Unionville-Chadds Ford School District welcomes families, and community visitors. When visiting our schools, please be considerate of the following information:

Visitor Access: 

• Our buildings are locked immediately after student arrival in the morning. We have an outer and inner door access system.  In order to access please use the push button video/intercom system at the main entrance on the outside of the building. 

Visitor Registration

• All visitors to school property must register at the main entrance to the building. Visitors will be asked to provide a government issued photo ID. Failure to provide an ID may be cause to deny entry to the building. 

• IDs are scanned using the UCFSD visitor management system and a visitor badge is printed. Information obtained during this process is not shared and is used solely for the purpose of identifying visitors.

• Visitor badges must be worn at all times while present in the school building, and must be turned in to the main office before departing.

Visiting Staff Members

• Anyone intending to speak with a staff member is encouraged to make an appointment by phone or email before arriving at the building. Visitors arriving without an appointment may not be admitted.

• Conferences with teachers are held, to the extent possible, outside school hours or during the teacher’s conference/preparation period.

Visiting School Grounds

• Use of school property, including athletic fields and parking areas, by organized groups requires a permit issued by the UCFSD Facilities Department.

• For the safety of students, recreational use of school grounds by individuals is not permitted while school is in session.

• When school is not in session, those traversing School District property are asked to follow the rules posted at each property entrance.

Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is committed to providing a safe environment for all of our students, staff, and visitors. We work closely with public safety officials, including police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health, in order to ensure our schools are well prepared for any emergency. Together we have developed a comprehensive plan that covers a wide variety of emergencies, and that serves as a guide to help staff and our public safety partners respond swiftly should a crisis occur in our schools. 

Unionville-Chadds Ford School District has adopted a modified version of the Standard Response Protocol authored by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, an organization specializing in research-based best practices for school crisis response. In the event of an emergency at your child’s school, it is important to be familiar with the following terms. 

HOLD - A hold takes places when a situation requires students and staff to stay in their classrooms.  

SECURE – Secure takes place if an external threat is identified in the area of the school. Students are moved from the outside of a building to the interior and exterior doors are locked. No entry into or exit from the school will be allowed until an “all-clear” announcement is made. Normal activities will take place inside the building during a secure event.

LOCKDOWN – A lockdown takes place if an internal threat is identified at the school. All school doors are locked and students are confined to locked classrooms. No entry into or exit from the school will be allowed until police, school security, or a school administrator clears the lockdown. Students will NOT be released during a lockdown. 

EVACUATION – An evacuation takes place if a condition inside the school building makes it unsafe to stay inside. Students will be relocated to an evacuation assembly area or off-site shelter location.

SHELTER – Shelter in place is used in cases when severe weather or other hazardous conditions exists in close proximity to the school. Students take refuge in designated protected areas. No entry into or exit from the school will be allowed until an “all-clear” announcement is made.

UCFSD uses School Messenger, the District website, Facebook, and Twitter as part of its ongoing efforts to communicate with students, families, and staff. In an emergency School Messenger will be used to contact parents directly via telephone as quickly as possible. A variety of critical situations that impact children, ranging from severe weather and power outages, to emergencies that may cause a school to evacuate, shelter, or lockdown, will trigger a School Messenger phone call. School Messenger may also be used by individual schools to communicate important routine information to their school community.

• Watch for a phone call, email, or text message with information sent via the UCFSD School Messenger Service.

• Visit the UCFSD website at www.ucfsd.org

• Check the UCFSD Facebook page

• Check the UCFSD Instagram account

• Check the UCFSD Twitter account 

Every parent who has a child attending UCFSD schools is automatically signed up to receive messages through School Messenger, however it is up to you to keep the school informed of any changes to your email address, phone numbers, or emergency contacts. In order for UCFSD to contact you as quickly as possible when an emergency occurs, the District must have accurate contact information for all parents. 

Whenever a parent changes a phone number or e-mail address, they need to notify their child’s school as soon as possible so that their information can be updated. 

• Ensure your school has accurate emergency contact information for your child and notify the school if it changes.

• Identify who would be authorized to pick up your child if there is a school or community emergency. Make sure anyone identified is listed as an emergency contact in your child’s student emergency information. 

• Understand the UCFSD school safety terms and ask any questions you might have. Your child’s teacher or school principal are great resources you can contact for the information.

• Communicate with your child about being prepared for emergencies. This includes understanding drills, such as fire drills, and taking them seriously. It also includes recognizing anything that is out of the ordinary or unusual in the school day and reporting it to an adult at school.

• If there is an emergency at one of the UCFSD schools, wait for official instructions to be communicated using School Messenger. LISTEN!  This telephone message will inform you of what has happened and what (if anything) you should do.

• Please do not call the school. Phone lines and staff are needed for emergency response efforts and incoming calls consume these important resources.

• Please do not go to the school unless instructed. Traffic congestion impedes the movement of emergency vehicles and can make a difficult situation much worse.

• Students will be kept in school or at another shelter site until it is safe to release them. If a normal bus dismissal is not possible you will be asked to pick up your child. The reunification site and the time when you can meet your child will be communicated. Make sure to monitor all communications from the District.

• When you go to the reunification site, bring a picture I.D. (e.g., driver’s license, passport, etc.) and check in with school officials.

Students will be released to guardians or emergency contacts who have acceptable identification and who are named in the student information database. If a listed contact cannot pick up a child, the child will remain at the reunification site until confirmation to release the child can be received from a listed contact. MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD’S CONTACT INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE!

• Listen to and acknowledge your child’s feelings and concerns.

• Provide reassurance to your child that they are safe and that school is safe.

• Seek help from school personnel or a mental health professional if needed.