Due to the increasing number of school shootings in the last decade, schools across the nation have been looking for ways to increase the security of students and teachers while at school, and that’s where A.L.I.C.E. comes in.

Students were informed about A.L.I.C.E. at several group sessions on Jan. 7-8.

Teachers shared plans specific to classrooms the following Friday and Monday.

A.L.I.C.E is a new lockdown system that gives the staff and students the option to take action in case of an armed intruder instead of just sitting around waiting for the police to respond.

In this new lockdown system, if there is reason to believe there is an armed person inside the school, the students will hear through the speakers “Alice…Alice…Alice,” and any available information about the intruder will be given.

After students have been alerted, all classrooms will go into a lockdown. Staff will try to barricade their classrooms.

If a teacher decides evacuation is possible, the class should exit the school, even if it means breaking windows to get out.

If students do evacuate school, they should not try to go to their cars.

Students who evacuate should run on foot until they can no longer see the school, and only then should they try to get help.

If the intruder happens to get into a classroom, students should do everything they can to distract him/her (throw books, scream, tackle, etc.).

“We were impressed that the overall sentiment expressed by students was ‘this makes sense.’” Phil Clark, principal, said. “It’s still difficult to believe that it is necessary to do this, but we are pleased with the message sent and how it was received.”

Schools all across the nation are adopting this new system and improving to find new ways to make schools safer.

“We are satisfied by the fact that we committed the time to explain the procedure to every class and student and I think it’s important for everyone to know that we are all in this together,” Clark said.