Families & Students

Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations. In fact, public schools in New Mexico are built to meet stringent construction standards, and they may be safer than your own home in the event of a disaster.

Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Los Alamos Public Schools have detailed emergency response plans, which have been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe. While the specific details of these plans cannot be made public, we will provide any information necessary for your emergency planning needs and peace of mind, in case of an emergency. After you have thoughtfully reviewed this process, please sit with your child(ren) and help them to understand that it is necessary for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency drill or actual emergency situation. The safety of all depends on all personnel and students treating drills and emergency directions with serious respect.

Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency:

1. Do not telephone. You can receive updated information through an emergency communication system, provided by the school district and Los Alamos County. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication.

2. In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at their schools until they can be picked up by an identified, responsible adult who has been listed as such on a LAPS emergency card, which is required to be completed 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:

• S/He is 18 years of age or
• S/He is usually home during the
• S/He could walk to school, if
• S/He is known to your
• S/He is both aware and able to assume this

During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion sites, to be identified by the Incident Commander and located on school campuses. Please instruct your student to remain at the school until you or your designee arrives.

3. Turn your radio to AM 1610 for emergency If students are to be kept at school, radio stations will be notified. If electrical service is not affected, information will be relayed via LAPS to the radio and television broadcast media. In addition, information regarding day-to-day school operations will be available by accessing our website, or subscribing to our E-Alerts web-based system. All sites have hotline numbers, which will be updated.

4. In the event that any emergency takes place during the time that students expect to be transported to or from school:

• If students are on the bus at the time, they will be kept on the bus, and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and district
• Any child who is home waiting for the bus will not be picked up and remains the responsibility of the parent or
• In any situation, if the student’s bus does not arrive at the stop within fifteen (15) minutes, the student should return
• In the event that an emergency occurs in the afternoon, the driver will make every attempt to continue delivering the students to their homes. Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their home or to school in the morning, the students will be delivered to the nearest district site, and that site’s personnel will communicate with home school personnel to inform them of the students’ location.

5. In case of a hazardous release event (i.e. chemical spill) near the school area, Shelter procedures will be implemented to provide “in place” All students and staff will clear the fields, report to their rooms, and all efforts will be made to prevent outside air from entering the 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 drill or event should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school because classrooms will be inaccessible. When the dangerous incident has subsided, an “all clear” signal will be given.

In the case of a county-wide evacuation, which would include the schools, that evacuation would proceed in accordance with the protocols established in the Los Alamos County Emergency Operations Plan. Please access the County’s website for this county-wide evacuation plan.

LAPS uses  Standard Response Protocols  that help the school and district coordinate communication so that everyone gets the same message. LAPS uses a system that groups various types of emergencies into four main headings: Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuation and Shelter. We also have a Critical Incident Response Plan that follows the district’s Good Grief Model. A Critical Incident, for example, might be the death or injury of a staff member or student in the district. Our plan helps the district coordinate communication so that everyone gets the same message.

• HOLD: “HOLD in your classroom or Area - Clear the Halls”
• SECURE (Lock Out): “SECURE the perimeter - Get Inside - Lock outside doors”
• LOCKDOWN: “LOCKDOWN - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”
• EVACUATION/FIRE DRILL: “EVACUATE to …(location)...” or the fire alarm will sound
• SHELTER: “Shelter in Place due to hazard (in location)….” 
• BOMB-THREAT: Touch nothing - send a note to the office

Emergency drill requirements have been established per Senate Bill 147 (SB147): An emergency drill shall be conducted in each public and private school once a week during the first four weeks of the school year, plus four additional drill during the remainder of the school year. 

• Every classroom will be equipped with a red Grab ‘n Go bag to be used for any emergency drill.  It contains a yellow safety vest, class lists, a safety folder with instructions for how to handle various safety drills, evacuation map, and an attendance form which will be collected during the drill: 
• An evacuation map and a Standard Response Protocol poster will be posted on the wall near the red safety bag.  Standard Response Poster 
• These procedures are reviewed at the beginning of the school year, and distributed during the year before each practice drill.
• Most classrooms are equipped with a radio to be used during duties and drills. 
• Each building will contain a Shelter-in-Place Kit, which has food and water needed in the event that we are asked to shelter-in-place for an extended period. 
• All outside/exterior doors will remain locked and closed at all times during the school days. All gated entrances at the fence perimeter will be locked during school hours, other than the front entrance.

Piñon’s school rules are:

• Be Safe
• Be Responsible
• Be Respectful

Piñon’s Vision Statement is 100% of Piñon students will Be Kind and Learn

Piñon students have the right to:

• Feel emotionally, physically, and intellectually safe while at school
• Manage their personal space and property
• Ensure that their educational needs are met
• Be treated fairly and courteously by everyone in the Piñon School community

Piñon students are expected to: 

BE SAFE

• Students will follow all class and school rules, procedures, and protocols
• Students will use all materials, texts, and equipment correctly and with care
• Students will behave in ways that make others feel safe in school

BE RESPONSIBLE

• Students will follow directions the first time they are given
• Students will bring to school all required books, supplies, and materials daily
• Students will work carefully, completely, and to the best of their ability

BE RESPECTFUL

• Students will behave in ways that support effective teaching and learning
• Students will honor the personal space, property, and materials of others 
• Students will treat each person in the Piñon School community with respect 
   

Positive Behavior Support
In effort to ensure a positive school climate and provide a safe and effective learning environment, Piñon uses a school-wide Positive Behavior Support (PBS)/CHAMPS program.  This learning based approach helps us systematically teach and recognize appropriate behaviors.  Additionally, it guides us in measures to correct undesired behaviors.

Discipline
Most classroom issues will be dealt with by the teacher or other adults in the room, however if a behavior becomes serious enough, or extends beyond the classroom, a discipline referral can be written by any staff member. Piñon staff use a Connect & Correct card (Yellow Card) for this purpose, as a means of recording and reporting Level 2 behavior issues. This card serves as a data point, as well as notification to the student’s teacher.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to notify parents of each issue as it occurs.  When deemed necessary and appropriate, the principal or counselor will then schedule a parent conference to review the issues and make a plan. 

Specific Levels of Student Behavior
Level 1
Level 1 behaviors, unless persistent and dangerous, will be addressed by the staff member in the moment, or soonest possible moment. A staff member who observes a Level 1 infraction corrects the student at the time and in the setting where it occurred. No Yellow Card is required but teacher documentation and parent contact is suggested.  Expect an email from the teacher.
    •    Name calling
    •    Use of bad language including racial slurs
    •    Arguing or minor fighting with no physical contact 
    •    Instigating fighting among others
    •    Being disrespectful to adults or other students
    •    Congregating for inappropriate conduct
    •    Inappropriate clothing (revealing/not dress code)
    •    Running in hallways or other areas other than assigned play areas
    •    Instigating or spreading rumors
    •    Taking others’ belongings 
    •    Making a mess in the bathroom
    •    Not following directions 
    •    Talking too much in class/disruptive
    •    Not completing assigned work
    •    Breaks classroom material
    •    Refusal to work (unless combative)

Level 2
Level 2 behaviors are any chronic or repeated Level 1 behaviors. These don’t require administrative involvement but do require documentation.

A staff member who observes a Level 2 infraction will:
    •    Assign a consequence (apology) or use a  Connect & Reflect form
    •    Complete a Yellow Card or a Connect & Correct card
    •    Give the Yellow Card to the homeroom teacher. The teacher will notify parents.

Level 3
The following are examples of behaviors that are considered major offenses and will result in immediate administrative intervention:
    •    Improper touching or verbal harassment (sexual)
    •    Threats of bodily harm, harm to self, harm to school
    •    Major fighting (thrown punches or kicks)
    •    Drugs, alcohol, smoking
    •    Verbal assault, aggressive defiance
    •    Defacing school property
    •    Weapon on campus
    •    Severe harassing or bullying
    •    Racial, religious, or sexual harassment or offensive comments

A staff member who observes a Level 3 infraction sends the student to the office or calls for help to remove the student, then completes a yellow card and email parents.