Schools respond to Lockdown & Hold & Secure events

Limestone Learning Foundation
Schools respond to Lockdown & Hold & Secure events
Posted on 12/05/2018
Image of school safety image with padlockThe Limestone District School Board and the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board both responded to threats to school safety at several schools on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2018.

All students and staff were, and are, safe. We are grateful to our school staff for maintaining a calm, caring and safe atmosphere for our students, and to Kingston Police for their prompt and comprehensive response. 

More details about today's timeline of events is available below and in a Letter to families from the Director of Education.

The Board appreciates the quick and diligent work of school staff to maintain safety and calm during today’s events which were extremely fluid, and without a doubt stressful and challenging. School and Educational Services staff will conduct age-appropriate debriefs with students and staff, and schools will offer support to anyone who requests it for as long as needed. 

We recognize today's events will affect everyone differently. Here are some tips for families on how to support their children in dealing with upsetting events.

In response to today’s events, both school boards cancelled all extra-curricular and community use of schools events at Kingston schools for this evening, and the Kingston Area Secondary School Athletic Association also cancelled sporting events.

The Board takes all threats seriously and will always respond accordingly. Our schools continue to be safe and welcoming spaces. Our staff are trained to follow comprehensive emergency protocols in preparation for, and in response to, emergency situations such as this.

We will continue to assist Kingston Police in its investigation of today’s events, and we will keep you informed of any further information or developments. We will also use this as yet another opportunity to educate our families and our communities about our safety protocols to keep everyone who learns, works and volunteers in Limestone safe.

Timeline:

Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School was placed in a Lockdown at about 9:30 a.m. today due to a telephone threat that was deemed significant enough to place the school in Lockdown. A Lockdown is initiated when there is an immediate threat of violence to students and staff inside the school building. Limestone’s nearby Katarokwi Learning Centre (KLC) was placed in a Hold & Secure as a precaution. A Hold & Secure is initiated when there is a potential threat in close proximity to the school. All exterior doors are locked but classes operate as normal inside. Molly Brant Elementary School kept children inside at recess but police did not feel a Hold & Secure was warranted there. Kingston Police cleared Regi at about 11:30 a.m. but it and KLC remained in Hold & Secure as a precaution for the remainder of the school day.

At about 11:10 a.m., Bayridge Secondary School received an almost identical threat to that which was received at Regi. The school was immediately placed in Lockdown and nearby Bayridge Public School and Lancaster Drive Public School were placed in Hold & Secure as a precaution. Lancaster students who might normally go home for lunch were kept inside the school.

Police attended Bayridge Secondary and conducted a thorough search of the building as per their protocols. Once the school was deemed safe, it was transitioned into a Hold & Secure as a precaution. Because there was no longer an imminent threat, Limestone, in consultation with Kingston Police, was in the process of lifting all three Hold & Secures when a similar threat was received by Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School at about 1 p.m. As a result, Lancaster, which is directly across the road, was also placed in Lockdown. Both Bayridge Secondary and Bayridge Public remained in Hold & Secure as a precaution. Frontenac Secondary School was briefly placed in Hold & Secure as well during this time. It was lifted shortly thereafter.

The Lockdown at Lancaster Drive PS was lifted just before 2 p.m. after no imminent threat was detected. The school was transitioned to a Hold & Secure as police continued their investigation. Following consultation with Kingston Police, Bayridge Secondary, Bayridge Public, Lancaster Drive and KLC remained in Hold & Secure status until dismissal which then occurred as per regular school schedules. 

For more information, please contact:
Maddie Crothers, Communications Officer
613-544-6925 x 314 | 613-483-0613 mobile
Jane Douglas, Communications officer
Communications Officer
613-544-6925 x 311 | 613-328-0916 mobile







The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.