Storm Shelter at Kiddi Kollege

School Safety: Does Your Building Have a Storm Shelter?

When searching for the best early learning center in Johnson County, a few things are likely to be at the forefront of your mind. Your ideal school has:  

Let’s look more into that last one: “safe, modern facilities”. This could mean any number of things. However, at Kiddi Kollege, we go beyond what is expected.  

At each of our eight convenient locations in southern Kansas City, you’ll discover that our early childhood learning centers are not only bright and colorful, but also equipped with top-notch teaching tools, technology, and toys. In addition, safety and security are our highest priority, which is why all of our centers feature storm shelter rooms. 

Safe, But Also Spacious, Inviting, and Multi-functional

Remember tornado drills in elementary school? Did you have to go to a nearby bathroom? Under a desk in the corner? Unfortunately, many schools and businesses still have to utilize these less-than-optimal safety procedures. But not at Kiddi Kollege! 

Our state-of-the-art concrete storm shelter rooms are of the highest quality in terms of both protection and aesthetic quality. We’ve taken time to invest in these rooms by making them spacious, inviting, and multi-functional. For reference, the picture shown above is the shelter room at our Leawood location. We contracted Renee Hug, an amazing local muralist, to design it. Be sure to ask about the symbolism of each of the characters when you schedule a tour! 

A Tradition of School Safety

Let’s dive in a little deeper with our Chief Quality Officer, Tricia Kopek, aka “Miss Trish”, aka “Trishy Fishie”! 

“This was something that was very important to our company when we started the adventure of building new schools,” explains Tricia. “My grandmother, Geraldine Dolinar, instilled this in us when we were younger. All of our “vintage” or “veteran” schools that she started many years ago have safe basements or lower levels for teachers and children to use for severe weather reasons. Our newer centers (from 2011 onward) ALL have built-in storm safety rooms.”  

“When we started building our newer centers, we knew basements were not ideal, so we made sure each center had severe weather rooms. These rooms have cinder block walls, strong storm safety doors with locks, and are located in the safest areas of our buildings. We have had many times when even parents have joined us in these moments during drop-off or pick-up when sirens were going off”, says Ms. Kopek. 

Being prepared for natural disasters is key, but what about all the days in between?  

Tricia explains, “When our storm rooms are not being used for severe weather, they are the perfect indoor activity rooms for our kiddos during those cold winter months when we cannot venture outside!” 

We also do monthly tornado and fire drills so our kiddos are aware of what happens in case of a real emergency. These events might otherwise be scary, but they are much more manageable when the environment is friendly and familiar. 

Learn More and Schedule a Tour

Here at Kiddi Kollege, we’re very proud of our safety standards, but we’re even more thrilled to share our students’ success! Check out our Kindergarten Readiness Study, see what other parents have to say, learn about our Pre-K program, or check out our blog for helpful tips and tricks on parenting, education, and beyond. 

Ready to learn more? Schedule a tour and see for yourself! We can’t wait to meet you.