Emergency Notification

We ask that you take a few minutes to review our Emergency Notification System and Relocation Information (see below). Please read carefully and contact us about anything that is unclear. Do not forget to share this information with members of your family and caregivers. Additional details are in the Parent Handbook under “Fire and Earthquakes”.

When a major emergency occurs, like the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, it would be safe to assume that the school is closing or will be closed for the day. We will also activate the Emergency Notification System (below) to keep you informed. 

We suggest that you make one or two extra copies of the following information and keep them with you so that the information will be close at hand in the event of an emergency.

Thank you,

Kaile Thomas

Executive Director

 

Emergency Procedures

The Little School programs at Lyon Street and off site are equipped with the necessary health and safety supplies and procedures.  

Emergency cell phones, first aid, and search and rescue supplies are kept on both sites as well as in transport vehicles near off site programs. In the aftermath of an emergency, staff plan to stay with the children until reunited with one of their authorized pick up adults. The following information is from our primary emergency plan.

Classroom teachers will gather their class and take immediate safety actions. Teachers will await direction of a pre-designated coordinator who will assess the risk and decide on a course of action. If at all possible, we will remain in our building. If needed, some teachers will be designated to keep the children safe, happy, and busy, and others may be re-assigned to perform first aid or other responsibilities. 

For classes outside of the school, teachers will take immediate safety actions. Teachers will await direction of the head teacher who will assess the risk and decide on a course of action. Teachers of classes outside of Little School will contact The Little School with their status.

Our Emergency Notification System will be activated. We will have cell phones for calling out, but ask parents not to call in. If we need to evacuate we will also post a “relocation notice” on the front door of the Little School.

For classes at Little School: If the entire school needs to relocate, we have a route and a plan for going to our designated Mass Care facility (see below). Staff will stay with children as long as we are personally able either at Little School or at the Mass Care Facility. If the last staff person needs to leave and children are still in our care, they will be signed over to the responsibility of the Mass Care Facility. See below “Little School Emergency Procedures” for relocation information for classes that meet off-site.

Please be aware, in an emergency, our release procedures remain consistent with our normal procedures. We will release children only to parents, guardians or anyone on your list of persons authorized to take children from the facility on the Identification and Emergency Information Form or anyone (with proper ID) that you have authorized in a signed note. Please check the Emergency and Identification forms to make sure that you have all the people you would like to be able to take your children in the event of an emergency, and that you have no one listed that you would not like to take your children in an emergency.

Relocation procedures in the event of an emergency in which we have to evacuate:

1. If possible, a sign will be posted on the front door of 1520 Lyon Street building and at drop off areas at off site locations with the addresses of our relocation center and our cell phone numbers. 

2. Classes will walk to the closest site designated at that time from the Department of Emergency Management by radio or notification during citywide noon siren alert.

3.  Emergency Procedures for Classes Off Site 

  • Presidio Programs

    • Classes will head to the open field area adjacent to Presidio Wall Playground (Presidio Wall Playground is located on the southern border of the Presidio, on West Pacific Ave). Classes will stay in the field for as long as possible and relocate to sites determined by Dept. Emergency Management. Staff will call Little School with their status. 

  •  Programs Elsewhere

    • Staff will follow general emergency procedures protocol. If it is safe, class will stay where they are.

    • If it is not safe, class will relocate to site determined at that time by the Department of Emergency Management. They will post at that site where they are headed. They will contact LS with updates. 

Possible Evacuation sites:

From 1520 Lyon Street (Little School Building)

The back yard or across the street from Lyon Street building

At the Presidio

The large field adjacent to Julian Kahn Playground (located on the southern border of the Presidio, on West Pacific Ave.)

POSSIBLE pre-surveyed sites from the Dept. of Emergency Management, if designated safe at that time, are:

1520 Lyon Street

Raoul Wallenberg High School, 40 Vega St, SF 94115

The Presidio

Presidio Community YMCA, 63 Funston Ave., SF 94129

If we judge the sites to be unsafe, or if the staff members are unable to care for the children any longer, the staff will walk the children to the site determined at that time by the Dept. of Emergency Management and notify LS and/or sister schools.

Little School Classroom Cell numbers are:

CR4:     628-999-6142

CR5:    (415) 789-6203

TK:         628-999-6398

Emergency Notification System

Emergency Notification:

o   Email:

In case of an earthquake or a similar emergency:  If at all possible, a group email will be sent out to all Little School families with a message about our status.

o   Phone call: 

We will call and get a hold of one parent from each class. If possible, we will ask that parent to continue notifying others in their class. This call may occur anytime from beginning of an emergency to when children are resettled at a relocation site.

o   ProCare:

Using ProCare’s emergency alert system you will receive a text message and ProCare message.