Just a Shortcut: A Back-to-School Wake-Up Call on Physical Safety

[DISCLAIMER]
The following story is a fictional scenario created for educational purposes. It is not based on real individuals or events but is designed to illustrate key lessons in school safety for Seventh-day Adventist schools and communities.

It was the second week of school at Riverstone Adventist School, a K–12 school nestled in the quiet outskirts of a mid-sized town. Morning worship had just wrapped up in the chapel, and the students were filing into their classrooms for the day. The new 5th grade teacher, Miss Alvarez, noticed the side hallway door near her classroom had been sticking shut lately. Wanting to be helpful—and save time—she began propping it open during morning arrival.

“It’s just until I get a facilities request submitted,” she told herself.

But by midweek, the door had become a routine shortcut for students, parents, and even a delivery driver or two. No one had signed in at the front office. No one had verified identification. And no one noticed when a stranger followed a parent through the door and lingered in the hallway.

Thankfully, nothing happened that day. A vigilant janitor, Mr. Powell, noticed the unfamiliar face and calmly intercepted the individual, who turned out to be a parent from another school looking for a different campus. But the incident sparked a sobering reflection for the school’s principal, Mrs. Fletcher.

“Our school values hospitality,” she said in a staff meeting later that week. “But hospitality without vigilance is a recipe for vulnerability.”

Where the Gaps Were — and How They’re Closing Them

Riverstone had many of the right intentions, but not the right protocols in place:

• No routine perimeter checks during key transition periods
• No formal visitor management system
• And no consistent training for new staff on physical security expectations

After the incident, the school partnered with their local conference education superintendent and Adventist Risk Management (ARM) to evaluate their safety program using both national standards and faith-based organization recommendations. Their assessment drew heavily from:

• The PASS Guidelines¹ for physical security layers,
• Resources from SchoolSafety.gov², and
• The ARM's School Safety Kit³ developed for Seventh-day Adventist institutions.

They implemented:

• A single secured entry point during school hours
• A sign-in system with visitor badges and identity checks
• Regular perimeter walks by trained staff
• And a clearly communicated policy about propping doors, reinforced during safety orientation sessions for faculty

Additionally, the school:

• Introduced check-in/check-out procedures for students during special events and early dismissals using ARM's guidelines⁴
• Re-trained staff using ARM's Youth Supervision Guidelines, which emphasize the importance of always maintaining visual contact and ensuring a minimum of two qualified supervisors per setting⁵
• Created an internal Crisis Response Team as outlined in ARM's School Safety Kit
• Adopted the School Self-Inspection Form to regularly assess and document physical safety procedures on campus⁶

A Message to Schools and Parents Alike

Physical safety isn’t about suspicion—it’s about stewardship. As Seventh-day Adventists, we are called to be watchful shepherds of the flock entrusted to us. That includes asking the hard questions:

• Are our staff trained to recognize unsafe behavior or subtle security lapses?
• Have we prepared our students to respond in an emergency, calmly and clearly?
• Are we balancing openness with responsibility?

For parents, this means reinforcing school policies at home:

• Talk with your children about the importance of not opening doors for strangers—even adults.
• Ask your school how they conduct drills and how you can support at home.
• Encourage your child to report concerns, and make sure they know it’s not tattling—it’s teamwork.

Physical Safety Checklist for Your School

Based on PASS, ARM, and SchoolSafety.gov

• Conduct a full safety site assessment annually using ARM's Safety Assessment tool and School Self-Survey Form⁶
• Train all staff and volunteers in child protection and emergency procedures
• Limit building access to a single monitored entry; use door sensors or alarms
• Implement check-in/check-out procedures for events, field trips, and early dismissals⁴
• Maintain appropriate staff-to-child ratios during all activities and trips⁴
• Practice and evaluate regular emergency drills (active shooter, fire, earthquake, etc.)
• Establish a school-based Crisis Response Team and define each member’s role
• Reinforce a culture of watchful care, kindness, and accountability

For more tools and support, visit ARM's Solutions Newsletter.

References

1. Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 schools. SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES for K-12 Schools . (2020). https://passk12.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/PASS-Safety-Security-Guidelines-2020-FINAL-1.pdf

2. Find Resources to Create a Safer School. SchoolSafety.gov. (n.d.-a). https://www.schoolsafety.gov/ 

3. School Safety Kit. Adventist Risk Management®, Inc. (n.d.). https://www.adventistrisk.org/getmedia/7ab1106b-1f47-43d9-815c-7d1ba713238c/SchoolSafetyKit-NADEN.pdf

4. Child and Youth Check-in-In/Check-Out Policy. Adventist Risk Management. (2016). https://www.adventistrisk.org/getmedia/8f0cfa0b-dfc2-45c4-a45f-72f252b84bbf/IFS_CheckInCheckOut_NAD-CAN-EN.pdf

5. Youth Supervision Guidelines. Adventist Risk Management. (2016b). https://www.adventistrisk.org/getmedia/e433b2af-ffcb-4912-88d7-4a5b63cf3278/IFS_YouthSupervision_ALLEN.pdf

6. School Self-Survey Form. Adventist Risk Management. (2016b). https://www.adventistrisk.org/getmedia/722ba6fe-3afb-40f5-b6be-4d56c4ef04b4/SO-1007-FRM-School-Inspection-NADEN.pdf