What a day!!
This is an article from our local news station, KELO...
"09/05/2007
Edison Middle School Evacuated
Not much learning took place at one Sioux Falls middle school today.
Students at Edison evacuated the building after a gas-like odor filled the hallways and classrooms.
And tonight the source of that odor is still a mystery.
When you have to get nearly 800 students out of a building, this is about as orderly as it gets.
Eighth Grader Tierney O'Connor says, “It was crazy there were kids all over."
The kids knew something was wrong.
O'Connor says, "It smelled really bad, kind of like rotten eggs."
Principal Steve Griffith says, "It was very strong and strong enough that we evacuated the building."
While the fire department and gas company arrived to investigate, the students were taken to the nearby First Presbyterian church on West Avenue.
Griffith says, "The teachers take attendance before they go and again when they get there, so it's real orderly."
The gas company went through the building with its extra-sensitive sensors looking for a leak.
And the gas company fire department, along with school officials, combed every inch of this building, looking at appliances and checking out bathrooms for sewer gas.
But they didn't find anything at all, although even this afternoon there is still a gas like odor in the air.
The hundreds of students spent three hours in the church before being allowed back in the building.
O'Connor says, "It got really warm at the end and we were just roaming around and playing games. It got really boring."
The gas remained off until the school day wrapped up, and while not much was accomplish academically, the district says it was a good test for emergencies.
Jeff Kreiter says, "I'm glad it was nothing serious. The kids are glad. But it is a good practice run to make sure our systems are in place and they were."
There was a science experiment going on at the time the smell was noticed, but the principal doubts that was the cause of the problem. "
Today was the day I had my cabbage lab planned. I had all the materials out on the desks... beakers of red cabbage juice, cups of vinegar, cups of ammonia and cups of a water and baking soda solution, as well as test tubes, graduated cylinders, droppers and goggles. A lot of materials (smelly ones too) out at all lab stations. I don't have my first science class until 4th period. During 3rd, I go upstairs to have team planning where all of the teachers on our team meets to discuss students, school related stuff, etc. When I went downstairs, I noticed a faint gas odor, which is not too surprising... I mean, it's the science hall, we work with gas sometimes. But then the smell was getting stronger and stronger. So strong that I couldn't smell the ammonia and vinegar smell of my room. I checked all my gas valves and they were shut off, as well as the switch to turn on the gas valves. I was going to say something, but I noticed some custodians walking around trying to trace the source of the smell. Well, when the bell rang for 4th period, I was getting nervous. The smell was so strong, I didn't want to turn on my Focus Machine fearing a spark! I even had one student say "It smells like gas in here, shouldn't we evacuate?" As soon as he asked, the asst. principal came on the intercom and said to evacuate. At around 10:30, we walked down to the church.
We had been sitting around for quite a while, trying to keep the students entertained. Around 12:30, the asst. principal came up to me and asked me to come with him. I got a little concerned at that point. When we got out where there were no people, he said "I am going to get Steve (PRINCIPAL!!) on the phone... he has some questions for you," and he handed me his cell. I'm thinking "CRAP! I finally get a job after 5 years and I'm being blamed for our school almost being blown up!!" When he got on the phone he just said something about how the smell was really strong in the science area and when they searched my room, they noticed an ammonia type smell in my room and saw the labs set up. So he asked me to explain what I was doing in my lab. I explained everything to him and also said how we weren't using gas, that I checked the valves and that the other 7th grade science teacher (who happened to not be at school today) did the same lab just yesterday. He thanked me and hung up. It was somewhat intimidating having to explain what was going on, and yeah, I was getting nervous! I knew I did everything right, but then started second guessing myself.
At 1:30ish, we were finally dismissed to go back into the building. By the time we walked back, I think it was close to 2:00. Over 3 hours of being out of the building! They fed us some pizza since we missed all lunch periods and those kids were starving. By the time the school got done eating, it was the last period of the day. I have directed studies (a study hall type class) and no one had homework, so I threw in a video. It was nice because the students finally calmed down. I think they were just pooped and sitting in the dark helped them to quiet down and realize they were tired.
We didn't even start the lab in 4th period since they evacuated us shortly after the bell rang, and by the time we got back all of my science classes would have been pretty much over. I had the students in my room help me take down the lab before getting our food. So yeah... that was my day Don't know when we'll do the lab now!
"09/05/2007
Edison Middle School Evacuated
Not much learning took place at one Sioux Falls middle school today.
Students at Edison evacuated the building after a gas-like odor filled the hallways and classrooms.
And tonight the source of that odor is still a mystery.
When you have to get nearly 800 students out of a building, this is about as orderly as it gets.
Eighth Grader Tierney O'Connor says, “It was crazy there were kids all over."
The kids knew something was wrong.
O'Connor says, "It smelled really bad, kind of like rotten eggs."
Principal Steve Griffith says, "It was very strong and strong enough that we evacuated the building."
While the fire department and gas company arrived to investigate, the students were taken to the nearby First Presbyterian church on West Avenue.
Griffith says, "The teachers take attendance before they go and again when they get there, so it's real orderly."
The gas company went through the building with its extra-sensitive sensors looking for a leak.
And the gas company fire department, along with school officials, combed every inch of this building, looking at appliances and checking out bathrooms for sewer gas.
But they didn't find anything at all, although even this afternoon there is still a gas like odor in the air.
The hundreds of students spent three hours in the church before being allowed back in the building.
O'Connor says, "It got really warm at the end and we were just roaming around and playing games. It got really boring."
The gas remained off until the school day wrapped up, and while not much was accomplish academically, the district says it was a good test for emergencies.
Jeff Kreiter says, "I'm glad it was nothing serious. The kids are glad. But it is a good practice run to make sure our systems are in place and they were."
There was a science experiment going on at the time the smell was noticed, but the principal doubts that was the cause of the problem. "
Today was the day I had my cabbage lab planned. I had all the materials out on the desks... beakers of red cabbage juice, cups of vinegar, cups of ammonia and cups of a water and baking soda solution, as well as test tubes, graduated cylinders, droppers and goggles. A lot of materials (smelly ones too) out at all lab stations. I don't have my first science class until 4th period. During 3rd, I go upstairs to have team planning where all of the teachers on our team meets to discuss students, school related stuff, etc. When I went downstairs, I noticed a faint gas odor, which is not too surprising... I mean, it's the science hall, we work with gas sometimes. But then the smell was getting stronger and stronger. So strong that I couldn't smell the ammonia and vinegar smell of my room. I checked all my gas valves and they were shut off, as well as the switch to turn on the gas valves. I was going to say something, but I noticed some custodians walking around trying to trace the source of the smell. Well, when the bell rang for 4th period, I was getting nervous. The smell was so strong, I didn't want to turn on my Focus Machine fearing a spark! I even had one student say "It smells like gas in here, shouldn't we evacuate?" As soon as he asked, the asst. principal came on the intercom and said to evacuate. At around 10:30, we walked down to the church.
We had been sitting around for quite a while, trying to keep the students entertained. Around 12:30, the asst. principal came up to me and asked me to come with him. I got a little concerned at that point. When we got out where there were no people, he said "I am going to get Steve (PRINCIPAL!!) on the phone... he has some questions for you," and he handed me his cell. I'm thinking "CRAP! I finally get a job after 5 years and I'm being blamed for our school almost being blown up!!" When he got on the phone he just said something about how the smell was really strong in the science area and when they searched my room, they noticed an ammonia type smell in my room and saw the labs set up. So he asked me to explain what I was doing in my lab. I explained everything to him and also said how we weren't using gas, that I checked the valves and that the other 7th grade science teacher (who happened to not be at school today) did the same lab just yesterday. He thanked me and hung up. It was somewhat intimidating having to explain what was going on, and yeah, I was getting nervous! I knew I did everything right, but then started second guessing myself.
At 1:30ish, we were finally dismissed to go back into the building. By the time we walked back, I think it was close to 2:00. Over 3 hours of being out of the building! They fed us some pizza since we missed all lunch periods and those kids were starving. By the time the school got done eating, it was the last period of the day. I have directed studies (a study hall type class) and no one had homework, so I threw in a video. It was nice because the students finally calmed down. I think they were just pooped and sitting in the dark helped them to quiet down and realize they were tired.
We didn't even start the lab in 4th period since they evacuated us shortly after the bell rang, and by the time we got back all of my science classes would have been pretty much over. I had the students in my room help me take down the lab before getting our food. So yeah... that was my day Don't know when we'll do the lab now!