July 10, 2023

Dear Parents: 

We take the safety and security of your children very seriously. Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that Denton ISD and W.S. Ryan Elementary have made preparations through a detailed building emergency operations plan, formulated to respond effectively to any emergency situation.  All public schools in Texas are required to meet stringent disaster response standards.  Your child(ren) will be cared for at W.S. Ryan, should we have a major incident during school hours.

During the summer months, the district’s five partnering law enforcement agencies including the Corinth Police Department, Denton County Sheriff's Office, Denton Police Department, Little Elm Police Department, Oak Point Police Department hosted officer training/drills on Denton ISD campuses. By conducting the drills during school closure, officers worked to become familiar with the facilities as well as practice clear and consistent communication, should the need arise.

All Denton ISD campuses, including ours, conduct safety drills of all types to routinely affirm safety protocols as well as establish a clear chain of command. Students and staff practice drills regularly and document their procedures to ensure best practices are in place. Audits of safety procedures are conducted and are on file with the Texas Education Agency, including the recent inspection of locks on exterior doors.

Our district maintains an anonymous reporting system that is monitored 24 hours a day. Any student, staff or community member may report an incident of bullying, discrimination, drug or alcohol-related issue, potential threat/violence or cyber abuse by text, image or video through our system. More information is available via www.dentonisd.org/stopit

Please read through our 2023-24 W.S. Ryan Visitor policy, as well as the 2023-24 W.S. Ryan Parent Handbook, found at the Campus Information tab at our website – www.dentonisd.org/wsryanes .  Our expectation is that all visitors follow our campus policies and conduct themselves in an appropriate, respectful, and safe manner at all times.

Again, we are excited about starting a new school year together. Know that we value our partnership and the trust you place in us. We look forward to working with you to meet the educational needs of your child by making this a great year together!   

To help ensure the safety of your children during emergencies, your cooperation is vital. In case of such an emergency, please help us by doing the following:

·         Do not telephone the school, as phone lines are needed for emergency communication. Any large overload of calls may result in the entire phone system shutting down, disabling phone contact with emergency personnel. The campus and/or district will notify you of emergencies as soon as possible, and with factual information. 

·         In the event of a serious incident, students will be kept safe until they are picked up by a parent or identified, responsible adult, who was designated as an emergency contact by parents through the online registration. A reunification plan will be implemented by campus administration, in coordination with law enforcement/first responders. 

·         Please do not rush to the school during a tornado warning/severe weather to pick up your child.  We will follow safety procedures, which includes having all students AND staff taking shelter in a weather-safe location on campus.  We will not dismiss students during severe weather if students’ and staff members’ safety is at risk.

• Be sure to contact the WS Ryan office at 940-369-4600 anytime your phone number(s) and/or email(s) change, so we have updated contact information to reach you in case of an emergency. 

In addition, our Elementary Schools are equipped with a secure entry system, requiring parents to be visible on camera before entering the building.  If you need to make an appointment to meet with a staff member, please contact the school. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these procedures, please contact us at 940-369-4600.

Sincerely,

Nicole Poole, Principal                     Katie Hart, Assistant Principal