Park School’s Inclement Weather Procedures
Our primary concern is always for the safety of our students, families, and staff. Therefore, in the event of inclement weather, households should make the final decision about coming to school or staying in school when road travel may be challenging.
If you have any concern that it is not safe for you or your child to be on the road, please do not hesitate to stay home/keep your child home. We encourage parents of student drivers to be particularly mindful of road conditions. When faced with the decision whether to send your child to school on inclement weather days, please know that the school will support your choice and will not strictly apply the absence policy.
Assessments of the weather, the weather forecast, and road conditions all factor into the school’s decision to delay opening or to close school. These assessments take place across a broad geographical area, and conditions in your neighborhood or on your route to/from school may differ from the rest of the region. Please use all of the information available to you prior to making the decision to come to campus. Stay safe!
In inclement weather, use extra caution while driving to, from, and on campus. Follow carpool procedures and any additional instructions provided by Park staff or the traffic officer positioned at Old Court Road. And please be patient when encountering delays.
Snow Days
Note: We have three snow days built in to our school calendar; and we will take snow days when needed to prioritize safety on roadways. Were we to have a particularly harsh winter and need more than three days of closure, please know that we are required to make up those dates.
School Closure/Delay/Early Dismissal Notification
We aim to provide closing/delay confirmation by 6 a.m., but always check texts/emails/website prior to departing for school on days with inclement weather.
Text Message
In the event of delayed openings, early dismissals, or school closures, the school will send a text message to the parent/guardian SMS-enabled mobile phone numbers we have listed in Veracross.
An email will be sent to parent/guardian primary addresses. (Please make sure Veracross reflects your correct email address.) Emails will also be sent to Upper School students.
Website
Information will be posted on Park’s website www.parkschool.net. (To be sure you see the most up-to-date information, refresh the page after accessing the site.)
Weather Line
A recorded announcement will be available on the Park School weather line, 410.339.4141.
Media Outlets
In the case of snow, school closing and delayed opening announcements are requested to appear on WBAL-TV, WJZ, and ABC2 News.
For instances when the school is affected in some way that is not widely broadcast (for example, a water main break on Old Court Road or a downed power line in the vicinity of campus), we will send a text message and an email, and post a message to our website. The same is true in the unlikely event of an early school closure.
Drop-off in the Event of a Delayed Opening
For a one-hour delay, students may be dropped off from 9 a.m. on, with classes beginning at 9:30 a.m. For a two-hour delay, students may be dropped off from 10 a.m. on, with classes beginning at 10:30 a.m. Please do not arrive on campus prior to the designated time in order to allow our Facilities team the best opportunity to prepare roadways and walkways.
Weather Developments During the Day
In general, if inclement weather develops during the day, the school will remain open. Parents may pick up their children early, but must inform the appropriate division office.
In the event we need to dismiss early or cancel afternoon/evening activities, we will notify families as soon as possible. Families should display their child’s name/grade placard on their dashboard upon arrival to campus; and siblings will be picked up at the youngest child’s location.
A parent or guardian must phone or email the Upper School office to grant permission for a child to drive home if the school is closing early due to inclement weather.
After-School and Evening Activities
Please be aware of the potential cancelation of afternoon activities. In the event of cancelation of after-school activities, students’ pick-up times shift to the end of the school day and parents/guardians should pick up their children as close to the end of school as possible. Children will be supervised by an adult staff member until they are picked up — please, though, try to get to campus in a timely manner so our supervising staff members can get home safely, as well.
Bus Service
Families that use Park buses will be notified through our text alert system and email if the morning or afternoon service is canceled. If Park opens late, buses will operate on the delayed schedule. If a given stop is temporarily suspended due to road conditions, parents will be notified of a community stop to meet the bus.
