Thorndale ISD

Volume 2, Issue 3: 9/13/24

Greetings Bulldogs! Happy Friday.

Safety Information:

I try to keep my blog positive and uplifting. Full of celebrations and informative information. That being said, with yet another tragic school shooting happening recently in Georgia, I want to share some things.

Thorndale is a special place, with awesome kids, parents, staff, and community members. However, a tragic event like the one in Georgia, and other schools over the past years, could happen anywhere if we let our guard down.

We could either continue on as usual and not talk about the events that recently occurred, or we could use it as a good reminder that safety is our top priority and communicate everyone's role in making that a reality.

It takes a village to everyone safe. We must look out for one another, be aware of our surroundings, and report concerns and unusual behavior right away.

First, I want to acknowledge the four lives that were unfairly taken that day in Georgia:

Note: Image and information credit goes to the “Principal Matters!” Blog

Second, I would like to share the annual reminder for the “Safe Storage of Firearms”. No matter how much we “trust” our children, properly locking and securing weapons is imperative to everyone's safety.

Texas law requires school districts to share information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. The information below will help you learn about the laws expectations and how to talk to your child and others about the safe storage of firearms.

Here is that information:

In 2021, 4,613 Texans experienced gun-related deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services (SHS) reports that 55% of Texas firearms deaths in 2020 were suicides and that 59% of all suicides in Texas were by firearms. Suicide attempts involving firearms have a 90% fatality rate. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide.

It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm. Under Texas Penal Code 46.13, a person commits the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child if the child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm, and the person with criminal negligence:

• Failed to secure the firearm; or
• Left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access

The penalty for allowing a child access to a firearm can range from a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a $500 fine) to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by a $4000 fine, a year in jail, or a combination of the two).

Texas exempts the purchase of firearm safety equipment from Texas Sales and Use Tax.

Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety atSafe Gun Storagehttps://safegunstoragetexas.com.

Safe gun storage is critical to preventing suicide, unintentional shootings, and other tragedies.

Third, I want to share a list of resources and proactive preventative measures Thorndale ISD takes to ensure the safety of your children every day they are at school:

1. Campus Armed “Guardians”: Thorndale has enacted the guardian program for a handful of years now which means we have a team of staff who are armed at school every day. These staff members all have their license to carry, receive annual training (this year from the Milam County Sheriff’s Department), and submit evidence of quarterly shooting target practice. This program allows Thorndale ISD to have at least one if not more, armed individuals on every campus/building across the district.
2. Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method (SRP/SRM): TISD provides all staff with annual training reminders with various safety measures. One specific area is our response to safety-related situations. We use the Standard Response Protocol across the district. This protocol involves common vocabulary, symbols, and actions that all staff can implement if needed. For example, this includes the phrase “lockdown” and what that means, what it looks like, and what each staff member does during that situation. These are also phrases and practices that our local and county law enforcement officers are aware of and trained on, further expanding the clarity.
3. RAPTOR Silent Panic Alarm System: In addition to phones in every classroom and panic buttons on the wall, all of our staff have the RAPTOR app on their phone or computer. This app allows staff to communicate and initiate a district-wide alert of lockdowns, evacuations, etc. This allows anyone aware of or dealing with a situation that impacts our safety to immediately notify the entire district with a single click. In an emergency, there is no time to waste.
4. School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management is considered an evidenced-based and proactive approach for preventing targeted school violence. Each campus has a team of staff who review and assess information related to safety and student behaviors/actions to assess before a major situation occurs and to identify and prevent possible threats to safety.
5. Access Control: Thorndale ISD has secure (locked) exterior doors on every exterior entryway in the district. Additionally, every internal door in the district that leads to students and staff has an electronic locking mechanism on the door hardware that remains in the locked position at all times. Additionally, the 3 principals and I complete and document WEEKLY door checks of every single exterior door in the district to ensure they are working properly and closed and secure as they should be.
6. Anonymous Reporting Systems: School safety is a shared responsibility. As a reminder, TISD has an anonymous electronic tip-off system that allows anyone to report suspicious behavior. These tip-offs go directly to campus and district administrators the instant they are submitted. Research shows that those who wish to do harm to others often tell someone about their plans. It is often assumed that “someone else” has reported a concern, or it is believed to be something minor, and that it is probably nothing to be concerned about. Report it anyway, and never assume that someone else has done so. Telling someone saves lives. Here is a link to the tip-off system that is located at the top of our district website home page: Thorndale ISD - Tip Off
7. Drills and Exercises: TISD practices every annually required drill. In addition to fire drills, this includes lockdowns, secures (formerly known as lockouts), and shelter-in-place. Drills are essential in preparing for an emergency, and exercises can help us test and adjust our emergency planning. Drills and exercises offer the opportunity for students and staff to learn their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after any type of emergency. Additionally, practicing these actions can reduce confusion, panic, and even serious injury for both staff and students when an emergency occurs.
8. Multi-hazard Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): Thorndale ISD is responsible for maintaining and updating annually our EOP documents. This document includes over 200 pages of detailed processes and protocols that we would deploy during routine to extreme safety-related scenarios. I have personally been the staff member who has reviewed and updated this document since arriving.
9. Resources for Parents: The following resource, Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event, is a great resource for parents. The Texas School Safety Center has also developed A Parent’s Guide to School Safety Toolkit and Cyber Safety and Digital Responsibility: A Parent's Guide.
10. Counseling & Trauma-Informed Care: Thorndale ISD has partnered with multiple outside entities to provide additional counseling and care for students in need. This could be everything from depression, loneliness, trauma, grief, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and much more. Recently, we partnered with Texas A&M and the TCHATT program which provides free virtual counseling services to students while at school (with signed parent permission). If you are interested in your child participating in these free services, please reach out to your school's counselor.

Again, this information is NOT intended to scare anyone or add unnecessary stress. It is however a reminder of the many steps we take to ensure your children's safety while at school. It is also important to remember that we ALL play a role in school safety and if you see something out of the ordinary, please, please, please, report it immediately.

Student Attendance Matters:

We are off to a GREAT start with regard to attendance this school year! Typically, the first and last 9-weeks of school have the highest attendance, but even with that, we are a full percentage point higher in August than we were last year!

Common sense tells us that kids who attend school typically learn more than those who do not. But beyond that, schools are funded based on attendance, not enrollment, so attendance matters!

Kudos to 1st, 2nd, 5th, 10th, and 12th-grade classes for having over 98% attendance!

*Note: variables such as notes, corrections, etc. make the numbers above estimates and subject to change.

Here is a preview of September:

Parent & Community Involvement Opportunities:

Looking for ways to get involved? Look no further. Here is a list of various committees and groups for all interests and student age levels. Please feel free to reach out to any of the contact people for more information.

Junior Burger Cook-off:

TISD 23-24 State of the District Magazine:

We hope that every family has been able to grab a copy of the first edition of our Thorndale ISD State of the District magazine. We are so thankful for our supporting sponsors who helped us generate enough funds to provide every family with a FREE copy of the magazine. If you didn’t get one, or know someone in the community who would like one, please send them to the central office building to grab their FREE copy.

23-24 Review - Magazine Online Version 

I want to again give a special thank you to our magazine sponsors (in alpha order) who made it possible to provide these color hard copy editions FREE to each family.

They can also be seen on the last pages of the magazine:

4W Fabrication, Coldwell Banker Realty - Dawn & Brian Morton, Classic Bank, Floyd's Glass, HKS Architects, Jack Hillard Dozer, Kiesling Ranch, Lovelee Boutique, M&G Designs,  Magnolia Realty - The Morstatter Team, Powell Law Group, and Project Control.

Celebrations!:

2024 Homecoming Court:

Congrats to our homecoming court and we look forward to seeing who is named homecoming king and queen Friday night!

Students Engage with a Dairy Farm Exhibit:

Kudos to Mrs. Bonnie Lindig for securing this awesome experience for our younger students so they can learn more about the Dairy Industry!

Big Win for Thorndale Varsity Football vs. Granger:

Varsity Volleyball Comes Up Close in the Past for Weeks:

JV Volleyball - Holland Tournament Champions:

Grandparents Breakfast:

Grandparents Breakfast was a huge success with a great turnout! Shout out to Mrs. Anders and her staff for organizing and preparing for so many guests and thank you to Mrs. Larissa Ensor and her FCCLA students for serving.

Physical Therapy Offered on Campus:

Please check out this flier for more information:

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Most sincerely,

Zack Kleypas
Superintendent
Thorndale ISD
#TISDStrivingForExcellence

“Keep improving, always, in all ways.”