11. Snow days in the south

11. Snow Days in the South

This we believe (NMSA, 2010)

* The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

The Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE) provides educators with a document that illustrates sixteen characteristics of exemplary middle schools. This post reflects the eleventh characteristic and is found under the heading of culture and community.

     

For those of you who do not live in the south, snow and ice are particularly hazardous for school buses. Over the years, I have heard people complain about calling school off, or ridiculing a decision for closing schools based on expected weather patterns, when Mother Nature shifts and the day is sunny. (Those decisions do not happen often, but the laws of probability reign.)

We live in a region of windy (curvy not blowy), hilly roads and wooded terrain. Superintendents, chancellors, presidents, and other leaders often have to make decisions using the best evidence and advice from safety personnel and weather people. In the past month our children have missed five and a half days of school due to inclement weather. And while there are days built into our calendar as weather days, days missed are to be considered.

Prior to Internet and robo-calling techniques, people relied on the radio, television, and dialing the weather hotline. Today, and every weather day, we receive the news directly from our Superintendent on the website, through phone and email messaging, as well as in traditional formats. Yesterday he shared a little insight into the complexity of making the decision. Part of his excerpt follows.

Good Evening, please stay on the phone and listen. 
Ice is here but pretty soon will be missing.
Weather decisions don’t come lightly.
We monitor roads both daily and nightly.
Will it ever stop? You know so.
Temperatures rise and ice goes.
Winter extremes… I watch forecasts like a vandal,
and Light up your phones like a big Roman candle.

In a follow up conversation, our Superintendent also shared the following:

A couple of other points to consider when making a weather decision is morning visibility for buses and having inexperienced student drivers out on the roads.  A county's various elevations and topography also play a huge role.  When it comes to making a decision for staff, I always try to consider our folks who commute longer distances, especially those who live in western and have to traverse Old Fort Mountain.

Ultimately, the safety of our children trumps any other decision. We would much rather make a wrong call by canceling schools than make a call that results in danger to our children and staff. Welcome Snow Day! So next time someone ridicules a decision when they think the call was off, remind them that nothing can replace the safety of our children, ever!

Advice

1)   If snow is expected be sure and take your lesson planning and grade book home.

2)   On the first snow day, kick back for the morning, then cozy up to lesson planning or analyzing your students with a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. (We have a parent night Thursday. My plan is to give parents a sheet of paper with their MAP scores (This is a Benchmark document.), their work ethic in class and a breakdown of their current grade.)

3)   March, the month, is labeled “Month of the Middle School.” Consider discussing plans to celebrate middle school!

4)   Today is a teacher workday. I co-teach an inclusion class. My teammate and I are planning a geometry unit, and we are going to go out to lunch! (Note: on Teacher Workdays, make it a point to go to lunch with your colleagues! This builds camaraderie and is good for the spirit! Trust me on this one.)

5)   Finally, make sure you are ready for your students to come back a little wound up. (Our students basically had a four day weekend.) Consider regrouping students, giving them something hands-on to work on, and a perhaps a little more structure when they get back! (:

6)   PS: I love snow days!!!! (: Yipeee.