O’Hara Elementary School invited School Resource Officer David Harajda to read to students during their lunchtime. The other school resource officer is
Kirk Vandenbord. The district’s two school resource officers get to know students on a more personal level as a part of their jobs.
RELATIONSHIPS KEY TO STUDENT SAFETY
School Safety Measures Discussed with Community
B
uilding relationships is one of the most important
ways to ensure safety and prevent violence in
our schools, according to Superintendent Gene
Freeman, Ed.D. Parents and interested district
residents were invited to attend a school safety presentation
by Fox Chapel Area school officials and representatives
from the local police departments on April 16. “Adults with
relationships with kids are probably the greatest tool to
preventing this kind of
violence,” Dr. Freeman
stated.
Research has shown
that maintaining a
supportive school
climate in which
students experience
positive relationships
with adults and feel
comfortable sharing
when they see or hear
something is key to
stopping tragedies
like the recent school
shootings. Additionally,
cooperative
relationships between
the school district and
local police departments
have combined in the
16
FOX CHAPEL AREA
development of a safety plan that puts the school district
community “ahead of the curve,” said Fox Chapel Borough
Police Chief David Laux. School district officials have held
regular meetings for many years with the chiefs of police
from Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana, O’Hara, and
Sharpsburg and they all attended the safety presentation.
During the meeting, Chief Laux told the audience that the
local police departments and the school district have many
resources available.
“We are not working
in a vacuum,” he
said. He also pointed
out that while many
people might think that
adding metal detectors,
bulletproof glass, and
enhanced locks may
seem like the solution
to protecting students
and staff, the first two
measures “have serious
limitations.” He did say
that local police and
school administrators
are looking at enhancing
locks. “We believe that
would be one of the
best ways to protect
students and staff
Fox Chapel Borough Police Chief David Laux addressed the public at the school
district’s safety meeting on April 16.