Safety and Security

Both the Sousa School and the Port Washington UFSD have taken a number of steps to increase safety and security over the past few years. Sousa has a full time Security Guard, Anthony Cangelosi, who has various assignments around the school including helping with arrival and dismissal procedures, checking to ensure all doors remain closed and locked during the school day, monitoring the activity and whereabouts of guests during meetings and school events, and keeping the school grounds and parking lots secure.

 

All adults must enter the Sousa Elementary School via the main entrance and sign in their name and destination within the school at the desk in the main lobby. Every adult must be registered the first time they enter the building by scanning a valid ID while they are in the building. Every adult guest must wear a school provided ID badge while the individual is in the building. Once the individual surrenders the ID badge and signs out, they must exit the building. Since all district employees also wear an ID, this allows anyone in the school to easily spot a person who does NOT have such an ID. For rare events with many guest attendees (such as concerts), procedures that involve other forms of registering and signing in will be clearly communicated upon entrance to the school. Please follow all written and verbal directions from Sousa staff members during those events.

 

All of the children at Sousa are required to practice a number of various safety routines and procedures throughout the year. These include bus safety drills, fire drills, and other emergency protocol drills such as lockdown, shelter in place, and/or evacuation drills. As you might expect, most of these drills are done without prior communication to either students, parents/guardians, or staff. If you feel that such drills might be disturbing to your child, please contact the child’s teacher or the school guidance counselor, Mrs. Biblowitz, or school psychologist, Dr. Koo.

 

Should you have questions, concerns, or suggestions for safety at Sousa, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Sheehan.