in the Civil Air Patrol and the Boy and Girl scouts. It is always strange to think that 9/11 is something these students read about in history books, even though, for most of us, it feels too recent to be historical. We still live with the aftermath of the day. It changed the way we live.
Some say “you will always remember where you were when…” and every generation has its own historical tragedy. My parents talk about the exact moment they found out JFK was assassinated. My grandmother would recall the dress she was wearing when she heard about Pearl Harbor. I remember the exact spot on the 605 freeway I was driving when I heard about the attacks of 9/11. I was driving to work, where I was ready for another day in the classroom. I clearly remember thinking while listening to the radio reports, “nobody will show up to school today. These students surely will be staying at home.” I was certain I would arrive at an empty school.
In a strange turn of events, it was the opposite of what I thought. On that day, I did not have a single student absent, and everyone was well aware of what was going on in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. They all chose to come to school.
I think perhaps that this is a testament to the value of catholic schools. For those students, the school environment provided them a safe place. A place to cry, to mourn, and to talk. The catholic school allowed them a safe place to pray together, as we joined hands that morning in prayer and in sadness, not knowing what was ahead. We spent the day with each other, trying to make sense of what we were watching. But we were doing it together, and that was the comforting part.
In the years since, I still recall that morning, the phone call to my wife, the certainty that everyone would be glued to their home televisions watching the events of the day tragically unfold. Instead, we watched those televisions together, as a community of faith, a community of young learners and a community of Christians ready to support one another. That day was a testament to a lot of heroism in our country, a lot of hatred in our world, and for me personally, full understanding that I was right where I belonged. In a catholic school.
To our parents, families, relatives, and others who are firefighters, police, first responders, military and medical personnel, THANK YOU for always looking out for us. For being willing to take a risk to save others. We recognized you all and prayed for you all in that morning assembly.
From the Los Alamitos Police
I am sure you have noticed a greater presence from Los Alamitos PD around the school campus. We all know we have a lot of cars coming and going each day, and the police are here to protect the community, which includes us as well. I stopped by and chatted with the officer and gained some insight. We had a great conversation. I simply asked, “What do you want me to tell the parents?” Here is what they said…
- Do not stop/block intersections. If there isn't room to get fully through, wait for the next light or for the intersection to clear. Blocking the intersection causes traffic in every direction.
- Do not stop your car in a crosswalk. This is a big one, especially with children everywhere. Either stop before or fully clear through all crosswalks. Even when turning on Orangewood. Be sure there is enough room to get through the crosswalk before making the turn.
- Please observe all posted traffic signs. This includes parking or stopping along curbs painted red. Those are fire lanes. This also includes the little patch of red just outside our main school gate. Do not stop there either. Leave the red curbs open.
- Finally, please don’t be on cell phones. This is especially important with so many children walking.
I invited the officer to come to the inside of the campus any morning or afternoon and see what is going on inside the gates. I encouraged him to come and witness the outpouring of parent volunteers who give of their time to keep our children safe. I asked him to come and see the system in place, and offer insight. He graciously accepted the invitation and will be stopping in to see the inside of the car line, and hopefully say hello to the students.
Safety Update
School violence and shootings have become all too common over the past few decades. It has become so common that we rarely talk about them in certain circles. I can assure you that here at school we are aware and pray that these senseless acts of violence stop. It is terrifying. As a school, we continue to refine and perfect our skills, learn about more technology capable of aiding in emergencies, and practice scenarios with our students. We can prepare as best we can and pray that our school remains safe and secure.
I wanted to give an update on some security measures happening in just this past week:
- Last Friday we met for 4 hours with the camera installers looking at the new camera system that is being installed, finalizing the locations of each, adding a few, and moving a few others. The camera coverage is good and installation will begin once we get final approval. These are being partially paid for through a state safety grant.
- Included in this camera system is a remote proactive video monitoring system, which provides an outside agency that watches for unusual activity and reports any activity to the school or police as needed.
- I met with a parent who is a police officer to look at exterior vulnerabilities in entrance areas and gates. Some minor adjustments to some gates were encouraged and addressed.
- Our entire safety and security plan and procedures have been turned over for re-evaluation by an expert. We will design evacuation procedures and policies to ensure we keep our children safe in the event of a natural disaster, fire, or lock-down.
- We have engaged the Los Alamitos school district for an opportunity to meet with their school safety team. These officers are experts in school-specific vulnerabilities. We are awaiting that meeting.
- I met this morning with the developer of our public address system. It has capabilities for warning signs and emergency alerts built within the system that we are currently not using. We began the training and it will continue next week. This will allow us to be faster and more proactive in the event of an emergency.
I wish there was an easy fix for every school in this nation to be safe from danger. I do know that this is a secure campus, in a safe area. That does not mean we are perfect, but we are working on it. I am thankful for those who have reached out to chat and to help find the best solutions.
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