Schools part of community safety initiative
In Centerville City Schools, we are fortunate to be in a position where collaboration exists with the city of Centerville, Washington Township, Centerville-Washington Libraries and the Centerville-Washington Park District.
Operationally, we have found ways to share facilities, resources and equipment. This includes the enhancement of communication, coordination, planning, creating mutual support as well as building a sense of community.
System-wide support between the entities exists in many forms including the use of school resource officers from the city and township, educational partnerships with the library that enhance and support our efforts to teach literacy and reading, while the Park District supports our ability to bring the outdoors into our classrooms.
When a collaborative commitment exists, structure requires shared governance and a set of resources woven together for pursuing a shared vision and goal, making the Centerville-Washington Township Community the best that it can be.
Earlier this year the leaders for Centerville-Washington Township’s five public entities joined together to form a “We Support Safe Communities” program to promote safe schools through gun safety.
With school shootings happening across the country, keeping our students safe is at the forefront of our minds. Many children who have committed acts of violence were able to access weapons in their homes, including children who previously had not exhibited or expressed this type of violence. By keeping firearms secure and being aware of who can access them, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and guardians can help protect our schools, places of worship, workplaces, institutions of higher learning and our community.
The “We Support Safe Communities” program promotes safe and secure firearms storage in this way:
1. All community members are invited to sign a pledge that they will keep firearms secure, including maintaining safe storage and an awareness of who can access their firearms.
2. Anyone who wants a gun lock(s) can pick them up free of charge at the Centerville City School Board of Education Office, the City of Centerville, Washington Township, Centerville Washington Library or Park District.
Even though this initiative originally focused on the Centerville-Washington Township Community and Centerville Schools, we encourage all residents in the Miami Valley area to take advantage of the opportunity to access free gun locks by visiting one of the sites mentioned above. For more information, you can access the website www.cwgunlocks.com. It is essential that we all work together to achieve safe communities.