- Safety Tip 1: Report Unsafe or Suspicious Conduct
If you see or hear something that makes you feel unsafe, say something using the confidential safety tipline, SafeUT.
One of the most powerful ways to combat violence is to leverage the eyes and ears of everyone in the community to report it in advance—and our schools have a high-tech tool at their disposal to facilitate that. Canyons District was the first in Utah to adopt the SafeUT mobile app and tipline, which allows anyone to anonymously report acts of bullying and threatened violence, or to seek help for emotional crises, suicidal threats and addiction problems. The service is monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week by school administrators and counselors at the University of Utah’s Neuropsychiatric Institute and can be downloaded here.
- Safety Tip 2: Update Emergency Contact Information
Check your communications settings in CSD’s Skyward system to ensure that we have your most up-to-date contact information.
We get it. When parents hear about an emergency near or at their child’s school, they want information as soon as possible. It’s a natural and expected reaction. In Canyons District, we’ve established communication protocols so that parents and guardians can receive emergency notification in a matter of minutes. When an incident occurs, parents are immediately notified via telephone, text, and email. These notifications go to the phone numbers and email addresses that parents supply during CSD’s annual online registration process. Parents can update their contact information at skyward.canyonsdistrict.org.
- Safety Tip 3: Know Your Role in an Emergency
Everyone has a role to play in an emergency; familiarize yourself with Canyons District’s safety measures and emergency drills.
All Canyons schools practice emergency drills throughout the year. Follow this link for brief explanations of what teachers and students are trained to do during these exercises.
Please tell your child that the most important thing to do in an emergency is to follow the directions of their teachers and school staff. It’s important to reassure them and let them know that you have confidence in the training that school staff have received.
When notified of a school emergency, we ask that parents please don’t come to the campus until notified that it is safe. Rushing to your child’s school during an emergency can put you in harm’s way and impede law enforcement.
- Understand the Risks of Making or Sharing Hoax Threats
Did you know that 90 percent of all bomb threats are hoaxes?
Our schools take each threat seriously and conduct a thorough investigation to determine its credibility. But hoax threats are no joke. They are serious federal crimes that disrupt schools and waste precious law enforcement resources. So, please, #ThinkBeforeYouPost.
- Don’t ever post or share a hoax threat online.
- If you see a threat of violence on social media, report it using the SafeUT app (https://safeut.med.utah.edu/)
- Talk to your children about responsible social media use.
- Safety Tip 5: Lookout for Buses and Pedestrians
Be on the lookout for young children walking to schools and bus stops, be mindful that buses make frequent stops.
The start of school is the perfect time for parents to review family emergency plans and talk to their children about the rules of the road—or tips for staying safe while on their way to and from school each day. Here are a few helpful safety routines to always keep in mind. The CDC’s Safe Youth, Safe Schools website contains information about safety issues in getting to and from school, and data on sports and playground injuries, youth violence, bullying, and more. Or, visit our Safety Tips for Parents guide.
- Safety Tip 6: Bring Your Photo ID to Visit or Checkout
The front office staff at Canyons District’s schools are trained to request photo identification.
All visitors must present photo identification prior to checking out their children. Only individuals who are listed as parents, guardians, or emergency contacts in Skyward will be able to check students out of school.
- Safety Tip 7: Register as a Volunteer
In order to allow sufficient time for the volunteer screening process, volunteers should register with the district several days in advance.
Canyons School District has established procedures that adhere to Utah State law requiring school districts to screen prospective volunteers. All supervised volunteers in schools need to complete and submit a new Volunteer Application annually.
- Safety Tip 8: Review Your Family Safety Plan
Take time to discuss your family’s safety plan in the event of a catastrophic event, such as an earthquake.
Canyons District is a member of the S.A.F.E. Neighborhoods Program. In partnership with the American Red Cross, local governments, and school districts, SAFE – an acronym for Schools Aid Families in Emergencies — trains community volunteers to mobilize as a neighborhood and operate their own Incident Command centers until outside help arrives.
The idea behind it is to build the capacity of neighbors to help neighbors in the 96 hours immediately following a catastrophic event – the amount of time that it can take for first responders to reach those in need. In the event of a major emergency, elementary schools become hubs for communities to gather and organize. All of our elementary schools store a large black tote containing maps and radio frequencies — everything that CERT teams, ham radio operators and other do-gooders need to set up a communications hub, begin search-and-rescue operations and reunify families.
