Safety

Merion Mercy Academy utilizes Ruvna — a secure, real-time communication platform — to keep our school safe and informed.

Student Attendance:

At the start of the school day, students use their personal cell phone to scan into Ruvna to streamline attendance. This ensures we as a school always know when students are on campus, in class, or signed out for an appointment. This is critically important when it comes to community notifications and emergency situations.

Community Notifications:

Merion Mercy utilizes Ruvna's email and text message communications to send timely, secure messages to families and staff. Whether it’s a weather‑related update, a schedule change, or a crucial message, notifications reach the right people quickly to keep our community informed in real time.

Students, faculty, and staff are issued identification cards to wear that are programmed to have key code access to the building. Students must have their ID card on their person at all times. If an ID card is loss, the school must be notified immediately to deactivate the card.

To ensure the safety and security of students, faculty and staff, all visitors to Merion Mercy Academy during the school day will enter through the front door (facing Montgomery Avenue) and sign in through the Raptor security system with their driver’s license.

Students are urged to report immediately any unknown or suspicious persons or activities on or near school property, in or outside of the building. In addition, security cameras are located throughout the school and record the movements of people in the building and cars around campus.

The School utilizes surveillance video cameras in its non-private areas to assist with student and employee safety and security. Aside from bathrooms and locker rooms, the School retains the right to conduct video surveillance of any portion of the School’s property, which includes all persons and property located anywhere on School property, including, without limitation, parking lots.

Merion Mercy Academy has adopted the National Incident Management System for planning and responding to emergency situations and uses an Incident Command System to address critical incidents and/or crises when multi agency response is required. 

Steps that Merion Mercy has taken to prepare for and reduce potential risks include:

• The formation of the Crisis Management Team

• Outlining a 30-plus page School Crisis, Emergency Management, and Medical Emergency Response Plan

• Establishing emergency response protocols including an electronic notification system that automatically notifies parents in case of a school-wide emergency

• Inviting local law enforcement and fire personnel to conduct safety audits on campus

• Controlling access to the school building 

• Requiring visitors to sign in, present ID, and wear badges

• Vigorously screening all employees 

• Holding drills to practice safety procedures 

Merion Mercy Academy collaborates with the Lower Merion Police and Fire Departments on an ongoing basis regarding all aspects of school safety and security. The School has regular drills throughout the year to prepare for emergency situations. Should there be an emergency at school, parents would be notified via an announcement from the Ruvna system.

Merion Mercy Academy practices the following drills during the school year:

Fire Drills:

All classes exit the building as quickly as possible to a designated area outside. The school is “swept” to be sure all are evacuated.

Safety Drills:

The school will practice a safety protocol known as a “lockdown drill.” This procedure is to be used in the event of an incident that requires students and staff to remain in classrooms or offices until the building is deemed by law enforcement officers to be clear of potential intruders.

Weather-Related Drills:

The school will practice safety drills related to inclement weather conditions. This procedure is to be used in the event of dangerous weather conditions, such as a tornado, that require students and staff to relocate to designated spaces until the conditions are deemed safe.

Reunification Drills:

This procedure is to be used in the event of an incident that requires students and staff to exit the building as quickly as possible and assemble to a designated area outside so that students may be picked up by a parent or guardian.