Due to recent school shootings around America and lockdowns at Kaneland, students need to know how to stay safe in the case of something happening at KHS.

No one can be completely prepared if an intruder came, but students and staff need to be aware and have a plan if there was a threat.

”I don’t want you guys to have that scared mentality. Yeah everyone’s going to be scared, staff’s going to be scared, but I want to teach you guys how to get past that, use that fear to your advantage and know that you have the tools and the ability to survive. I just want you guys to feel empowered and not fear the future,” Conley said.

School Resource Officer Sarah Conley wants everyone to know that the second an intruder is spotted, everyone in the school needs to be notified. All the phones in the school have a sticker for a number to go over the intercom, so if someone sees someone who’s armed, that’s the best way to let everyone know what’s happening.

Students haven’t been the only ones thinking about the possibility of a shooter coming to school. Teachers and staff at KHS want students to know that they’re there for them and will do their best to keep everyone safe, including teacher Kenneth Dentino.

”Being a teacher you automatically become protective of kids,” Dentino said.

The school administrators and Conley have decided that the school is going to react differently if an intruder were to enter the building because it’s been proven that the “sit and wait” drill isn’t the safest way to deal with an intruder.

”There’s going to be more training and we’ve been shifting our thinking these last couple of years, opposed to a stay put and hide kind of mindset we’re going to fight back and we’re going to get away,” Dentino said.

If students choose to barricade themselves in a classroom they should grab anything to throw in case the threat came in and to pay attention how the door swings. If it swings in, block it with anything that you can. If it swings out, find something to tie the door knob tight to something so it’s harder to open.

”It all depends on where the bad guy is and that’s the thing, every situation is going to be different,” Conley said.