Following the deaths of 17 children and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, schools across the country have taken more precautions to ensure student safety.

Teachers have been aware of the ongoing concerns and have met to discuss what to do in order to ensure a safe environment at McLean High School.

“We had a faculty meeting a couple weeks ago, where we talked about both procedures for student walkouts and how we are going to handle those and then also how to improve our lockdown procedures to improve student safety,” history teacher Rachel Baxter said.

Students were briefed by their teachers on what to do during lockdown drills. Teachers explained multiple scenarios in place in the event of students being in their classrooms, in the hallways, along the breezeway, or in the trailers.

The school has long held that the lockdown drills are essential in ensuring school safety, but more attention has been given to their execution in response to the increase in anxiety over recent events.

“I think it can certainly increase student anxiety … when we are asking them to think about what would [they] do if there is a shooter in the school,” Baxter said.

Every teacher in the past couple of weeks has been explained the specifics behind every scenario that students could potentially face during a lockdown drill.

“Officer Davis has been pretty visible since the [all faculty] meeting occurred, coming into teachers’ classrooms and telling them where the safest spots in the classroom [are],” Baxter said.

Students are expected to immediately get to a classroom the second a lockdown drill is initiated. Obviously, there are exceptions, as some students may not be able to make it to rooms in time before teachers close their doors. Students are then expected to either hide in restrooms if they are in the school or depart the campus in the event of a lockdown.

“It is definitely important … to look around and say if that situation happened here, what would we do,” senior Owen Ricketts said. “Where would we go? Those are important questions to answer.”

The school has not practiced a lockdown since the Parkland massacre, but students and teachers now have newfound perspectives on the matter and are even more prepared considering the worries over something similar happening here in Northern Virginia.

Recent events surrounding threats at Fairfax High School and an unplanned lockdown at South Lakes High School have compounded fears in the area.

“It’s important we have a plan in case a lockdown ever occurs,” Baxter said. “I think it’s an unfortunate reality that we have to spend time in meeting stalking about what to do with these situations.”