CY Middle School- Casper, WY

CY Middle School became the first school in the district Friday to introduce its students to a new way to prepare for armed intruders. At the assemblies, however, Andrea Nester, the district’s risk manager, showed students a YouTube video that called students in lockdown “sitting ducks.” The video and the material she presented came from the ALICE Training Institute. The assistant principal, Brett Thielbar, said students will still practice lockdown procedure but in relevant context. After the assembly, sixth-grader Greg Saul said that he felt better prepared because of the training. If an armed intruder entered the school, “I feel like I’d freak out a little bit less because I know what to do,” the 12-year-old said. His classmate, Tyler Kelley, said the assembly “was really, really fun.” Another sixth-grader, Eddie Atkinson, also said he benefited from the training. “It gave everyone a better understanding of what we should do to defy our normal reactions,” Atkinson said. Read more