3/26/21 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: Right to Read Week Story Characters!

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family:

As we get through the pandemic to the point that we can see the end, suddenly school safety comes back into our reality. Locally, Columbus has seen a surge of shootings and murders. Nationally, two mass shootings within a week remind us once again of our vulnerability as nation to gun violence.

Here at Our Lady of Peace a number of recent issues come to mind. Last week I was emailed a video of a car ignoring the crosswalk on High Street. The driver doesn’t run into any of our students but rather than wait until all the students have crossed he/she decides that she can drive between the two groups of our students crossing on the green walk light.

Last Thursday evening, of course, a driver drove straight through our fence and ga ga pit. A woman who identified herself to me as the mother of the driver (who fled the scene) was trying to avoid a deer and the car had no power steering. I asked her if the car had brakes as it went all the way to the bank fence before turning around and trying to leave the scene. With two flat tires it didn’t get far. Watching our security cameras it is clear that the driver drove through our property without either swerving to avoid alleged deer or applying any sort of brakes. The police and insurance are dealing with that individual.

On Wednesday a parent notified us that there was a man with a gun on Fairlawn. Our 4th and 5th graders were at recess and so we called them inside. It turned out to be a contained domestic situation and we were not in any danger at any point.

Allow me to address all three of these issues. On the High Street traffic issue the police have promised to uptick their presence on High Street at dismissal time. We are also going to petition the city for the red light at the now closed bank to be heightened somehow with added blinking lights. If you are a neighbor it is suggested that you contact the 311 line to request added safety to both our High Street intersections. As I mentioned last week any parents who can help monitor High Street at school dismissal time would be greatly appreciated. If our school blinkers are ever seen to be not on, please let us know. They are controlled by the City.

The ga ga pit has stood undisturbed for a number of years. But in an abundance of caution we are discussing a concrete barrier or barriers at edge of our property on the outside or our fence. The road going west on DeSantis is the only one where a car can go straight onto our property.

As for the last event please know that when we are in the building we are always in lockdown. However there are times such as morning arrival and dismissal, recess and outside gym, even walking over to church that we are vulnerable. In that sense, as we saw with the super market shooting we as a society are always somewhat vulnerable. The police have assured me that they will notify us immediately if we need to lockdown and prohibit our students from leaving the building. They have also encouraged us to call 911 if we suspect, or get a parent phone call of an active situation in our area.

All of us on staff here take the safety of our children very seriously. At ths same time, in a building with young children, we try to do everything from fire and tornado drills to lockdown and reverse evacuation drills in a low key manner so as not to heighten anyone’s fear. The most important thing that we can instill in our students and that we hope you reinforce at home is that whenever any adult asks a student to do something, unless it is deemed illegal or immoral, the student needs to comply. In a crisis situation it is imperative that trained adults are in charge and that students will always listen.

We have a wonderful relationship with fire and police and are always thankful for their concern to our needs.

By and large our school is located in a safe area. But we will continue to monitor any areas in which we can improve things for the safety of our staff and students.

On another note, I hope that your Holy Week is one of many blessings and that you all have a nice spring break!

Jim Silcott