As we move into December, I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts about weather emergency procedures and potential closings, delays and early dismissal.
Having navigated many weather emergencies during my long career, I can tell you that each event has its own ‘personality’ and we do our best to handle the situation appropriately; student safety is always our main concern, as well as communicating effectively with the school community.
Please make sure to monitor our official communication portals: SchoolMessenger and the School District Website. Make sure your profile is up to date in SchoolMessenger. Our Bristol Township Social Media feeds (Twitter: @BristolTwpSD Facebook:bristoltownshipschooldistrict) are designed more for public relations news, but we will use it to communicate weather-related information. Always confirm with the official communication portals, as social media outlets can be easily manipulated.
We have a Weather Emergency Team which assembles during these events. This team consists of key Bristol Township administrative, facilities and technology/communications staff. During a typical overnight weather event, we will begin our work at 4:30AM, consulting with other school administrators and local authorities about weather and road conditions. We like to make our decision at about 5:00AM and begin communicating that decision to the community at about 5:30AM through our official communication portals. I realize that it is early in the morning to receive phone calls; however, the high school begins at 7:06AM and we have many employees who have significant commutes.
A 2-hour ‘delayed opening’ will be called if there is a strong belief that weather and travel conditions will improve significantly throughout the morning. We like to make ‘delayed opening’ announcements as soon as possible, as we know that it has a big impact on a working family’s morning arrangements. We really strive to avoid ‘early dismissals’ as we recognize that it is not an ideal situation to have students coming home before their parents, but sometimes, especially in rapidly-deteriorating conditions when it looks like things will be far worse at the regular school ending, it is unavoidable.
For the 23-24 school year, the Bristol Township School District has built two “snow days” into the school calendar. That means we can have two days off with no instructional responsibilities for students and certified teaching staff. If we make the decision to use a “snow day,” this will be clearly communicated to the school community.
The Bristol Township School District also has received permission from the Department of Education to have 5 Remote Learning Days that will count toward the 180-day mandated minimum of school. That gives us the flexibility to switch to a Remote Learning Day if we believe it to be appropriate. Again, that will be clearly stated to the school community in our weather emergency communication.
This is what a Remote Learning Day will look like for your child:
Elementary Level:
- Students in our specialized programs will be provided with assignments that will continue to build on the skills they are working on in class. Their case managers will be available during the school day to provide assistance and help.
Synchronous and Asynchronous
Homeroom & Morning Meeting
Synchronous (Class Meets Together Virtually)
One hour scheduled by the teacher and posted on Google Classroom
(Possible times - Should be at least an hour and will be communicated by the teacher)
9:15 - 10:15 AM for Kindergarten and First Grade
10:00 - 11:00 AM for Second and Third Grade
10:30 - 11:30 AM for Fourth and Fifth Grade
Reading/Writing/Math/Science/Social Studies, Specials
Asynchronous during the day
Assignments will be posted for each subject area scheduled for that day. Assignments are intended to be learning experiences directly aligned with topics students have been working on. Special teachers have their own Seesaw pages.
Closing Meeting for the day
Synchronous (Class Meets Together Virtually)
3:00-3:15 PM for Kindergarten and First Grade
3:15-3:30 PM for Second and Third Grade
3:30 -3:45 PM for Fourth and Fifth Grade
Link to Elementary Remote Learning Overview: (Click here)
Secondary Level (MS/HS):
- Schedule is asynchronous
- Attendance must be completed by 10AM (via Google Form) to be counted as present for the day
- The assignment will be placed in Canvas by the teacher
- Teachers are expected to be available during the regular school day hours
- Students in our specialized programs will be provided with assignments that will continue to build on the skills they are working on in class. Their case managers will be available during the school day to provide assistance and help.
Link to Secondary Remote Learning Day Overview: (Click here)
Remember, on a Remote Learning Day, make sure students have a quiet place to work, all their materials are available, and their device is fully charged and ready to go.
A reminder to always follow our communication channels for updates and drive safely in winter weather!
Sincerely,
Michael Nitti
Superintendent