Emma Johnson
As the fall semester winds down, school teams are often pulled in a dozen directions—wrapping up grades, planning events, preparing for the holidays, and somehow trying to get a jumpstart on the new year. It’s a lot and can be overwhelming at times. But one of the most effective ways I’ve seen schools stay organized and proactive during this busy time is by leaning on (or building!) a Safety Committee.
I’ve worked with dozens of schools where the difference between feeling scattered and feeling ready came down to having a small, dedicated team focused on safety. A Safety Committee doesn’t need to be large or formal—it just needs to include a few engaged people who care about keeping the school safe, connected, and prepared.
Why A Safety Committee Matters
When I think about the most successful schools I’ve partnered with, there’s one thing they all have in common: they make safety a shared responsibility. A committee helps keep that spirit alive by bringing together different perspectives—administrators, teachers, facilities staff, and sometimes even parents—to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
During the end-of-semester rush, this team can take the lead on a few key priorities:
- Coordinating your winter “back-to-school” communications for families, including reminders about emergency contacts, notification systems, and who to reach out to with concerns.
- Scheduling and testing your emergency notification system to make sure messages reach every family and staff member. (It’s the perfect time to catch missing numbers or emails before the new semester starts.)
- Reviewing incident and drill data from the Fall to spot patterns or opportunities for improvement. I love seeing when a team can say, “We ran six drills this semester, and every one got a little smoother.”
- Setting early goals for Spring, like revising parts of the Emergency Operations Plan, planning tabletop exercises, or refreshing staff training.
Turning Ideas Into Action
If that list sounds like a lot, I promise—it doesn’t have to feel that way. One of my favorite approaches is to use a simple Gantt chart to break these activities into smaller, manageable steps. Each member of the Safety Committee can “own” one or two pieces, and together, you build momentum toward a stronger start to the new semester.
When I help schools map this out, the conversation always shifts from “Where do we start?” to “We can actually do this.” That’s the power of structure and collaboration—it turns safety planning from a stress point into a shared success story.
A Final Thought
The end of a semester is a natural pause point, and it’s the perfect time to reflect, reset, and realign around safety. A Safety Committee helps make sure that doesn’t get lost in the holiday shuffle. With a little coordination and a shared sense of purpose, schools can roll into the new year confident, connected, and ready for whatever comes next.
