Emergency Guidelines

Walnut Acres staff are trained and prepared for many emergencies, including intruder alerts, earthquakes, and fire.  Water and emergency supplies are maintained in the central disaster supply shed near the custodian’s room and throughout campus.

As part of school emergency preparedness, we ask parents to supply food provisions for their children. You can purchase a pre-made emergency food kit from Walnut Acres PFC when school begins via Kostella, or provide your own. If you choose to provide your own please provide 4-5 NON-PERISHABLE food items (no cans please) in a one-quart plastic zip lock bag with the child’s name, teacher, and grade marked on the bag. They must be delivered to your child’s teacher within the first few month or so of school.  Walnut Acres PFC has purchased bottled water for each classroom.  

Adults who are visiting or volunteering on campus are asked to sign in at the school office and wear a visitor badge, so that they may be easily identifiable in the event of a lockdown or other emergency. 

Parents who are on campus during an emergency should observe the same guidelines:

·      Following directions of the nearest school personnel.

·      Remaining quiet, allowing staff to give/receive emergency communications.

·      Seeking safe coverage away from the school (i.e. locking yourself in a car) if just entering campus or on the outskirts of campus when an emergency occurs.

·      Refraining from using cell phones in the event of a bomb threat (safety authorities report that cell phone use may potentially trigger a bomb blast) and in an intruder alert, if police have already been notified.

If an emergency event occurs before or after school hours when school staff are present, parents and students should follow staff members’ safety instructions.  In such situations, parents should refrain from independently searching for children; staff members are assigned specific campus zones, including bathrooms, playgrounds, and fields, in which to search for and retrieve students.  Similarly, parents should NOT go to their child’s classroom during a lockdown.  Emergency protocol prevents teachers from opening their classroom doors under any circumstances during this time.

Disaster Response

If a major disaster occurs during school, students will remain under school authorities’ supervision until a parent or designated adult comes to sign them out. 

Please do not call the school, as we must keep the phone lines open for emergency calls.  Instead, seek information from the following sources:  KCBS-740 AM or KGO-810 AM radio stations, www.MDUSD.org.

Pick up procedures for students:

1.     Park to keep areas near campus clear of cars for emergency vehicles.

2.     Walk to the picnic benches outside of the office and wait there for school staff to bring students to sign-out area.

3.     Bring a photo ID to identify yourself.

4.     DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILD OR ANY STUDENT WITHOUT SIGNING THEM OUT.

Many parents may not be able to reach campus by car or phone.  If necessary, school officials will release your child as indicated on the emergency card and keep a written record of the adult to whom your child is released.

Additional Information:

Click here for additional Emergency Preparedness information from the City of Walnut Creek.