Communication & Tips for Parents
Woodland D50 understands the importance of timely and accurate information during an emergency and we are committed to communicating with district families and providing updates throughout the incident. Please understand that depending on the type of emergency, district and school leaders may be directly involved in the emergency response, or displaced by the emergency. We may also be limited in the information we can share depending on the instructions we receive from first responders, or in respect to student privacy issues.
We have assembled the following Communication Tips for Parents to help you know what to expect, and to give you the information you need to partner with us before, during, and after an emergency.
Contact Information
Make sure to update your contact information through Skyward Family Access if anything changes throughout the year. The district will utilize the contact information in Skyward to send emails, robocalls and text messages during an emergency.
Plan Ahead
School closures due to emergencies are unpredictable and can happen at any time. We encourage parents to have a plan in place for who will care for your child in the event of a school closure. Closures can be due to severe weather, unexpected system failures (water main break, no heat), or other health and safety concerns. Creating a care plan for your child now can minimize the stress when unexpected disruptions occur to the normal school day.
Robocalls
If you miss a call from the school, please listen to the voicemail (or check your email). This is a recorded message with pertinent information related to the emergency. Many people immediately try calling back and cannot get through. Not only is this frustrating for the parent/guardian, but this can tie up phone lines in an emergency situation.
Keep Phone Lines Open
During an emergency, we need to keep the phone lines open, and our staff may not be available to answer phones. In addition, calling a teacher’s phone or your child’s phone may draw attention to someone who is trying to stay quiet, or distract them from hearing important safety instructions.
This also applies to local first responders. Please do NOT call the Police Department or 911 to ask what is happening at the school. They will be responding to the emergency situation, and we do not want their resources diverted to answering parent phone calls.
