This public page is intended to share safety information with our community.

Per guidance from local agencies and safety experts, we do not publicly share all safety materials, but they are available for viewing upon request. 

We encourage everyone to sign up for a variety of alert systems. We recommend the SoCo Alert system as well as Pulse Point. Use the links below to join. 

Click the buttons below to view plan details. For staff & student safety, Annex C, D, & E are only available to BVUSD staff. 

Click thumbnails below to download Reunification PDFs for parents.

This 2-page Quick Guide is posted in all BVUSD classrooms. Additional, comprehensive plans are provided to all staff. 

BVUSD Plans reflect a comprehensive process to research and integrate evidence-based practices to support early intervention, staff training, and standardized emergency responses. 

While our plans have always been compliant, BVUSD leadership spent the bulk of Summer 2023 researching best practices and consulting with local experts. This led us to San Mateo's impressive work, and their establishment of The Big 5. More information about San Mateo's Big 5 and additional key resources is provided below (after the plan contents).

The Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) has been an annual requirement since 1997 when the California legislature enacted SB 187. Because our district attendance is less than 2,501, Bennett Valley Union School District is considered a “small school district” and is able to develop a single, district-wide CSSP in lieu of individual school-based plans. To further streamline school site safety and emergency preparedness, this plan integrates all CSSP requirements along with standard components of an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

The primary document (CSSP & EOP) serves as the legal and conceptual framework for comprehensive school safety and emergency management in the Bennett Valley Union School District and requires board approval. Ancillary plans and documents that support the primary plan are included in Annexes A - E. These annexes contain checklists, tactical details, staff assignments and other resources to support a comprehensive plan to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency or disaster.  Annex contents may be modified as necessary without the Bennett Valley Union School District Board’s approval.

For the safety of staff and students, it is recommended that tactical information is not publicly available. For this reason, Annexes C, D, & E are linked for staff only. 

COMMUNITY MATTERS

To further support this work and our students, we went deeper with our climate & culture plan. We connected with a globally recognized, but local organization called Community Matters. Per their website, Community Matters describes their program as an "inside-out approach" to "improve school climate and safety and reduce bullying and mistreatment through our evidence-based programs that empower and engage youth voice." Their social-emotional learning programs foster connectivity and support literacy. 

BVUSD leaders attended several full days of training, and are in the processes of brining additional training to all staff. 

Our work with Community Matters is reflected in the updated Community Handbook we shared in August 2023.  

Through very generous community-based grants, we are especially excited to be onboarding the Safe School Ambassadors ® program at Strawberry during Spring 2024, with plans to launch Safe School Buddies at Yulupa by 2025.

I LOVE YOU GUYS (REUNIFICATION)

Finally, we discovered the  "I Love U Guys" Foundation. This includes a Standard Reunification Method used by more than 45,000 schools and districts around the world. 

The Standard Reunification Method provides us with proven protocols for planning, practicing, and achieving a successful "reunification" of students and their families after an unlikely, but possible school trauma.

Reunification is the least likely, but most complicated emergency response.  We encourage families to familiarize themselves with some key details. Of note,  please review the Parent Handouts and Reunification Cards available for download below: 

BVUSD staff reviews the document to ensure it reflects the most current guidance and is in compliance with current requirements. 

After this review, the document will go to our District Advisory Council (DAC) for a collaborative opportunity to review and revise all elements of the plan.  DAC members are encouraged to offer meaningful feedback. 

After DAC feedback, the plans go to BVUSD Trustees.

Finally, the content is provided to a variety of outside agencies including law enforcement, local fire, and our insurance providers.

It is the intention of BVUSD to host the plan in a "live" electronic format so that the document can change in real-time to align with updated guidance, current best practices, and to reflect  improvements that reveal themselves with use of this plan.