Security has recently been on everyone’s mind ever since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in which 26 students and teachers were killed. Scituate High School, like many other schools in the nation, is taking steps to increase their security so that students are safe in their learning environment. “I never thought we’d be talking about this” said senior Trevor Horgan.

Immediately following the Sandy Hook tragedy, SHS instituted new door policies starting in the at 7:18 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. In the morning, only certain doors are unlocked and administrators watch each entrance to be sure that everything is safe. After the bell rings, all doors are locked and visitors must go to the front entrance where the buses drop students off. A staff member now sits outside this entrance at all times during the school day to allow visitors to enter the building.

One of the main issues with security at SHS involves the number of groups who use the building. Any decisions made must also be made in the interest of programs such as the Early Childhood Program, Scituate Recreation, as well as the Business Department and Superintendent offices. The plan for these programs is that they will use the front office entrance and will need to have everyone check in with the main office.

Students can also expect to practice new lockdown procedures in the near future. Rather than past drills where an announcement is made, doors are locked, and class continues, students will be aware of these drills before they happen. The drill will begin when administration announces “This is a lockdown drill. This is a lockdown drill. This is a lockdown drill” over the loudspeaker. In the case of a real emergency, “This is a lockdown” would be repeated three times. The teacher will lock the door, turn off the lights, and close the shades. All students and teacher will go to the safest area of the room. During the lockdown, all students must be silent and still. It is very important that students not use their cell phones during the drill because in an emergency there is a concern that too many calls would jam the phone lines. The drill will last for 15 minutes. From there, the school will get feedback from the district and local law enforcement on ways to improve in the future.

Much like the cameras that were recently installed inside the building, SHS will be adding cameras outside all doors to increase protection. This system is already in use in the elementary schools and SHS was in the process of adding it but Newtown caused administration to expedite the process. English teacher Ms. Barrett said, “Evaluating and reevaluating our protocols is always a good way to make sure our students are safe and our plans are designed for maximum security.”

For parents, administration is sending messages regarding security changes through the Alert Now system. The school has sent out multiple messages regarding the changes. Administration is also working with parents to create new systems of dropping off items such as forgotten lunches or homework assignments.

“Hopefully it feels like the same school,” said Principal Wargo. Although things will be changing, the goal is for things to feel normal, and for school to be a place for students to enjoy themselves rather than be afraid of possible threats.