School Safety

Project Child Safe 

Project ChildSafe is the largest, most comprehensive firearms safety education program in the U.S. It was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, and is committed to promoting genuine firearms safety through the distribution of safety education messages and free firearm safety kits.

District 129 has partnered with Project Child Safe and has free cable gun locks available to anyone who could use one or more - no questions asked. Please stop in our registration office, they are available on our display. For more information about firearm safety and District 129’s initiative, please click here - Gun locks 
 

Safe2Help Illinois

Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, and website (Safe2HelpIllinois.com) to share information on school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the information provided will be shared with local district and school officials and/or local PSAP/9-1-1- call center, depending on the nature of the information shared. 

District 129 believes that each student should be able to identify a trusted adult in their school building. This staff member is a person who students can communicate with if they see or hear something and need to say something. In the absence of access to that trusted adult,  Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm.” 

Gaggle Safety Management

Gaggle is an Illinois-founded company who has been supporting student safety and well-being for more than 20 years. They assist K-12 districts to manage student safety on school-provided technology. Districts have received hundreds of content alerts that have helped avoid tragedies and save lives.

When the content of a student's account alerts our content filter, Gaggle notifies the building administration. Once notified, our building administration will connect with the student and parent regarding the content, and provide information and resources based on the specific situation. 

Gaggle monitors for bullying, sexual content, harm to self and others, and specific searches and content about weapons and significant tragic incidents. 

 i love u guys Standard/Reunification Method

Crisis recovery starts with the crisis, not after. Without a plan to reunite students and parents, we exacerbate the stress and potential trauma of the crisis itself and we jeopardize the responsibility of the school and district in maintaining the chain of custody for every student. No school or district is immune to emergencies; fires, floods, tornadoes, blizzards, power outages, and bomb threats or other act of violence that could initiate the need for a reunification for a school or district.

A predetermined, practiced reunification method ensures the reunification process will not further complicate what is probably already a chaotic, anxiety-filled scene. In fact, putting an orderly reunification plan into action will help defuse the emotion building at the site.

Handle with Care

Handle with Care 129 is a collaborative effort between District 129 and our five municipalities to mitigate the effects of trauma impacting our students. In the event of an off campus trauma or crisis that occurs where police respond, a very simple message to “Handle (name the specific child) With Care” is sent to the Executive Director of Student and Family Services. That message, not the actual incident, is shared with the building administration. The building administration then notifies the appropriate staff members so that a closer eye can be placed on that particular child for the upcoming days. If there are signs of fatigue, escalated behavior, or other social emotional necessities, the school will connect with the parent/guardian and offer appropriate resources.

Stop the Bleed 

Minutes count! Someone who is severely bleeding can bleed to death in as little as 5 minutes. That’s why bleeding control—keeping the blood inside the body—is the purpose of STOP THE BLEED® professional learning.

District 129’s nursing staff have received specialized Stop the Bleed instruction. They are now able to teach our staff how to respond if there is ever a situation when someone may be critically injured. Each year, our nurses provide professional learning for our transportation and custodial maintenance staff, as well as, teaching and support staff.

Northern Illinois School Safety Administrator Association (NISSAA)

The Northern Illinois School Safety Administrators Association (NISSAA) is a collaborative group of emergency management, law enforcement, and school administrators who are passionate about creating and maintaining safe places for students to come learn each day. NISSAA is working to establish the following:

• A common language in safety immediate response and procedures

• Common emergency operation plan templates for school districts so plans work in concert with emergency responder local, county, state, and federal agencies

• Create school safety training programs consistent with the current needs from school districts large and small

• Create opportunities to develop a method to provide mutual aid to school districts in a manner consistent with emergency responders for the safety and welfare of member districts

• Develop a method for cooperative peer evaluation of member agencies for the improvement of school safety for all member and partner agencies in a cost effective manner, being good stewards of taxpayer funds.

StaySafe@Home129

We always talk about staying safe at school and having a plan in place if a crisis arises. What we’ve learned during the COVID-19 pandemic is that families are spending more and more time at home. District 129’s School Safety Officer and some of our school nurses have provided some reminders about how to stay safe at home and in the community. Practicing good situational awareness and having a plan regardless of where you’re at is the smart thing to do.

• Severe Weather

• Fire Safety

• Bicycle Safety

• Did you wash your hands?

• Gun locks

Aurora Area Crime Stoppers - Facebook 

Crime Stoppers is a community program geared toward public involvement in the fight against crime. It offers cash rewards up to $5,000 and anonymity to citizens who furnish information leading to the arrest of felony crime offenders and to the capture of felony fugitives.

When a call is received by Crime Stoppers, it is logged with the date, time, and a brief summary of the caller's information. Callers are furnished with a secret code number which is used in subsequent transactions. Callers remain anonymous, with no pressure to reveal their identity, and still collect their rewards. If a caller's information results in the arrest of an offender or apprehension of a fugitive, arrangements are made so that the person can receive a reward in cash and preserve their anonymity.

A board of prominent citizens oversees the Crime Stoppers program and approves the rewards to be paid, based on information presented by police coordinators; however, this board does not know who called in the information. The Board is presented the facts and the code number is the only identifier used. To make a report to the Aurora Area Crime Stoppers, please visit this link or call 800-892-1000.

See Something Say Something

Across the country, in our communities, we share everyday moments with our neighbors, family, coworkers, and friends. We go to work or school, the grocery store, or the gas station. It's easy to overlook these routine moments, but as you’re going about your day, if you see something that doesn't seem quite right, say something.

By being alert and reporting suspicious activity to your local law enforcement, you can protect your family, neighbors, and community.

The same works in our District 129 school communities. When a student or staff member witnesses or hears of something that doesn’t seem right, they are encouraged to tell a trusted adult or supervisor in the building. Creating and maintaining safe school environments only works when everyone works together toward a common goal.