When RCMP responded to a recent situation in the area near St. Mary Community School that forced the lockdown of the school and evacuation of nearby homes, other schools on the east side of North Battleford were also affected.
At Wednesday’s regular meeting of the Living Sky School Division Board of Education, trustees were told that, under the advisement of the RCMP, parents of students from Connaught, Lawrence, McKitrick, Manocewin-Phoenix and North Battleford Comprehensive High School were asked to make arrangements to pick up their children who normally walk home after school.
RCMP say members responded to a call of a distraught man at a residence on 111th Avenue across from St. Mary School, a Light of Christ Catholic School Division school, at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22
The lockdown of the school and evacuations of nearby residents were undertaken as safety measures, and all students and staff of the school were transported by bus to Notre Dame Elementary School, also a Light of Christ school. Parents were advised they could pick the children up there.
RCMP asked Living Sky School Division to make arrangements for the safety of their students as well.
Director of Education Randy Fox said, “They did not advise us to lock down our schools, but asked that students and staff be kept away from the area.”
Fox said senior staff met with the transportation department, deciding they wouldn’t run buses in the area around St. Mary School.
“Because they tend to drop off a group of students in certain places,” said Fox, “you couldn’t necessarily feel confident that these students wouldn’t get curious and walk over and try and get a closer look, so we wanted parents to come and pick them up.”
School administrators from Lawrence, McKitrick, Brady, Connaught and North Battleford Comprehensive High School contacted parents of students living in the area to pick up their children from school at dismissal time.
Local radio stations ran the parent announcement throughout the afternoon. Email, social media and the division website were also used to communicate with staff and parents.
Fox said the division appreciated the work administrators and others in the schools did to contact parents and do what needed to be done to get every student home safely.
“Tonya did a great job of co-ordinating that for us,” said Fox, referring to Superintendent of Instruction Tonya Lehman.
Technology played its part as well.
The communication system at NBCHS was able to get information to a large group of parents quickly through text messages and phone calls, he said.
Technology in use at the division’s central office by the transportation office was also useful, said Fox.
“The software system they use now is so slick it didn’t take them very long to print up a list of kids and parents who would be affected by those buses [that weren’t running] and email those out to the schools,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the school administrators and their staffs, Superintendent Lehman, Transportation Manager Colin Westgard and Assistant Manager Wanda leRoux, Chief Financial Officer Lonny Darroch and Senior Executive Assistant and Communications Manager Shannon Lessard.
“By all reports,” said Fox, “things seemed to go smoothly and all students arrived home safely.”
Meanwhile, RCMP were able to arrest, without incident, 24-year-old Gabriel Poundmaker who is now facing numerous charges for incidents dating back to Jan. 5 of this year. The charges include: one count pointing a fire arm; two counts possession of a weapon with the purpose of danger to the public peace; two counts possession of a weapon while being prohibited; one count flight from a peace officer while operating a motor vehicle; one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle; and four counts breach of probation.
