Weekly Safety and Security Update
May 12, 2023
HCSD Weekly Safety and Security Update 5-12-23
Dear Hudson City School District community,
We continue to move closer to implementing the STOPit Anonymous Reporting System. Our staff continues to train for the program, and I participated yesterday in a virtual meeting about the program with representatives of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, STOPit Solutions, Questar and other school district superintendents throughout the county.
This is just one of the steps we continue to take to enhance safety and security in the Hudson City School District. We also have hired a new full-time security guard for Hudson Junior and Senior High School, and have made important administrative appointments at the junior high school that will help ensure consistent leadership. We have named a new associate principal, Carolyn Miller. In addition, Chante Brooks has been named a substitute associate principal. That creates a total of four associate principals to step in when a head principal is absent.
Our Safety and Advisory Committee discussed a number of important issues and suggestions at its May 4 meeting. The members talked about:
- The need to review and update the Code of Conduct and ensure that students and staff are educated annually on what it says.
- Ways to improve communication and understanding among teachers, students, parents and the community.
- Ways to strengthen the focus on restorative practices, including frequent professional development and the establishment of a restorative practices team.
- Ways to reduce time in the hallways between classes, and increase monitoring of bathrooms.
Other measures to improve safety and school climate are progressing. Our staff attended the recent Columbia County Safe Schools meeting, and earlier this week, our Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) Project held its final meeting for the school year, with its equity ambassadors and members of the executive team.
We also are finalizing applications for two safety and security-related grants from the COPS program and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Watch for future emails with updates on these initiatives. As always, I urge you to share any suggestions, concerns and comments at safety@hudsoncsd.org.
Thank you for your partnership in this matter.
Dr. Lisamarie Spindler
Superintendent of School
Hudson City School District
