News

Dear District 54 Families and Staff,

Every fall as temperatures begin to drop, District 54 shares our procedures for severe winter weather so that you can be prepared. District 54 makes every effort to keep our schools open, but circumstances beyond our control (such as Chicagoland winters) sometimes dictate that we close.

In deciding whether to close school for the day, our top concern is whether we believe the more than 15,000 students we serve can get to school safely  due to a large amount of snow or an extreme cold warning (whether they walk, take a bus or ride in a car).

I would like to remind all of you to consider now, what kind of alternative child care arrangements need to be made for your children should our school be closed for inclement weather or other related emergencies.

District 54 refers to the National Weather Service (www.weather.gov ) to monitor weather advisories and warnings. To help you prepare for all possibilities, here are our cold weather guidelines.

Extreme Cold Warning

An extreme cold warning indicates that life-threatening conditions and a risk to safety exist. Measures should be taken to safeguard life and property immediately. An extreme cold warning is typically issued when the wind chill will be -30°F or colder or the air temperature is -15°F.

• Classes will be canceled and extracurricular activities will be suspended.
• The announcement will be made by 6:30 a.m. at the latest. District 54 often waits until the morning to cancel school, because the weather in the Chicagoland area is constantly changing. We wait to make the decision with the hope that we can have children in school.
• All notification systems will be leveraged to communicate school cancellations to families including emails, phone calls, text messaging and District 54 websites and social media.

Cold Weather Advisory

A cold weather advisory is issued when conditions do not meet the extreme cold warning criteria but still cause significant inconvenience. The weather during a cold weather advisory is not life-threatening but presents conditions that may result in inconveniences or pose moderate risk to safety. A cold weather advisory is typically issued when the wind chill is -20°F or colder or the air temperature is -5 to -14°F.

• Schools will be open; however, all outside activities will be suspended, including recess and outdoor physical education.
• Extracurricular activities may be suspended if conditions persist. Updates will be posted on school websites and families will be notified if after-school activities are canceled.
• All field trips will be canceled.

Again, please initiate a plan of action now, so that you are not placed in a position of having no emergency child care arrangements made should the time arise. In addition, please be sure to discuss these arrangements with your children so that they are aware of your plan.

Most importantly, remember that you, the parent or guardian, ultimately make the decision whether to send your child to school. If you do decide to keep your child home on a day in which the weather is extremely inclement, the absence will be considered excused and your child will be given every opportunity to make up missed work. Please call your children’s schools and let them know.

Communication – Sources of Information

If District 54 were to cancel school, we will contact District 54 families (parents, guardians and staff) by 6:30 a.m. that day at the latest. District 54 often waits until the morning to make that call because the weather in the Chicagoland area is constantly changing.

District 54 uses a platform called ParentSquare to communicate with our families. All families and staff will receive calls, texts and emails whether or not you create a ParentSquare account. However, by creating an account you will be able to change your notification preferences, interact with requests, change your language preferences and see all of the messages previously sent to you, as well as staff directories and other information.

To create a ParentSquare account, go to parentsquare.com/signin and enter the email or cell phone number you provided to your school. ParentSquare also has a free app available on the  Apple Store for iPhones or the  Google Play Storefor Androids. After logging in, click on your name at the top, and then My Account to see the contact information we have on file for you. Contact your school to update any information that may need to be changed.

Most importantly, remember that you, the parent or guardian, ultimately make the decision whether to send your child to school. If you do decide to keep your child home on a day in which the weather is extremely inclement, the absence will be considered excused and your child will be given the opportunity to make up missed work. Please call your children’s schools and let them know.