Today feels like a well-earned Friday! In addition to being the first full week of school since winter break, yesterday’s evacuation challenged all of us. Today, a student asked me if emergencies every happen twice in a row. Well, they can, but I believe that today they won’t. She seemed relieved (good thing because she was wearing shorts!). To recap:
Yesterday morning several adults noticed the smell of natural gas in the building. Due to the strength and pervasiveness of this smell, we decided to evacuate. Within eight minutes, students and teachers retrieved their coats and left the building for the gym at the Webster Rec Center. Laclede Gas performed an inspection of the building and found it able to be safely inhabited. Once the all clear was given, students and teachers returned from the Rec Center to Hixson Middle School. We adjusted our lunch and daily schedule to make sure that students were able to eat. Given the amount of time out of the building, we were not able to have fifth period today.
Laclede Gas suspects that the amount of concentrated exhaust from cars and semis on a jammed highway 44 yesterday caused the smell in the building. There were no other instances of a natural gas smell in the building yesterday. The afternoon went smoothly and quickly. All of us were a little more tired going home yesterday.
I want to thank the parents and community members (those who were at the Rec Center while ALL of Hixson Middle School was there as well) who complimented our staff and students on how they handled this emergency. I appreciate your taking the time to call, e-mail, and respond to the blog, Facebook, or Twitter. The phone blast and the Web updates are important part of communication in many instances, and I am glad they give you access to information quickly and regularly.
I received several compliments from district staff, from Hixson staff, from parents in the building, and from the fire station and Laclede Gas on how orderly, safely, and efficiently adults and students responded to this event.
Mrs. Hannel’s 8th grade art students created a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the beginning of the semester to honor his contribution to United States history. The poster, pictured below, is posted in the auditorium foyer. Mrs. Hannel put a sign next to it that reads: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a man of vision. His vision shaped his life and directed his action. What is your vision? How do your actions tell about who you are?” What great questions to ponder during this three-day weekend.
