Lockdown
Alice's school had a lockdown today. Not a drill.
The school received two anonymous phone calls. The first claimed that someone was trapped in the elevator. No one was. The second claimed that someone had locked themselves in a school bathroom with a weapon. At that point they called the police and put the school on lockdown.
Alice sat in the corner of her math class, squished together with the rest of her class, for thirty minutes. Some of the kids sniffled quietly. At one point someone screamed outside their door and everyone jumped, but stayed calm. In the other class in her grade several people were sobbing and some of the boys were dancing and laughing as the teacher tried to get them under control.
After they were released several people were laughing and many people were talking loudly. One of the other girls was standing with her arms clasped around her and said to Alice "How can they laugh?" Alice explained that it's how some people deal with stress.
I got three emails about the situation as it was happening. The calls were traced to a student in the school and the staff "will work with the student and family to provide the supports the student needs." Counseling staff are available to help other students as needed.
I asked if she cried or laughed. She said neither one. She said that before the lockdown was called they had noticed police cars and fire trucks pulling up outside the building, so she figured that the lockdown was part of a plan. We talked about how good it is to be able to wait for more information before letting your emotions get control, and that if you can do that, then the likelihood goes up of being able to do something helpful if there really is a crisis.
I am glad there was no actual crisis and that Alice and all her schoolmates are ok. Oddly enough, I didn't feel afraid until she was home and safe.
This entry was originally posted at https://lillibet.dreamwidth.org/1311783.html. You can comment either place! There are
comments over there now.
The school received two anonymous phone calls. The first claimed that someone was trapped in the elevator. No one was. The second claimed that someone had locked themselves in a school bathroom with a weapon. At that point they called the police and put the school on lockdown.
Alice sat in the corner of her math class, squished together with the rest of her class, for thirty minutes. Some of the kids sniffled quietly. At one point someone screamed outside their door and everyone jumped, but stayed calm. In the other class in her grade several people were sobbing and some of the boys were dancing and laughing as the teacher tried to get them under control.
After they were released several people were laughing and many people were talking loudly. One of the other girls was standing with her arms clasped around her and said to Alice "How can they laugh?" Alice explained that it's how some people deal with stress.
I got three emails about the situation as it was happening. The calls were traced to a student in the school and the staff "will work with the student and family to provide the supports the student needs." Counseling staff are available to help other students as needed.
I asked if she cried or laughed. She said neither one. She said that before the lockdown was called they had noticed police cars and fire trucks pulling up outside the building, so she figured that the lockdown was part of a plan. We talked about how good it is to be able to wait for more information before letting your emotions get control, and that if you can do that, then the likelihood goes up of being able to do something helpful if there really is a crisis.
I am glad there was no actual crisis and that Alice and all her schoolmates are ok. Oddly enough, I didn't feel afraid until she was home and safe.
This entry was originally posted at https://lillibet.dreamwidth.org/1311783.html. You can comment either place! There are
comments over there now.