Throughout the week of September 14th, Benet Academy students and staff took a small part of each day to focus on the very important topic of school safety. They participated in two fire drills, an active shooter drill, and a severe weather drill. Additionally, students partook in the Young Hearts for Life heart screenings.

Since dangerous events at school are unpredictable, it is vital for students to know what to do in these potentially harmful situations. During the fire drill, students learned what exit to use and practiced leaving the school safely and efficiently. After that, teachers took roll call to make sure everyone was accounted for. For the severe weather drill, everyone in the school went to low, windowless areas such as St. Jude’s Commons. These would be ideal locations for shelter in the event of an emergency like a tornado. Lastly, Redwings were told about the A.L.I.C.E. procedure. This is a dynamic method that would be used if an active shooter or intruder were to enter the school. A.L.I.C.E. stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate. This is different from the old idea of hiding in one spot. Instead, students are told to assess the situation and make the safest choice. Both the Lisle Police and Fire Departments assisted in making sure that the drills went smoothly.

In addition to the safety drills, Benet hosted the Young Hearts for Life heart screening on September 17th. The screenings were painless and took only a few minutes, but nevertheless were very important. Many heart conditions can easily go unnoticed in young people (even seemingly healthy ones), yet can cause serious or fatal heart issues such as cardiac arrest in the future. Young Hearts for Life helps prevent these tragedies by hosting heart screenings to diagnose conditions before they cause issues.

Safety Week was a great opportunity to help make sure everyone is safe at school. Various drills ensured that Redwings knew what to do in dangerous situations. Sophomore Kevin DeBoni said, “I think this week was good because if any of these events really happened, we will be prepared.” Also, Young Hearts for Life may save lives. Sophomore Joshua Kroupa said that he “feels very touched by the kindness and generosity of the volunteers and their willingness to help us test our hearts.” In conclusion, safety week was a great success and reminded Redwings that safety is always a top priority.