Francis Scott Key Elementary School (home)

 

 

 

 

School Closing Information (source: Janney Elementary, DC)

Snow, rain, and excessive heat may result in closure, early dismissal, or delayed opening. Information will be available on local radio and television stations and via the internet:

Radio: WAMU (88.5 FM) WHUR (96.3 FM) WMAL (630 AM)
WOL (1450 AM) WTOP (1500 AM, 107.7 FM) wtop.com
Radio America (1540 AM) - Spanish
Television: Channels 4, 5, 7, and 9 Cable channels 8 and 28
DCPS Website:http://www.k12.dc.us/dcps/home.html
E-mail: To sign up for school closing e-mails click here

You may hear an announcer refer to a code concerning school closings. Here is what these codes mean:

Code Red: Schools and administrative offices are closed. Only essential personnel report to work.
Code Yellow: Schools are closed. Administrative offices are open.
Code Green: Schools open for students and teachers two hours late. Administrative offices open on time.
Code Orange: Schools and administrative offices open two hours late.

Emergencies and Inclement Weather: In the event Key closes early and/or is evacuated because of an emergency, parents will be notified via school personnel or parent volunteers. If a situation occurs that requires relocation of students, large posters will be placed outside the school indicating where to pick up your child. Throughout the year, we conduct one emergency evacuation drill and several fire drills. We conduct these drills to prepare our school in the event of a real emergency situation. Therefore, you should be aware that your child may discuss the occurrence of these drills with you.

Alternative Location: Palisades Park

Emergency Contact Number: DCPS Division of Security 576-6962

School Evacuation Procedures

Following are the procedures for teachers and staff in the event of an emergency.

On-Site Evacuation/Fire Drill Procedure

  1. Bring Emergency Backpack
  2. Lead class to pre-determined assembly area
  3. Take roll/headcount
  4. Display GREEN card to indicate that all are accounted for; display RED card if there is a problem

Off-Site Evacuation

  1. Bring Emergency Backpack
  2. Lead class to pre-determined assembly area
  3. Take roll/headcount
  4. Display GREEN card to indicate that all are accounted for; display RED card if there is a problem
  5. Proceed to Palisades Park (5100 block of Sherier Place)

Lockdown

  1. Remain inside
  2. Carry on with normal school operations
  3. Dismissal from classrooms

Shelter-in-Place

  1. Classroom Danger in or near school: Go to nearest classroom. Listen for _Lock your doors_ signal, stay in room and lock classroom door
  2. Hallway Outside danger such as tornado/storm: stay in hallways away from windows. Bring Emergency Backpack.
  3. Gymnasium Danger requiring movement to lowest level: Bring Emergency Backpack.
  4. See Emergency Plan once in shelter-in-place location (section 15.0)

Reverse Evacuation

  1. Teachers/staff outside signal using whistles
  2. All enter building using nearest door
  3. Students proceed to auditorium and line up by grade level; if inside stay in place until further instructions
  4. Account for all students

 

DCPS Threat Levels:

    • Code RED: imminent danger
    • Code BLUE: bomb threat
    • Code GREEN: return to normal operations

You may also be interested in establishing family plans for supplies, communication and possible evacuation. Here are some of the websites that may help in guiding your preparedness:

Department of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov

US Department of Justice: www.usdoj.gov

FEMA:www.fema.gov

American Red Cross: www.redcross.org

The Washington Post:www.washingtonpost.com/preparedness