OMS Parent Student Handbook - School Facilities & Safety Information

Use of School Facilities

We believe that Overlook is a community resource as well as an institution for learning.  We would encourage outside groups to sign up and use the facility.  We will do our best to provide a fair and equitable process in assigning facility use.  Building use policies are on file at Overlook and the Superintendent’s office.

Building Evacuations and Drills

Safety is a top priority at Overlook. Our students and staff are trained throughout the year in school safety procedures. Working with both town’s police departments we will conduct safety drills each year in case of an intruder or unsafe situation.  

Fire Drill

The purpose of a fire or building evacuation drill is to safeguard students in the event of an actual fire or evacuation. In each classroom instructions are prominently displayed regarding the route to be used in leaving the building during drills.  All students are expected to observe the following:

•   No talking. Stay with your class; 
•   Walk swiftly in single file;
•   Be attentive. Obey all directions immediately;
•   Outside the building move quickly to your assigned location and find your teacher - check in for attendance;

•   On the return signal, return to the building in an orderly fashion. Return at once to the room that you left on the 

                  fire drill/evacuation signal. 

False Alarms: This is a very serious offense.  Deliberately causing a false alarm is illegal.  The penalty is $200 plus restitution and suspension from school. 

Building Security Alert

In the event of a building security concern a loudspeaker announcement from the administration will be made.  Instructions will be given to secure the classrooms.

Teachers will make sure that students are secure in their classrooms with the doors shut and locked and students not visible from doors.  Any students in the corridor will be taken into adjacent classrooms upon the alert.  Teachers will await further instructions from the administration.  If evacuation is necessary, follow existing procedures.

ALICE Procedures

The basis of this protocol is rooted in its acronym - ALICE. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. These are the options students and teachers have in a dangerous situation. The staff and teachers are trained to use any one or more of these strategies to help get them to safety based on the information that they see or hear in a dangerous situation. Because every situation is different with limitless possibilities, the ALICE procedures allow students and staff to make decisions in the moment that they feel will lead to individual safety. It is important to note that in the event the school is closed for investigation or emergency, students may be relocated to a pick up location under the direction of law enforcement and school administrators. Parents will be made aware of the reunification location as soon as possible and will be able to pick up when safe to do so. 

Administrative Search Policy

The school administration retains control over lockers loaned to students.  The administration therefore has the right and duty to inspect and search students’ lockers if the administration reasonably suspects that drugs, weapons, dangerous, illegal or prohibited matter, or goods stolen from school or from members of the staff or student body, are likely to be found therein.  The administration also has the right and duty to search a student if there is a high degree of suspicion that drugs, weapons, stolen goods, dangerous, illegal or prohibited material are likely to be found on the student. It is the school’s duty to enforce school discipline and to protect the health and safety of the student and/or student body.  The items of such search may be turned over to law enforcement officials for inspection or examination and may be the subject of criminal or juvenile court prosecution, or of school disciplinary proceedings.