• Skip to main content
  • District Home
  • Schools
    • Columbia High School
    • Maplewood Middle School
    • South Orange Middle School
    • Clinton Elementary School
    • Delia Bolden Elementary School
    • Marshall Elementary School
    • Montrose Early Childhood Center
    • Seth Boyden Elementary School
    • South Mountain Elementary School
    • Tuscan Elementary School
  • 2022-23 School Year Guidelines
    • COVID-19 Testing & Vaccination
  • About
    • About SOMSD
    • Our Schools
    • Achieve Foundation
    • Attendance Information
    • Community Digital Backpack
    • Community Partners
    • Family Resources
    • School Hours
    • School Performance Reports
    • School Zones
    • SOMSD Integration
    • Withdrawals/Transfer OOD
    • Strategic Plan
    • Student Code of Conduct
    • Contact Us
      • Chain of Command
      • Directory
      • District Org Chart
      • Website Feedback
  • Departments
    • Department Directory
    • Office of the Superintendent
    • Access & Equity
      • Access & Equity Policy
      • Comprehensive Equity Plan
      • Presentations & Reports
      • HIB
      • Title IX
    • Assessments
      • News & Assessment Information
      • ATLAS
      • Gifted & Talented Protocols
    • Beyond the Bell
    • Business Office
      • Facilities & Grounds
      • Long Range Facilities Plan
    • Communications
    • Food Services
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Nursing Services
    • Parenting Center
    • Preschool Education
    • Registration
    • Safety & Security
    • Special Services
    • Transportation
  • Board of Education
    • About the BOE
      • Current BOE Members
    • Advisory Opinions
    • Annual Agenda
    • Board Meetings
      • Agendas
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Minutes
      • Presentations
      • BOE Newsletter Recap
      • Watch Online
      • Watch On TV
    • Submit a BOE Recognition
    • Board Policies
    • BOE Committees
    • District & BOE Goals
    • Mission Statement
    • Office of Civil Rights
    • Public Notices
  • Academics
    • Academics Directory
    • Summer Assignments & Reading List
    • Summer Programs
    • Fine & Performing Arts
    • Request for Reconsideration of Materials
    • Health & Physical Education
    • Language Arts
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Social Studies
    • World Language & ESL
  • Quick Links
    • Parents
      • Canvas
      • Achieve Foundation
      • Community Pass
      • Directory
      • Enrollment Information
      • HIB
      • Meal Information
      • PowerSchool
      • PowerSchool Parent Portal Help
      • Rubicon Atlas
      • School Calendar & Handbook
      • Schools
      • SCOIR
      • Testing & Assessment
    • Students
      • Canvas
      • Classlink
      • Directory
      • District Email
      • Google Drive
      • HIB
      • Meal Information
      • PowerSchool
      • School Calendar & Handbook
      • SCOIR
      • Star Renaissance
      • Testing & Assessments
      • Working Papers Form
    • Staff
      • Canvas
      • Classlink
      • Community Pass Admin
      • Data Warehouse
      • District Email
      • Duo Self Service Portal
      • Frontline 504
      • Frontline – AESOP
      • Frontline – IEP Direct
      • Frontline – My Learning Plan
      • Google Drive
      • GCN – Online Mandatory Training
      • GCN – Online Mandatory Training – Admin
      • HIB
      • Hibster – Admin
      • Pearson Access Next (Teacher / Admin Logins)
      • PowerSchool – Admin
      • PowerSchool – Teachers
      • PowerSchool Registration – Admin
      • Rubicon Atlas
      • Schooldude – IT / Facilities
      • School Messenger (Admin)
      • Star Renaissance
      • Technology Instructions – Staff
      • Technology Purchase Request
    • Mental Health & Counseling Resources
  • Communications
    • District News & Announcements
    • Newsletter
    • Media Requests
      • Media Releases
    • Calendars
      • Online School Year Calendar (Current)
      • District Calendar & Handbook
    • SOMA TV
    • SOMSD Youtube Channel
South Orange-Maplewood School District

A District That Celebrates

You are here: Home / District Departments / Safety & Security

Safety & Security

  • District Departments
  • Office of the Superintendent
  • Access & Equity
  • Assessments
  • Beyond the Bell
  • Business Office
  • Food Services
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Nursing Services
  • Registration
  • Parenting Center
  • Preschool Program
  • Safety & Security
  • Special Services
  • Transportation

Safety & Security

 

Stanley Valles
Director, School & Community Safety
E: svalles@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us
P:  (973) 762-5600 ext. 8006

The safety of our students and staff is always the highest priority for the South Orange Maplewood School District.  We coordinate our approach to school safety with the Police and Fire Departments of South Orange and Maplewood.  Security procedures are established for all of the schools – schools are locked, unauthorized visitors are prohibited, cameras monitor all who enter our buildings, and each school has a crisis management team.  We thoroughly review, evaluate, and update safety practices and security plans on a routine basis.

In addition, we conduct state-mandated emergency drills – both a fire drill, and a security drill – at each school every month.  Security drills include non-fire evacuations and lockdown situations. We practice a different security drill each month, repeating them as necessary, to ensure that each security drill is practiced at least twice a year and that students and staff know what to do to protect themselves in various situations.  After each safety drill, we closely monitor our students’ reactions, and we evaluate our procedures to seamlessly blend these exercises into our standard safety practices.

Guidelines on Visiting Schools

When visiting any of our schools, we ask the community to contribute to the overall safety and security of our students and staff by helping in the following ways:

  • Visitors must enter the school through the main entrance at any time during the day.  While this may be an inconvenience for some visitors, it is an essential component in our efforts to  secure District school buildings.
  • When buzzing in at the main entrance, you may be asked to announce your name and the purpose for visiting the school  to the front office staff.  Please be patient if we ask clarifying questions.
  • Please do not hold open the door for other visitors. All visitors must be admitted by a staff member.
  • Upon admission to the school, all visitors to our Elementary Schools are to report directly to the front office at any time during the day.  Visitors to Columbia High School and our Middle Schools should report to the Visitors’ Desk.  Once there, please sign in, announce your intention, and wait for direction. This procedure does not change after the school day.
We are grateful for the ongoing support and assistance of the entire community in keeping our students and staff safe.
  • Memorandum of Agreement 2022/23 SY 

South Orange-Maplewood School District

South Orange-Maplewood School District

Address & Contact Info

525 Academy Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040

Main Office: (973) 762-5600

District Title IX Information

Dr. Kevin Gilbert
Asst., Supt., Access & Equity
District Title IX Coordinator
525 Academy Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
e: kgilbert@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext. 1859

Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB)

Dr. Kevin Gilbert
Asst., Supt., Access & Equity
District HIB Coordinator
e: kgilbert@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext. 1859

Ms. Robin Curry
Confidential Secretary to the Asst. Supt., Access & Equity
e: rcurry@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext. 1822

More HIB Information

Stay Connected

SOMSD on Facebook

SOMSD on Twitter

SOMSD’s YouTube Channel

Site Credits

Site Credits

Website Accessibility

The South Orange & Maplewood School District is committed to making our content accessible to all members of the public, including those with disabilities. This includes parents, students, employees, and all others associated with our district. If you need assistance in accessing materials on the district website or you would like to provide feedback or file a complaint about the website, please email the webmaster.

Our Mission

The mission of the South Orange Maplewood School District is to empower and inspire each student to explore and imagine, to pursue personal passions, and to collectively create a better future by creating a learner-centered environment through multiple pathways; re-imagined structures, systems and supports; innovative teaching; partnering with families; and maximizing community expertise and resources.

525 Academy Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040 • Ph:(973) 762-5600 • Copyright © 2019, South Orange - Maplewood Public Schools. All rights reserved

Designed, built and powered by SchoolPresser - WordPress for Schools