Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

Are we being a little heavy handed with these quotes? Probably. This emphasis is to let you know just how important safety is to all of us at JM; every year it is something we strive for. The most important thing we can do as a community is to improve school climate and thus, provide a safe, secure environment where students may learn. Our school community includes teachers, staff, administrators, students, and you (parents).  Please help us achieve our goal by following our school safety suggestions and procedures and teaching your children to do the same.

Bicycle Safety:  If your child rides his/her bike to school, please review the “rules of the road” with your son/daughter. Rules for cyclists are nearly identical to motor vehicle code for cars (i.e., riding with traffic, stopping at stop signs, walking bikes across the street.)  Children under the age of 18 are required by law to wear a helmet and buckle it. Students should never ride their bikes across the main entrance of the school, through the parking lots or through the campus to park their bikes.  Cyclists should use the outside paths behind the school buildings to access the bike rack. 

Pick Up & Drop Off:  We’re sure you’ve all noticed it—the chaos that happens at drop off in the morning and again in the afternoon at pickup. With the students, bikes, cars, busses, and even traffic totally unrelated to JM, there is a lot going on in such a small area. It is a very scary proposition to take our kids to school and it seems that this year is even more congested than previously. PLEASE help us keep everybody safe by following our school traffic guidelines for picking up and dropping off students:

• Always look ahead, behind and check side mirrors before moving
• Watch vigilantly for children. They do not always look for you, but you should always look for them
• Avoid distractions (cell phones, radios, pets, etc.)
• Pull as far forward as possible for pick up and drop off
• Do not pass in the pick up and drop off lane
• Be courteous to other drivers who are going in or coming out
• Do not enter the bus circle during arrival and dismissal times
• Do not block or unload passengers in the crosswalk
• Have your child ready to quickly leave your vehicle
• Do not park in red zones
• Do not enter areas where signs are posted "Do Not Enter"
• Arrive a few minutes later when there will be less traffic
• Consider a drop off/pick up location other than the front of school

Visitors on campus:  When visiting campus, ALWAYS sign in at the office and wear your visitor’s badge if you are going to be anywhere on campus outside the office. Wearing a name tag allows us to immediately identify who should or should not be on campus. By the same token please do not pull up in front of the school to hand off items to your son or daughter. All delivered items are to be taken to the office and stored there until they are picked up. Parents and visitors may not go beyond the administrative offices without signing in and obtaining a visitor's badge.

Emergency Preparedness:  If an earthquake or other emergency occurs, school is one of the safest places where students can be.  JM has a disaster preparedness plan, and teachers, administrators and other staff members are trained to supervise and care for students. School buildings are usually safer than homes because they are constructed to meet strict public safety standards. JM subscribes to a service known as School Messenger. We will use this service to contact all parents via e-mail and telephone within a matter of moments in case of an emergency. Please ensure that all contact information remains current with the office staff.

When the Superintendent has determined that an emergency has occurred, JM will respond with one of five possible plans of action:

1. Go-Home Plan
2. Shelter Plan
3. Evacuation Plan
4. Lock-Out Plan
5. Lock-Down Plan

We strongly encourage parents NOT to come to the school during an emergency unless directed to do so. District telephone lines will be busy with personnel who need to communicate with emergency services. Therefore, it is important that you do not try calling the school. The District’s website, www.moraga.k12.ca.us will post updates throughout the course of an emergency. For more information about emergency preparedness, click HERE.

Update emergency cards:

Any changes to your contact information should be done through your parent portal. The office is automatically notified of any changes. However, a Change of Address must be done through the school secretary and you must provide Proof of Residency when making the address change. If you plan to be out of town, and your child is in the care of another family, contact the office so we can expedite services in the event of an emergency situation.

Emergency drills:  During fire drills, students must follow each teacher's directions. Calmly leave the building, and line up at the designated location. If the drill or real emergency is between classes, before or after school, or at lunch, students are to report to the area designated by their first period teacher. Students are expected to stay in line and maintain silence so that directions may be heard by all. When the all clear bell rings, students are to return quietly to class. During an earthquake or other emergency drill, students should duck and take cover under their desks. Students will then be led to designated areas at their teacher's direction.

Stranger alert:  Children should know to resist any stranger who attempts to engage them in conversation or asks the child to go with them. If your child encounters a stranger who is acting inappropriately or suspicious, please report this information to the police and then the school office. After hours situations can be reported to the Moraga Police Department, the Moraga School District Safety Hotline at (925) 377-4106 or Contra Costa Crisis Hotline at (800) 863-7600.