National Preparedness Month

"Our school district put in a "One Call Now" phone alert system a couple of years ago that keeps the families in our district informed with up-to-date critical information regarding snow days or whatever. Last year the "whatever" was the "hurricane" that hit our community with tree-lined streets quite hard. Many of our homes were without power for more than two weeks. The schools were hit too but not all the same way. All of our schools were closed the first two days after the storm, but then the power came on in four of the five buildings. Through one-call phone system, we were kept posted of which schools were open and which weren't and what was expected of returning students regarding missed picture days, etc. This phone alert system has been a wonderful way to keep in touch when the kids are not in school.

During the long power-outage, the administration also provided information in our local paper inviting anyone in the community to come to the high school building in the evening during certain hours to recharge cell phones, use the internet, or simply hang out in a lighted room with friends.
Our biggest strength in our community is our schools, and we foster our relationships with all of our neighbors, not just the families with school children, and we do this through newspaper articles, newsletters, and community gatherings (both formal in the school buildings and informal in residents' homes).

Good timely communication is the key to a successful school district."

LeighAnn Fulford
Oakwood School District