School Safety

At St. Catherine of Siena School, student and staff safety is of high priority, and something we continuously review and improve upon in order to create the most secure environment possible. We hold the perspective that safety is a layered approach: planning and policy, training of staff and students, regular practice of protocols, secure facilities, and partnership with local law enforcement.

An emergency operations plan (EOP) was formulated following a school security assessment by the State of New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. This plan is reviewed and updated yearly with input from Manchester Police Department to reflect best practices, and forms the basis for all emergency management decisions in our school. The EOP includes a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Manchester Police Department and is submitted yearly with updates to the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

We are grateful to local law enforcement for their guidance and support in all security undertakings. While we do not like to consider the possibility of an adverse situation occurring in our school, the safety of all children and staff in the building is paramount and we are committed to ensuring a well-equipped building and trained staff in the event of an emergency.