Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On: Emergency Preparedness Guidebook for School Volunteers, Parents and PTAs
By Ellen Rony
()
About this ebook
Widely publicized accounts of tragedy striking school campuses have raised the level of concern among parents, teachers and students alike. The unsettling events of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Columbine High School in Colorado and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have forced schools nationwide to shed their innocence, dispel their complacency about emergency preparedness, pause, and take stock. The crucial lesson drawn from those headlines is that schools must maintain a high level of preparedness for man-made emergencies as well as natural disasters.
This guidebook is targeted for schools ready to recognize that emergency preparedness no longer consists solely of monthly fire drills in which students evacuate classrooms to a pre-designated spot or a quarterly duck, cover and hold on exercise to practice for when the earth beneath them starts to rock and roll.
Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On was written to jump-start the organization of parent-led projects that support school emergency preparedness activities. The school-related scenarios presented in this guidebook describe actual incidents and introduce the parent-led activity from which they might benefit. Each chapter outlines an activity that can be adapted for any school, wherever situated, whatever the size, that can support the resiliency of a school community to respond to a disaster.
Such planning is the responsibility of the school district and site administrators, but preparedness programs also depend upon support from the parent community. The guidebook highlights ways administrators and parent volunteers can work together to establish emergency preparedness activities that boost confidence in the response capability of the school.
There is no ironclad preparedness for disasters in the contemporary world and no sure means to neutralize our vulnerability, but a thoughtful approach that addresses foreseeable communication, logistical and safety issues can enhance our peace of mind while our beloved offspring are away at school.
Ellen Rony
Ellen Rony has worked on school emergency preparedness activities since 1993, when she led the development of a program for a local school district serving 1,100 K-8 students. Her work was showcased as a model for other school districts in Marin County, California She has authored several federal grant applications for school emergency readiness for the Marin County Office of Education. When the grants were awarded, she was hired to coordinate emergency preparedness activities for Marin County public schools and developed a comprehensive Marin Schools Emergency Management Plan that provides a model for many school districts. Ellen also co-authored the Domain Name Handbook: High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace in 1998 and has served as an expert witness for high profile domain name litigation, including the landmark dispute over SEX.COM.
Related to Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On
Related ebooks
Multi-Hazard Vulnerability and Resilience Building: Cross Cutting Issues Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIs Everybody Ready for Kindergarten?: A Toolkit for Preparing Children and Families Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Your Child Learns Differently: A Family Approach for Navigating Special Education Services With Love and High Expectations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeamwork Makes the Dream Work Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSchool's Out: Challenges and Solutions for School-Age Programs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Children and Future: Lessons In Family and School Engagement Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFires in Your Life: A Fire Expert's Guide To Preventing And Surviving Fires In Your Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNo More Turning Away, A Revolution In Education, Solutions For a Violent World, Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReady, Set, Read: Building a Love of Letters and Literacy Through Fun Phonics Activities Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Are You Ready for School?: Trust, Collaboration and Enquiry Between Parents and Teachers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLeading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Creating a Reggio-Inspired STEM Environment for Young Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaring to Teach, Teaching to Care: The Importance of Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Relevance, and Rigor in the Classroom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Prep: The Insider's Guide to U.S. Boarding Schools (Boarding School Guide, American Schools) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Talk So Kids Can Learn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Their Name Is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Parent Teacher Interview: A Guide for Australian Parents Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Montessori Potential: How to Foster Independence, Respect, and Joy in Every Child Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Are Teacher Number One!: A Parent's Guide To Producing A 21st Ready Student Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Confessions of a Special Ed Teacher Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReaching for the Reins: Stories of At-Risk Students Empowered by Serving Others Through Equine Therapy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Parents to Partners: Building a Family-Centered Early Childhood Program Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGardening with Young Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTransitioning Into Primary School: Your Passport to Success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeacher Talk: A Collection of Magazine Articles for Teachers (Book 2): Teacher Talk, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Son, My Gentle Son Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChoose Your Words: Communicating with Young Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExchange to Engage: The guide to engaging diverse communities through language exchange Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Comprehensive Guide to Infant and Toddler Development Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Wellness For You
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Illustrated Easy Way to Stop Drinking: Free At Last! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sex Hacks: Over 100 Tricks, Shortcuts, and Secrets to Set Your Sex Life on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Woman's Guide to Oral Sex: Your guide to incredible, exhilarating, sensational sex Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges: 60 Habit-Forming Programs to Live an Infinitely Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brain Hacks: 200+ Ways to Boost Your Brain Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When the Body Says No Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Lindsay C. Gibson's Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemy of Herbs - A Beginner's Guide: Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Health and Wellness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On - Ellen Rony
Moving Beyond Duck, Cover and Hold On
Emergency Preparedness Guidebook for
School Volunteers, Parents and PTAs
Ellen Rony
Copyright © 2012 Ellen Rony
Cover art and illustrations by Mel Warenback
Published by Ellen Rony at Smashwords
ISBN: 978-1301120024
All rights reserved.
* * * * *
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This e-book is published for informational purposes and licensed for your individual use only. This e-book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be re-sold, repackaged, reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form for commercial or non-commercial purposes, other than for review purposes, without written authorization from the copyright owner. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please go to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the creative work of this author.
All web links in this book are correct as of the publication date but may have become inactive or otherwise modified since that time.
A print version of this guidebook is also available.
Table of Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Join the Volunteer Disasterati!
3. Preparedness Test
4. Getting Started
5. Parent Notification
6. Grab-n-Go Classroom Backpacks
7. Student Comfort Kits
8. Pocket Contact Card
9. Storage and Supplies Cache
10. Parent Responsibilities
11. Drills and Other Activities
12. Resources for Families
13. Fundraising
14. Maintaining Momentum
15. Disaster Mythbusters
16. Frequently Asked Questions
Appendices
Acronyms
Emergency Supplies Checklist
Supplies Replacement Form
Adopt a Classroom Lockdown Kit
About the Author
Ellen Rony has worked on emergency preparedness activities since 1993, when she led the development of a program for the Reed Union School District of Tiburon, California. She established a PTA Emergency Preparedness Committee that acquired and organized a supply cache for three school sites, designed a phone tree for the parent community and launched a comfort kit program for all the elementary school students. Her work was showcased as a model for other school districts.
In 1997, she developed an Emergency Services website for the Marin County Office of Education to provide guidelines and plans for school administrators, resources for parents, emergency contacts, supply lists, training schedules, links to community agencies and other materials. She continues to serve as its webmaster.
Ellen wrote a federal grant application to the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003 on behalf of the Marin County Office of Education to strengthen preparedness in Marin County schools. She was hired to coordinate the grant activities for the next two years. During that period, she launched the Parents Disaster Advisory Council, wrote a comprehensive Model Marin Schools Emergency Management Plan and led the development of a program for emergency student release.
In 2009, Ellen co-authored another U.S. Department of Education application for a Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant from the U.S. Department of Education. She served as the grant’s project coordinator for the Marin County Office of Education through 2012.
Ellen and her brother, Peter, co-authored The Domain Name Handbook: High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace, published in 1998. She has developed a companion website at Domainhandbook.com and a website to honor the legacy of their father, George Rony, at GeorgeRony.com.
Questions for the author should be addressed by email to: erony@alumni.stanford.edu
Be prepared!
Acknowledgments
God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers.
This guidebook is intentionally limited in size and scope, but such simplicity is deceptive. Many individuals contributed to shaping this manuscript into its final form.
First, a special gratitude to the dedicated moms who joined me for three years to develop and implement a school district emergency support program that, a dozen years later, helped shape this guidebook: Mary Barnes, Suzanne Pressley and Katie Ai. Working as a team, we developed a framework that is used in the school district to this day, and we had fun doing so. They endowed me with the moniker of Disaster Queen, but they are the dedicated Princesses of Preparedness.
My thanks, too, to the members of the Marin County Office of Education Parents Disaster Advisory Council, especially those who continue to participate year after year. You know who you are. I have learned so much from your commitment and support for emergency preparedness in Marin County schools.
I am very grateful to several individuals with hands-on experience who greatly contributed to my knowledge and expertise. Although this guidebook was not written within the scope of my employment at the Marin County Office of Education, I am indebted to Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, and Luke McCann, Deputy Superintendent, who recognized my passion for emergency management and gave me