I have been asked several times this week about snow days. Who decides? What factors are considered? etc.
So here is the process for Eastdale, and my thoughts (note that these are MY thoughts, not those of other teachers, schools or the board....)
First I get up at 5:30am if it's a potential snowday (as opposed to my usual 6am, when I hit "snooze" twice...)
I check the weather forecast, MTO road information and First Class (our board email system).
I wait for John C. from Newry Coach to call me as he runs the bus that comes to Eastdale. John is usually out driving around at 5:30am checking the weather and road conditions. He has an accurate picture of what it is really like. John tells me if he will be cancelling the bus routes.
Then I talk to the principals at Listowel Central and at LDSS. We decide together what will be best for our staff and students. If we don't have enough staff able to make it into the schools, then we will close. We also don't want children walking to school on icy roads/sidewalks or in blinding snowstorms.
Once the principals have decided what is best, the notice gets posted on the ourschoolbuses.ca website and radio stations pick it up from there. I start a phone chain to call staff, and call the Before School program. Then I post to the First Class site for staff and the board, and I post to the Eastdale Twitter account (this shows up on the school website). We try really hard to have all of this in place before 6:15am, but sometimes it just isn't possible. I also try to listen to the radio to make sure that the accurate message gets across the airwaves.
After all the notifications have gone out, I make myself a cup of tea and I pray that everyone who needs to get the message gets it. I always worry that there will be a staff member driving on treaturous roads, or a little person waiting in the cold for a bus, or a wee one trudging through the snow to a closed school. These are the moments I wish I lived in Florida, because the worry about "my people" is great.
When my own kids wake up to a snowday, they are overjoyed. What fun, a SNOW Day! I tend to appreciate that time seems to "stop" for the day, but it doesn't come easily or without much thought and deliberation.
If you have any questions, give me a call....
Mrs. B
