When Moffat County School District decided it was time to adopt a new safety protocol, the reason was clear.

This is a district that loves its students and its people. And it’s a district committed to keeping them safe.

In part, that’s why the district went with the Standard Response Protocol, created by an organization called I Love You Guys.

---

---

The Standard Response Protocol is action-based and is based on the response to any given situation, not on individual scenarios. There are five actions that can be disseminated quickly throughout a facility in the event of an emergency:

• Hold, for when hallways need to be clear
• Secure, to get inside and lock doors
• Lockdown, the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place
• Evacuate, to move from one location to another
• Shelter, to avoid specific hazards

The goal with these response protocols is to have everyone in a facility on the same page.

---

---

“By standardizing vocabulary, all stakeholders can understand the response and status of the event,” the program’s website, iloveuguys.org, reads. “For students, this provides continuity of expectations and actions throughout their educational career. For teachers, this becomes a simpler process to train and drill. For communities, it leverages the growing adoption of the protocols from residents of all ages. For first responders, the common vocabulary and protocols establish a great predictability that persists through the duration of an incident.”

In the end, it’s all about keeping the community safe.

“A uniform, planned and practiced response to any incident is the foundation of a safe school,” the website reads. “The (Standard Response Protocol) is action-based, flexible and easy to learn. It rationally organizes tactics for response to weather events, fire, accidents, intruders and other threats to personal safety.”

MCSD Spotlight: Sandrock Elementary

Sandrock principal Jon Herring helped MCSD Whiteboard get to know his school a little better.

Whiteboard: Who’s new at your school?

Herring: Julia Popham is the only new teacher at Sandrock at this time. Julie and her family moved to Craig over a year ago. Julia was the building substitute at Sandrock last year, working in every classroom last year. Julia has two children attending Sandrock and one student at CMS.

WB: What’s new and exciting at your school this year?

Herring: Here’s what some of my staff had to say:

Lauren Pontious-Powell: “New kids! Everyone is happy and loves it here.”

Christy Gonzales: “Sandrock’s ‘A Trip Through The Pages’ is a program in conjunction with Craig Rotary. I listened to teachers, students and anyone  else who had an idea and developed a program specific for Sandrock. All graphics were done by a MCHS graduate. Additionally, combined lunches have offered the students the chance to form some great relationships that span over more than just their grade. I have seen some great leadership and good examples from our older grades. Oh, and books we have a lot of new books!”

Melissa Linton: “We have 30-plus more kids than last year! So that’s fun.”

WB: What’s something you love about your school?

Lauren Pontious-Powell: “How open and accepting we are to all students, and that everyone’s voice is heard.”

Christy Gonzales: “The comfort and sense of community at Sandrock is beyond expectations. We all collaborate together to offer the best for our students. I definitely feel that everyone here puts students’ learning, safety and happiness first and foremost.”

Ty Kuberry: “Being supported and having a voice in the school.”

Melissa Linton: “I love that we put kids first at Sandrock. If it’s about kids and best for them — that’s first. Adult problems come second.”