Dear Parents and Friends,
Please know that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the students and staff in our schools. Each Commack school has emergency plans that encompass any urgent situation that may arise. Each building principal heads an emergency response team and has developed a course of action for every contingency. A permanent Internal Security Review Committee meets regularly to review District safety and emergency procedures.
When an emergency arises, we take very specific actions to respond to a variety of situations. The acronym S.H.E.L.L. is used to clearly identify the different types of responses used by schools throughout New York State. Using these specific responses and specific language provides students, staff, parents, law enforcement officials, and community residents with a common language to understand what is happening and how we are responding.
Please click here to understand S.H.E.L.L.
Practice makes perfect, and every school conducts practice drills. Sheltering drills, fire drills, bus drills, and go-home-early drills are necessary so that everyone will know what to do should a real situation occur. Our principals, teachers, and staff are trained to conduct these practice events in a calm and reassuring manner.
We are committed to protecting the safety of the children in our care. It is important to talk with our children about safety issues, and review personal safety practices with them. Please consider using the safety tips here as a conversation starter.
In order to be fully prepared in the event we need to contact you, we need your help. It is very important that your child’s school office receive current contact numbers (home, work, cell phones) in case of an early dismissal or emergency situation. You can update that information very easily by logging into the
Parent Portal and clicking "More" and then "Family Information." As always, up-to-the-minute information will be posted on the Commack School District website
www.commackschools.org if an emergency arises, as well as notification through both our
Email Notification System, and parent calling/texting/email system. Please make it a priority to update your contact information.
Commack Middle School has been designated as a shelter by the Red Cross in the event of an emergency.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your child's emotional health, please feel free to contact your school's psychologists, social workers, or counselors. We have a dedicated team of professionals ready and willing to assist you. Do not hesitate to contact your child’s building principal or school nurse should you have questions about our emergency preparedness.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Jordan Cox
Superintendent of Schools