The Sacaton Elementary School District is committed to providing a safe learning environment for students and staff. We are continually working diligently to improve our safe school initiatives. Students are informed on how to be safe at school by learning classroom safety, what their roles are during an evacuation, lockdown, or modified lockdown. Additional safety information can be shared with students that they can utilize on their way to and from school, such as bike safety, driveway safety, parking lot safety (in and around cars, stop look and listen) and playground safety. Safety and security in our schools, home and community go hand in hand. What students learn at school can be brought home and shared with parents, siblings and neighbors. Ensuring students know how to react during emergency situations, how to be attentive and watchful on the way to school and home will benefit the community.

The following will be established throughout the school year to increase the safety at Sacaton for

students and staff.

•       Establish a safe school area within each classroom

•       Install Safe School wall holders in every room to house Safe Schools Information such as: Safe School Handbook, emergency flipchart, evacuation maps

•       Safe School Backpack and Safe School safety tub (in the event of prolonged situations)

SESD is proud of our partnership with the Gila River Police Department (GRPD) and appreciative of our School Resource Officers.

 Gila River Police Department School Resource Officer and K9 Units will join efforts, in collaboration with members of the administrative team of Sacaton Elementary School District, the detection and confiscation of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. The handler with K9 will lead the search for illicit drugs in designated classrooms and on the personal property of students and/or staff. The drug detection search will be conducted while students are occupied at another location on campus and away from the designated search area. We are fortunate to have the support from law enforcement as our number one responsibility is the safety of students and staff.

While pedestrian-vehicle injuries are the fifth leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 19, according to SafeKids.org, no age group is immune. Here are a few tips from NHTSA and NSC for children and adults of all ages:

•        Look left, right and left again before crossing the street; looking left a second time is necessary   because a car can cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time

•        Make eye contact with drivers of oncoming vehicles to make sure they see you

•        Be aware of drivers even when you're in a crosswalk; vehicles have blind spots

•        Don't wear headphones while walking

•        Never use a cell phone or other electronic device while walking

•        If your view is blocked, move to a place where you can see oncoming traffic

•        Never rely on a car to stop

•        Children younger than 10 should cross the street with an adult

•        Only cross at designated crosswalks

•        Wear bright and/or reflective clothing

•        Walk in groups

Walking is one of the best things we can do to stay healthy, but only if we put safety first.

Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise while school is in sessions, we want to you be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations. 

Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Our school district has a detailed disaster plan which has been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe.

Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency.

In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at our school until they are picked up by an identified, responsible, adult who is listed on that student's registration form which is filled out by parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year. Please be sure you consider the following criteria when you authorize another person to pick up your child at school:

• He/she is 18 years of age or older.

• He/she is usually home during the school day.

• He/she could walk to school, if necessary.

• He/she is known to your child.

• He/she is both aware and able to assume this responsibility.

• If electrical service is not affected, information will be relayed via KTAO. Turn your radio to KTAO for emergency announcements. If students are to be kept at school, radio stations will be notified. In addition, information regarding day-to-day school operations will be available by calling the school administrative office.

• Impress upon your children the need for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency.

Students will only be released to parents and/or persons identified on the school emergency card. During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion gates located on school campuses. Parents should become familiar with the school emergency disaster plan and be patient and understanding with the student release process. Please instruct your child to remain at school until you or your designee arrives.

The decision to keep students at school will be based upon whether or not streets in the area are open. If this occurs, radio stations will be notified. In the event that a natural disaster takes place during the time that students are being transported, students will be kept on the bus and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and school personnel. Any student who is waiting at home for the bus, will not be picked up (if roads are impassable). In the event a natural disaster occurs in the afternoon, the driver will make every attempt to continue delivering students to their homes. Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their homes or to school in the morning, the students will be delivered to the nearest school site and that school will communicate with the homeschool to inform staff members of students' whereabouts.

In case of a hazardous release event (chemical spill) near the school area, Shelter-in-Place procedures will be implemented to provide in place protection. All students and staff will clear the fields, report to their classrooms, and all efforts will be made to prevent outside air from entering classrooms during the emergency. Shelter-in-Place signs will be placed in classroom windows or hung outside classroom doors during a drill or emergency. Students arriving at school during a shelter-in-place drill or event, should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school due to classrooms being inaccessible. When the dangerous incident has ended, an all-clear signal will be given.