As we move onto our summers, the SUSD Security team wants to say thank you for the support we received during the just-concluded school year from most parents, staff and students.

Security can be inconvenient, and that is not fun for anyone; however, in today's world, it is necessary.

We ended the year with numerous reminders and ‘asks’ of you, as parents, to assist us in educating your children to help us deter school pranks and acts of vandalism. This is a team effort ‒ we all must work together to keep the entire community safe.

We will continue to strive for excellence, and will put new technology and procedures in place next school year in order to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can. Remember: If you see something, say something. That goes for you, as well as your students.

Safety is not the work of SUSD Security team alone. It takes the entire community to ensure the safety of our children. Working together, we will make a noticeable, positive change in our school environments. 

In the meantime, stay hydrated, wear sunblock, and we can't wait to see you in August!

Read more at The SUSD Source

NO BAGS … 

These words seem so simple, yet cause so much confusion.  Almost all large crowd events, from sports to concerts, limit what individuals can bring in to either a very small bag or a clear bag.  Scottsdale Unified School District implemented this policy at our high schools at the start of the school year and at our middle schools for the second semester.  This guideline remains in effect and will be enforced at all of our high school graduation ceremonies, and into next year.

The NO BAG guideline is just that.  PLEASE, do not bring a bag to our events. If you must bring a bag, it must be clear.  This is for the safety of all the staff, students and participants at whatever event you are attending. There are a few small exceptions to the rule, such as a diaper bag; however, if you bring a diaper bag, you must have a baby with you who would use those diapers.   

Please pack your patience - for which no bag is required! - when you come to our events, for there may be a line.  As we celebrate the tremendous achievements of our students, please remember to bring your smiles and hugs, but leave everything else home.

Safety is the district’s top priority, and while it may be inconvenient, it will help ensure that everyone goes home safely.

As the weather warms up, your SUSD Safety and Security team would like to remind you to be careful around desert wild animals. Please speak with your children about the dangers of approaching animals, both in the wild and in our suburban setting.

If you watch the local news, you may have seen recent stories about coyotes biting small children in the area surrounding Aztec Park and Cheyenne Traditional School. The district has been working with Arizona Game and Fish to ensure our students are safe during the school day and that its officers have access to the campus to deal with wild animal emergencies. Please also remember to watch out for snakes and other critters that become more active as the weather warms up. This is especially true of the unimproved areas surrounding our campuses and in your neighborhoods. 

Finally, I want to take a minute to remind you that in the wake of yet another school shooting, we are all responsible for safety on our campuses. If you see something out of place or have a concern, please do not hesitate to reach out to campus administration or directly to the SUSD Security team at 480-484-8484, by email at SUSDSecurity@susd.org, or through Let’s Talk.

The safety of everyone who steps foot on our campuses ‒ staff, students, and visitors ‒ is one of our top priorities, but we cannot do everything without your input. Please remember that if you see something, say something, and that includes wild animals on and around our campuses.

Josh Friedman
Director
SUSD Safety & Security

Read more at The SUSD Source

March is Red Cross Month, and Scottsdale Unified School District has an amazing partnership with its Central and Northern Arizona Chapter.

One of the ways we collaborate with our local Red Cross is to offer our schools as shelters in the event of a disaster.  We routinely inspect and update our availability and resources, based upon our facilities and their organizational requirements.

The district also works with the Red Cross to provide resources to our families when they are in need.  Should an SUSD family suffer a catastrophic event happen, such as a house fire, for example, we work with the Red Cross and other local organizations to help that family get back on its feet. Our goal is to get their students back in school with some sense of normalcy as soon as possible.

Whether it is a blood drive, a major disaster or something in between, the American Red Cross is there for our community.  Scottsdale Unified School District works to ensure our students’ safety through this tremendous partnership.

Read more at The SUSD Source

The District has implemented a clear bag/no bag guideline this year at all high school sporting events that occur inside our schools and in our stadiums. This guideline was rolled out to all middle schools for sporting events in gyms after winter break. 

This guideline has been communicated numerous times through various messaging platforms, as well as through the schools themselves in direct communications to parents. This guideline allows us to better protect all persons who enter our schools for sporting events.

Students who remain on campus prior to the event and then go directly to the event can bring their non-clear school bags into the events after the bags are searched. Students must wear their school identification badge the entire time they have the bag with them at the event. If they remove their identification badge, they will be warned once, then asked to leave if they fail to comply. School administration has the discretion to make specific exceptions to the guideline, based on individual circumstances.

Please remember that all of our safety guidelines are for the safety of all persons who visit, play and learn within our facilities. Feel free to reach out to us through the Safety and Security tab in Let’s Talk with any questions.

Read more at The SUSD Source