Prevention & Safety

"The best defense is a good offense."

- Sun Tzu

The Prevention & Safety Team supports the isd 728 strategic action plan primarily in the following areas:

Excellence in Achievement
- Ensuring that all students have the skills be be successful in their future endeavors including skills in collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking.
- Ensuring that each student has access to mental health education and support resources.
- Students and staff apply self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills to navigate the world effectively.
Excellence in Partnership
- Facilitating effective partnerships between the ISD 728 community and our families so they have access to resources, are informed and collaborate in their students' experiences.
- Ensuring our approaches to education cultivate student engagement and ownership of learning in order to actively influence ISD 728.
- Ensuring appropriate facilities that provide safe, high-quality learning environments for all students and staff to be productive.

ISD 728’s Prevention and Safety group team promotes several initiatives that positively impact our school environment. Prevention is a broad category, covering all preventive measures that promote wellness and inclusion to support a students ability to learn in our ISD 728 schools. Under prevention, this department takes the lead on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mental Health programming through THRIVE, an initiative which focuses on building connections to promote well-being. THRIVE is split into prioritizes several initiatives sub-parts, including SEL strategies such as PBIS, mindfulness, yoga calm, restorative practices and more. THRIVE also supports mental health and trauma informed training for schools and families. Prevention also includes resources promoting health and wellness for our school communities.

Safety is also among our highest priorities at ISD 728. We work collaboratively to foster a safe, secure learning environment as we deliver on our mission to educate, inspire and empower our diverse learners, to shape their futures, help accomplish their dreams and to contribute positively to our local and global communities. Emergency response and crisis management protocols and plans are an important component of fostering a safe, secure learning environment. Our protocols and plans are regularly practiced, reviewed and updated by a team of professionals that includes district staff and community first responders. When making decisions about school safety best practices and recommendations from local, state and national safety and security experts are always taken into consideration. Specifically, safety initiatives include ALICE training, addressing alcohol, drugs and tobacco use, crisis response, bullying and more. Please refer to links for additional information on these topics.