Safe And Supportive Schools

Safety measures can protect a campus and still make families feel shut out. So how do we build schools that are secure and genuinely welcoming at the same time, especially when parents are asked to trust a system that may not have felt open to them before? Recorded live at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, we dig into that question through the lens of Clark County School District’s Destination District Strategic Plan and the priority of creating safe and supportive schools. 

We talk with parent voices who get specific about what “welcome” actually looks like: being greeted in the front office, being known by name, and having simple moments of connection that don’t disappear just because security is tighter. We explore practical ideas like structured morning access, thoughtful supervision, and better in-person communication that goes beyond messages that families may never see. We also highlight what real family engagement can unlock when schools actively invite parents to contribute skills and community resources, from student health supports to stronger partnerships with staff. 

Then we bring in student perspective. A high school senior shares what emotional safety and belonging mean today: respect for culture and experience, adults who show up consistently, and at least one person on campus who believes in you. We close with the reminder that academics, career pathways, and student success all rest on that foundation of safety, trust, and connection. Subscribe for more conversations, share this with a parent or educator, and leave a review telling us what makes a school feel welcoming to you.

Transcript

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Season Two Live Kickoff

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Hello, I'm so excited to be hosting a second season of the Destination District Podcast. Not only are we adding video to our second season, but our first two episodes were recorded live at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in front of over 1,600 CCSD administrators and community partners. Under the Clark County School District's Destination District Strategic Plan, we're asking the question: how do we balance the need to keep our campuses safe with the need to welcome families and the community into our public schools? This is one of our major priorities, safe and supportive schools. We have committed to radically shifting how schools connect with the people who matter most, our parents and our families. Our vision is simple but incredibly powerful to transform CCSD into a district every family actively chooses because they trust what is possible for their children inside our classrooms. I'm Superintendent Joan Ebert, and this is the Destination District Podcast.

Safety Versus Welcome At School

SPEAKER_04 1:13

So I'm very thankful that you serve on my parent advisory committee. We've had a lot of conversations over the year. And some of it has been, you know, strictly about how do we balance making sure that we have a single point of entry, that we know our children are safe, but also that parents feel welcome on campus. So, Corey, let's start with you. What what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_02 1:38

Um, I think that it's really more than just a sign on a wall. It's about um the way that parents and families feel included in their school communities. And so beyond just sending their kids to school, it's are they known by name? Are their kids known by name? Are they welcomed when they come into the front office? Everyone comes to school with their own set of questions and worries and things that they've had in previous experiences. And so to allow for that welcoming community and environment is really important to parents and families.

SPEAKER_04 2:15

Roberto, you have kids in uh elementary, Cartwright, junior high school, Sylvestri. How about you?

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Along the same lines. Um, when I drop off, I do drop off all of my children, even one of them is in middle school and she's a little older. But I feel like when I was starting off with my oldest, dropping her off, that I was not really welcomed because you just either drop off at the gate or you drop off at the front of the school. And when I was growing up, it was a little different. You could, you know, walk the hall, take your child to the classroom, you know, give them a hug, goodbye. You know, lately you can get the presence of the teachers and the staff, they'll be in front of the school, they'll be welcoming, this and that. But you don't get to see majority of the school until there's an open house or there's a project or something because everything's on the walls in the hallways, but you don't get that full welcoming message when you can bring your child to school, and it just feels like for every parent, it's just a drop-off. You know, they can just leave them there. Okay, bye, have a good day.

SPEAKER_04 3:13

So, what's a solution to that, right? That we're trying to hold two things welcoming environment as well as safe. What is the solution so that you get back to that space where you felt prior it was it was more welcoming?

SPEAKER_01 3:28

To me, so when at my elementary school, we'll use that as an example because I believe like junior high and high school is a little bit more strict, but if like you say it starts at elementary school. You have children that are adjusting to the school district, they're adjusting to being around multiple people, even if it was their first year or their we'll say sixth year in elementary school, you're still gonna have kids that are running around. So obviously, I believe campus monitors are a thing. I believe campus monitors you should have the campus open in the mornings. That way the k the parents can get the message from the teachers that are getting dropped off. Oh, you know, we're having a great lesson today, today's a good day, we're we're we're going forward. Um and then they get the feel that they're actually welcome in the school instead of hey, I'm just gonna take care of your child today and just educate them today, that they're made as a family because they're trusting their child in that school with their educator and the staff. When you have that feel, you're also welcome. It's also welcoming more to more the activities that the school has, the programs that the school has, instead of, hey, we're just doing this, sign up. No, you're all you're not only welcome on campus, but we want to also let you know that we have this going on and this going on. And that it I believe it's more feedback from in person being welcomed at the campus, knowing what's going on at the campus and inside of it, instead of multiple messages being sent out and not a lot of the media getting uh received.

SPEAKER_04 4:50

Great. Thank you. Diana,

Parents As Partners And Resources

SPEAKER_04 4:52

we're gonna turn to you. What small things, you know, Roberto leaned in on some of them, but would make a big difference for parents that might feel intimidated coming onto a campus.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

Feeling intimidated when we approach the schools saying, Hey, do you need help? And we're not used. Most of us have skills, resources, and I'm telling you, hey, use my my skills, my resources, and they don't. So but hey, I always encourage our schools to reach out to the parents and ask for help.

SPEAKER_04 5:25

So as a Von Tobel middle school parent, just so people know, get an example of what what are your skills that you can offer? To our new new, I know I've already seen you on online and um Facebook and whatnot, uh sharing uh principal harge French. But what are some other things that what are your skills?

SPEAKER_03 5:44

I have used my connections, my resources in the community to provide free sports physicals, and we will be doing that in August 8th, another one to provide more sports physicals, I eye exams for our children. So that's another thing, you know. I mean, don't be afraid to ask us for help.

unknown 6:02

Nice.

SPEAKER_04 6:03

We're doing this together. It is awesome. So it's also too a little bit harder sometimes for parents because elementary is as you noted, is a little more welcoming, but they move from elementary to middle school. How can we make sure that we stay connected with parents as as they're because the children themselves are like, nah, you know, no more kissing, right? Don't you know drop me off a block down the street? How how do we make sure we still like move the child forward, keep families connected, those pieces.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

I say get involved with the SLT, with a school organizational team. If you don't know what that is, ask or your principal, but yes, get involved in the SLT PTAs. I always reach out to the even the coaches, the teachers. Hey, if you need anything, reach out to me. I'm approachable. It's okay to message me. Oh, yes, that's how I have to connect it to the school.

Emotional Safety And Belonging

unknown 6:57

Great.

SPEAKER_03 6:57

Victoria, you're a senior.

SPEAKER_04 7:00

Yes. You're also a member of the Student Advisory Council. So thank you. You come from Cimarron all the way across town once a month. Bring your brain power with you to the table. You have a direct pulse on you know what these are saying. What does emotional safety and belonging mean to a high schooler today?

SPEAKER_00 7:21

So, emotional safety, what it means to me is like you being able to walk into a school without having that fear that you don't belong there or that your experiences or cultures are not going to be respected. So I think that's what is a really big factor of being respected and feeling like you belong there when you have your experiences and cultures cared for and known for and everything like that. Or having at least one person on campus who believes in you and knows want to take you to the next step.

SPEAKER_04 7:48

When you talk, you said respected, the the students feel respected. When you talk to students, what is an interaction where they don't feel respected that we could change as adults?

SPEAKER_00 8:02

I think it's just like showing up. I mean, I really have a lot of appreciation for counselors, and they're always checking up on you, making sure if everything's okay at home, or because I always want school to feel like it's another home for students, like how it is for me. And I would hope that it would feel like that more in the future.

SPEAKER_04 8:20

Thank you. Again, connected adults, what we were talking about earlier.

Why Safety Comes Before Academics

SPEAKER_04 8:25

So we're gonna wrap up this episode quickly here. I want to thank all of you for being here today. Amazing, thoughtful discussion. Corey, Diana, Roberto taking the time to be part of the Parent Guardian Advisory. Joining us this morning, Victoria. I hope you have an amazing senior year. Look forward to working with you and Student Advisory Council. Here we go. Yes, you can give a round of applause. Thank you all for joining us. As we bring this episode of the Destination District Podcast to a close, let's reflect on why priority three, creating safe and supportive schools, is a bedrock of the strategic plan. Over the course of this year, we will talk a lot about academic benchmarks, reading proficiencies, and career pathways. But the honest truth is this a student cannot achieve academic excellence if they don't first feel safe. A teenager cannot focus on building durable skills for the workforce if they don't feel known, valued, and connected in their own hallways. And a school district cannot truly transform without its parents and families being all in as true partners. This strategic plan was built on the collective dreams of Southern Nevada, and it will take all of us to reach the finish line. Together, we are building more than just better schools. We're building a community where everyone chooses to

Closing And Where To Learn More

SPEAKER_04 9:57

belong. This has been Destination District, a CCSD podcast recorded live at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about CCSD or to listen to previous episodes, visit CCSD.net. Remember, the destination is better when we get there together. Have a great day.