Dear Parent or Guardian:
No matter how much I hope we don’t, I think that we are going to have severe weather this winter. Based on the assumption that cold temperatures, high winds and heavy snow will come eventually this school year, I want to assure everyone that CWOO is ready to respond when severe weather occurs.
When the weather turns bad, we consider several factors to determine whether to keep schools open, delay school openings, close schools for a day or close schools early. Road conditions are checked, and the temperature and wind chill is monitored closely. Our leadership team also checks weather radar and listens closely to forecasts for our area. If a decision is made to cancel school or adjust the school schedule, we begin to call radio and television stations with that information, as well as send out notifications through our Childplus alert system. Some weather conditions, such as fog, are harder to react to, and the school respects parental decisions if you would choose to keep your child home until the conditions improve.
We live in Minnesota, which is famous for extremes in weather. If a parent or guardian feels it is unsafe to send their child to school, the school will respect that decision. You need to do what you feel is best for your child. Please find attached the general procedure we follow at CWOO.
Pidamayayapi,
Vanessa Goodthunder
Director
PROCEDURES FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER
1. All school closings, delayed starting times, and early dismissals will be announced through the school’s Childplus text system, on the radio stations KLGR- AM 1490, FM 97.7, and KNUJ-AM 860, and TV stations WCCO-4 TV; KARE-11 TV and KSTP-5 TV. They are also communicated on the school’s Facebook page at: Lower Sioux Early Head Start and Head Start. Parents and pupils are urged to listen to one of these stations daily, but especially when the weather is inclement. Normally these stations will be notified of the closing of schools as close to 6 a.m. as possible. Hearing no announcement, parents and students should assume that the schools will be in session.
2. There are also times when schools are closed earlier than the regular time. Communication this way will be done the same as school closing and delays.
3. All school activities will not be held when school is closed due to inclement weather.
4. All after-school activities will be canceled when school is dismissed early because of inclement weather.
5. In case of a late start, breakfast will not be served that day.
Wa Heyake – Winter Weather Terms