Hopefully you have noticed some new safety procedures at the front doors of our buildings. This summer we worked on safety plan revisions for the district and our buildings. Part of what we looked at was how we "buzz" people into our buildings. Some buildings had already made some changes last year, but others are just rolling out these changes this year.
We are asking that each person be "buzzed" in at the front door. Think of it like an ATM--it's common for there to be a line at the ATM and what most folks find works best is to give the person at the ATM some space while waiting their turn. This allows our awesome office staff the opportunity to know who is coming into the building. This may also mean that they will ask you some questions like your name and the purpose of your visit. This isn't to be rude or prying into your business, this is to help us know who is in our buildings and helps us keep our buildings safe.
This also means that we ask that you not hold the door for the person behind you. I know this feels rude--I've felt it myself! When I find myself in this situation I take a moment to explain to the person behind me that I'm not trying to be rude but that we value the safety of all of our students and so each of us has to wait to be "buzzed" in. That at least lets the person know I'm not trying to shut the door in their face and that we value the safety of all of our students.
We have also worked with our students to make sure they know not to open the door for others. This just happened today! Our students were waiting to go to class and an adult approached the door to get in. I'm sure it seemed odd that nobody opened the door for them, but our students did exactly the right thing and pointed to the signs on the door asking for adults to push the buzzer to gain access to the building. Way to go, kids!
I know safety is as important to you as it is to us. Thank you for supporting us in making that happen!