Student & Campus Safety Resources

GGUSD’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and community, which is why we have embraced a multi-pronged approach to safety that includes investments in campus security, technology, mental health and wellness, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), student and staff trainings, safety assessments, campus security personnel, and partnerships with the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) and other local, state and national law enforcement agencies.

GGUSD continually reviews our procedures, practices and resources to help foster a safe learning environment for all students.

District and Campus Safety Initiatives

• All GGUSD school sites and District facilities have safety plans in place, which are updated annually and as needed throughout the year. Safety plans are reviewed and updated in collaboration with the Garden Grove Police Department and Orange County Department of Education Emergency Management staff.
• Schools regularly conduct safety drills with students and staff to prepare for a variety of potential situations. Drills include procedures for lockdowns; shelter in place; active shooter; and earthquake and fire preparedness procedures.
• District leaders meet regularly to review district plans, resources, and systems. GGUSD uses REMS, a web-based rapid responder system that maintains critical information about our schools needed in an emergency. Over the last few years, GGUSD has increased panic hardware, safety alarms, and security fencing.
• GGUSD installed new ingress and egress security procedures for all sites that are undergoing modernization upgrades. Visitor sign-in procedures and credentialing are now part of standard practice.
• All GGUSD schools follow the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CEPTED) model, which is intended to create physically-safe learning environments. District schools restrict campus access during the school day through directional signage, landscaping, active supervision and designated ingress/egress points of entry.
• GGUSD has installed security cameras on campuses which are monitored daily.
• Some GGUSD Schools have intrusion alarms and panic alarms that are linked directly to a 24/7 monitoring service that can rapidly direct emergency responders to our schools if needed.

Partnership with Law Enforcement

• GGUSD enjoys a close partnership with the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), as well as Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, and Westminster police departments, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. GGUSD works collaboratively with local law enforcement regarding all aspects of school safety, including threat assessments, student and staff trainings, and site-specific response planning.
• GGUSD has safety guidelines in place to ensure that all area law enforcement follow the same procedures to keep our campuses safe.
• GGPD provides five full-time School Resource Officers assigned to GGUSD intermediate and high schools. School Resource Officers help provide campus safety and serve as a resource for students, parents, and school administrators to create a positive connection between the community and GGPD.
• Our local law enforcement experts, works with the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the FBI, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center and more on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to school safety and violent intruders. GGPD collaborates with these agencies for annual staff and student trainings.
• GGUSD meets quarterly with GGPD for a Community Safety Meeting. During this meeting GGUSD leadership, GGPD Officers, and community members discuss the latest and best protocols for maintaining student safety.

Below are the First Responder/Law Enforcement agencies we work with throughout the district:

Stay Connected to GGUSD

• GGUSD asks that parents make sure their personal contact information in the Parent Portal is up to date to ensure quick communication in the event of an emergency. Up-to-date contact information is important to ensure schools have on file the names of individuals who are eligible to pick up students from school, particularly in the event of an emergency.
• In the event of an emergency, GGUSD uses a mass notification system called ParentSquare, to contact families. Parents and guardians should first check their voicemail and email, as well as text messages.
• Parents who are not receiving voicemails, emails, or text messages from the district, should contact their child’s school for assistance.
• GGUSD schools use WeTip, an anonymous hotline, for all students and parents to report any behavior that may be of a concern. The WeTip hotline, 1-800-782-7463, is open and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WeTip’s hotline is a solution for students and community members to take an active role in maintaining safe schools.
• GGUSD’s secondary schools use Google Voice which allows students and parents to report concerning/suspicious behavior or issues of concern.

Reunification

• In the event of an emergency during the school day, the following are some important points to remember:
  • The District maintains responsibility for our students. GGUSD will work with first responders to safely release students to parents or authorized guardians through an established reunification process.
  • Look for information from your school or the District about where parent/student reunifications will take place. You should first check your email, voicemail and text messages.
  • Students will only be released to persons listed on the school's emergency contact card.
  • Bring a valid picture ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
  • Be sure your emergency contacts are up to date in Parent Portal, so that they may also be able to pick-up your child in the event of an emergency. Your emergency contacts must also have a valid photo ID.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

• PBIS is a universal prevention system, implemented at most GGUSD schools, to promote social well-being and establish student expectations for the learning and teaching environment, social culture, and campus norms.
• PBIS supports academic success and develops a strong school culture in which students learn early on what is expected behavior. This has proven critical in supporting students and helping them feel comfortable reporting behavior or concerns that are not in line with their school’s culture. In other words, it supports “if you see something, say something,” helping to make our campuses and students safer.
• PBIS has also helped GGUSD to improve our school climate and increase our students’ positive behavior.
• GGUSD staff has been trained in Restorative Practices to promote equity, empathy, ethics and justice for students and staff

Mental Health Resources

• As part of our Strategic Plan (Goal 2), GGUSD believes that supporting our students’ mental health is equally important to campus and personal safety.
• GGUSD offers many mental health supports for students and families.
  Our school-level support staff include:
  • School Psychologists at each school site
  • School Psychologist Interns at many school sites
  • School Counselors at all Intermediate and High Schools
  • School Social Worker at several school sites
  • School Social Worker at several school sites
  • Mental Health Specialists at many school sites
• In addition to the support staff above, GGUSD offers the following programs that support student mental health and wellness:
  • All TK-12 teachers and administrators have been trained how to identify the most common signs of mental illness and how to support and refer students for additional help
  • Wellness rooms and well spaces are located at many of our schools. These give students a space to process difficult emotions or just take a break
  • District-wide School Based Mental Health counseling is available for any student that may need mental health support
  • Individual Education Plan counseling (Special Education Students)
  • Educationally Related Mental Health counseling (Special Education Students)
  • Individual and School-Wide Crisis counseling
  • PBIS, social emotional learning (SEL) and Restorative Practices (prevention and intervention support)
  • GGUSD's Family Resource Centers connect families to area resources in areas like mental health counseling, housing assistance, medical care, legal advocacy, and more. For more information about the GGUSD Family Resource Center please click here
  • The ASPIRE System of Care: School Social Worker, Mental Health Specialist and Interns supporting mental health in many GGUSD schools
  • Mindfulness curriculum – Teachers learn mindfulness techniques to teach students how to cope with challenging life events
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness High School Clubs – Student-led clubs that promote mental health and awareness for mental illness.
  • For more detailed about the above mental health programs, please refer to the GGUSD Mental Health Support Summary 2021-2022, click here.
• GGUSD also partners with several community agencies to support our students, staff and families mental health. To learn more about how to access community resources, click here:
  • The Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove- Family Youth Outreach Program
  • OC-LINKS
  • The Buena Clinton Family Resource Center
  • The Magnolia Park Family Resource Center
  • Bright Futures for Kids
  • The Orange County Healthcare Agency - Behavioral Health
• GGUSD's investments in mental health and wellness have increased our ability to support students at school to ensure that we are able to quickly and effectively support all of our students’ mental wellness.

Helping Children Cope with Grief or Violence

• GGUSD recognizes that children process grief and reactions to violence differently.
  Below are resources to help families communicate with their child about these difficult topics.
  • Talking to Children about Violence
  • Five Tips for Helping Children Cope with Violence
  • Common Reactions in Children to Violent Events
  • School Violence Prevention: Tips for Parents   Educators
  • National Institute of Mental Health – Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence

Student and Parent Support

• While GGUSD has plans in place that are regularly practiced, please know that school safety is not something we can do alone. The partnership and support we have with GGPD and our school community is critical. We ask for your support in reminding students to please take all drills seriously, follow law enforcement, teacher and site administrator instructions, and if they see something, say something - it is the best deterrent to potentially harmful situations. We want everyone on our campus, including parents and guardians to be empowered to report any unusual or suspicious activity.
• In the case of an emergency at our schools, we ask that you please remember to look for information from our District. We deliver messages through email, voicemail, text messages, District and school websites and social media.
• Please ensure that your child’s school has your most current contact information on file – email and phone are crucial.
• By working together we can provide students a safe and healthy learning environment where they can focus and thrive.

Videos

Garden Grove Police Department School Resource Officers have an important message about the seriousness of making school threats and the consequences of doing so.