By Will Stewart
(Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard, McMinnville, TN)
As fall quickly turns to winter, school system officials urge parents to have plans ready when winter weather strikes.
When severe weather threatens, Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale urges parents to first access local and area media outlets. When the decision is made to call off school, he said he first contacts local radio outlets, followed by the Nashville TV stations, both of which report the news as quickly as possible.
While the decision to call off school is often made before the start of the school day, sometimes it will not happen until after classes have begun. In this scenario, Hale advises parents to stay tuned to media outlets as they will be the first notified.
To prepare for the possibility of school being canceled after the school day has begun, Hale said parents need to have a plan for their children -- a plan which their children should know.
"We want parents to stay tuned and keep informed," said Hale. "They also need to have a plan their children know and be ready to implement it."
Here are some tips for parents on how to stay abreast of school closings on severe weather days:
On days that severe weather is forecast, stay tuned to news broadcasts or call your child's school periodically.
If you have specific instructions for such early closings, be sure to discuss them early in the year with your child's teacher and principal. You may want to leave written instructions at school.
Since it is impossible for every school to call every parent, consider forming a phone circle with a few other parents so if one gets the word, he or she can pass it along to others in the circle.
Have a back-up child care plan for such emergencies. Perhaps your child could go home with another in your phone circle. Ask if your school provides emergency child-care services. If you are a parent and don't work outside the home, consider allowing a few students to come home with your child until their parents can pick them up. Ask neighbors if it would be OK for your child to stay in their home until you can get there.