WHS: School Safety
By ELIZABETH GOMEZ
Every day 560 students walk into Westlake High School to learn and pursue their educational career while under the assumption that they are in good hands.
“The safety of students is of utmost importance,” Mrs. Esposito, a study hall monitor at Westlake High school, said. Everyday she is left in charge with hundreds of students at a time.
“Although it can be somewhat challenging on a daily basis, I try to always reinforce that as a study hall monitor I am here to make sure all students are accounted for,” she stated
“For their safety, I know their whereabouts,” she explained, as she retold one way she keeps the students safe.
Mrs. Esposito isn't alone in her efforts; she also has Bob Brandoff, Security Officer at Westlake High School, who monitors the building at all times.
“It's a daunting task because the place is pretty big and there's a lot of kids when you add the [students from] Westlake High School and Westlake Middle School, but I get it done; we haven't lost anybody or anything like that,” Brandoff explained.
“Safety is of [the] utmost concern of mine; children and teens should be able to go to school without having to worry about their safety,” Brandoff continued.
One way he keeps students safe is by “patrolling.” He then said his job is ‘basically accountability; we make sure we have the right kids get on the right buses; people who aren't supposed to be in school aren't in school - that’s why we have a greeter at the front desk [and] basically two officers, one in the afternoon [and] one in the morning” Brandoff stated.
Today with school safety being a hot topic many students wonder whether they are truly safe. From hall monitors to security officers, they all work together to keep the students at Westlake safe.