South Park School District

The South Park School District is providing this update to families and staff outlining our delay and closure procedures in the event of hazardous driving conditions or extreme cold. With the ability of teachers to teach remotely and students to learn remotely, traditional “snow days” will look different. This also means the district will not likely need to use as many, if any, snow make-up days later in the school year. 

The determination of whether to delay school or close buildings will be made as early as possible. Early dismissals will be called only in the most extreme emergencies. 

When school is delayed or buildings are closed, the district will make an automated phone call and send an email notification through SchoolMessenger. Please understand that it can take at least a half hour before all automated phone calls are made. The success of the SchoolMessenger system in contacting families depends on accurate contact information in the district’s database. If your contact information has recently changed or you would like to change your primary phone number, please call your child’s school office. If you have not received any phone calls or emails from the district so far this school year, please contact your child’s school office as soon as possible so we can look into that issue.

Should weather conditions necessitate a building closure, there are two possible options. The district’s announcement will outline whether:

CLOSURE OPTION 1: The district will transition to remote learning for all students on a two-hour delay schedule

-or-

CLOSURE OPTION 2: cancel all classes with no remote learning.

CLOSURE OPTION 1: REMOTE LEARNING ON TWO-HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE

In most instances when district buildings are closed due to inclement weather or another emergency situation (not related to COVID-19), the district will utilize remote learning on a two-hour delay schedule. On a remote learning day, students will not report to school but will participate in synchronous (students and teachers are online at the same time, engaged in instruction and learning) or asynchronous (students complete assignments independently) learning. Teachers will communicate specific remote instruction procedures with their students/families via Canvas and/or email. These instructions will include whether that teacher’s class that day will be synchronous or asynchronous.

On remote learning days due to inclement weather or another emergency situation (not related to COVID-19), remote learning will take place on the school’s two-hour delay schedule. This will allow our teachers and students to better prepare for the school day.

Again, any live instruction, assignments, announcements or other instructional materials will be available via Canvas. Our teachers have worked with students since the beginning of the year to review what remote learning days will look like in their classes. Students should be familiar with where they will find links to live instruction, assignments and activities on Canvas.

Teachers will be available to answer questions via email and Canvas during the school day on all remote learning days.

Students will also be required to complete a virtual attendance form on a remote learning day. Links to all homeroom teachers’ forms can be found by clicking here. High school students must complete the form no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 9:30 a.m. Middle school students must complete the form no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and no later than 10 a.m. Elementary center students must complete the form no earlier than 10:30 a.m. and no later than 11 a.m. (Please note these reporting times are adjusted to adhere to a two-hour delay schedule).

If inclement weather conditions result in power outages or other conditions which limit or prohibit a student from participating in remote learning, the student or the student’s parent/guardian should notify the teacher(s) as soon as possible about the inability to access remote learning. The student will have the number of school days of remote learning to complete any remote learning day assignments. (For instance, if one remote learning day is called on a Tuesday, students will have one school day to complete the assignments. Therefore, the work would be due on Thursday.)
All questions about remote learning can be directed to your child’s building principal.

CLOSURE OPTION 2: DISTRICT CLOSED WITH NO REMOTE LEARNING In the event remote learning is not feasible due to widespread power outages or other hazardous conditions, the district will close with no remote learning scheduled. The closure message will state that no remote learning will take place on that day. A make-up day will be scheduled on one of the remaining built-in days on the district’s 2021-2022 school year calendar. The remaining possible make-up days are April 14 and May 13.