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School Considering Sharknado Drill

By Jacqueline Miller of boogersabroad.com

James Madison Elementary School is considering a new drill to prepare its pupils for the possibility of a sharknado: a tornado filled with sharks.

As the start of the school year is approaching, Madison teachers and administrators already have seven drills on the calendar for the next few weeks:

  • Fire
  • Tornado
  • Earthquake
  • Flash flood
  • Gas leak/mechanical issue
  • Armed intruder
  • Lockdown

“You can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of your students,” explained Paula Kingsley, Vice Principal of James Madison Elementary School for the past 10 years. “Each year, our Safety Council thoroughly evaluates our emergency preparedness plans. And, sometimes, that includes developing new, specialized safety protocols and practicing them in the form of drills.”

Kingsley added that when she started her position, the flash flood drill had just been added, after a nearby river overflowed, and school staff was unclear about which emergency plan to follow.

In 2012, after the Sandy Hook shooting, the school began armed intruder drills, and just last year started lockdown drills. “In difficult situations like these, it prevents a lot of panic and confusion when you have a plan in place, and the students and administrators know just what to do and where to go,” she explained.

This year, at the suggestion of local parents, the school’s Safety Council is reviewing the possibility of a sharknado hitting the elementary school facility. If the council deems a sharknado as even a remote possibility, there’s a good chance school administrators will develop appropriate guidelines.

The vice principal added, “Our chance of a flash flood is also extremely remote, but we had one in 2007, so you just never know.”

Next year, her team will review the need for zombie apocalypse protocol.

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About the Author

Jacqueline Miller is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Scary Mommy and Her View From Home. She lives in the Midwest and uses a pseudonym for her family’s privacy. Find her at www.boogersabroad.com and on Facebook.