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Inclement Weather Information for In Person Learners
With winter weather approaching, we wanted to make you aware of our plans for in person learners during the 2020-2021 school year should bad weather require a change in our in person student schedule.

School Closings (Snow Days) 
Unless there is an announcement, assume school is in session as usual. Typically, a decision to close school is made prior to 5:45 a.m. or when at all possible the evening before. However, there have been cases where the weather worsened during the morning hours and a decision was made slightly later than the 5:45 a.m. goal.

Given our experiences this school year and during Phase 2, we believe the best and least disruptive way to provide continuous learning in the event of inclement weather is to shift to remote learning when weather or road conditions necessitate a school closing.
 
Elementary - Students and staff will follow our current Distance Learning 2.0 schedule. Morning Kindergarten and Grades 1-5 will begin classes at 8:30 a.m. with a morning meeting. Afternoon Kindergarten will begin at 10:15 a.m. Additional information will be shared with families from their child’s teacher via Seesaw.

Middle and High School - For students in the cohort who were scheduled to be in school, our current Distance Learning 2.0 schedule will be used. Middle School students will begin at 9:00 a.m. and High School students at 9:30 a.m. Additional information will be shared with student’s via Schoology.

For students in the cohort who were already scheduled to learn from home, there will be no change to their schedule. They should sign in to PowerSchool by 9:30 a.m. for attendance and complete their previously scheduled learning activities.

Please note, transportation to Cumberland Perry AVTS will not be provided if school is closed. Additional information regarding the learning schedule for a snow day will be communicated by CPAVTS.

Two-Hour Delays
We plan to continue utilizing a two-hour delay schedule if/when possible this school year, particularly when we are confident that we can safely open schools after a delay. If the decision is made to call a two-hour delay, schools will open two hours after normal start times, and buses will run two hours later than normal route times.

Kindergarten students will follow a modified schedule during a two-hour delay, with morning kindergarten held from 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and afternoon kindergarten from 12:45-3:30 p.m.

Cumberland Perry AVTS students, at this time we are waiting for additional information from CPAVTS about their inclement weather plans. Stay tuned for more details.  

Early Dismissals
On days when it is necessary to dismiss school early, middle and high schools will dismiss first. To the best of our ability, we will provide families with as much advance notice as possible to plan for childcare and to mitigate the impact of lost instructional time for students. However, it is important families be prepared, so please make sure your child understands when you expect them to return home, or to the home of a trusted neighbor, in the event of an early dismissal.

Communication
Once a decision has been made, we will use several communication avenues to notify parents, students, and staff as quickly as possible.

Automated Phone and Text Message System - Notification will be sent to all home telephone numbers, cell phone numbers, work numbers, and e-mail addresses. A text message will also be sent to parents who have opted-in to the service. If you have not received phone calls or text messages from the District this school year, please contact your child's school to ensure the District has your correct contact information.
 
District Website - Closing information will always be posted on the opening page of the West Shore School District website.
 
Social Media – Information will be shared on the District’s twitter, facebook, and instagram accounts. You can follow these pages @WestShoreSD. 
 
Other - Details will also be available on the District weather message line (717-938-3179) and reported to local radio and television stations.
 
Please note, due to the time needed for our automated system to process email and phone messages, there may be some instances in which the information is available via text and on social media before you receive a call or email from the District. 

When deciding whether to cancel, delay, or dismiss school early, there are multiple factors to be considered, but always at the forefront of my decision-making process is the safety of our children and District staff members.