Weather
The safety, health and welfare of students and staff of Sunrise School Division is important to the Board of Trustees. The decision to close schools and/or cancel bus operations due to inclement weather conditions that may threaten the safety, health or welfare of students shall rest with the Superintendent/CEO.
The majority of Sunrise School Division students use division transportation to get to and from school. This factor, along with others identified in this procedure, will be considered when making decisions regarding school closures due to inclement weather conditions.
School Closures
In the event of inclement weather, the Superintendent/CEO, or designate, in consultation with the Transportation Manager and Secretary-Treasurer, may decide to close schools. Inclement weather may include:
- Hazardous road conditions due to reduced visibility
- Hazardous road conditions due to ice or snow-covered roads
- Hazardous road conditions due to snowfall accumulations or drifting
- Extremely cold weather conditions
Road conditions and/or cold weather are the two factors impacting school closure decisions. The decision to cancel school bus operations and close schools for the Division will be made considering the information below.
If there are deteriorating weather conditions throughout the day, the Division may decide to cancel end of day school bus operations and require families to pick up students at the school.
Road Conditions
When inclement weather creates potentially hazardous road conditions, the following information will be used to make a decision on bus operations and school closures.
- First-hand observations of road conditions by Divisional staff made the morning of the potential closure
- Information on highway and road conditions provided on Manitoba511.ca
- Information shared by municipalities
- Information shared by neighboring school divisions
When considering school closures for road conditions, efforts will be made to make a decision prior to 6:00 am and begin to communicate with families. However, families must always be prepared for a later decision and communication in extenuating circumstances.
Cold Weather
When temperatures reach either -35 degrees Celsius without windchill, or -45 degrees Celsius with windchill, the cancellation of school bus operations and the closure of schools will be considered. Temperature information will be gathered from Environment Canada and observed at the following locations (which are the are the locations most geographically relevant to Sunrise School Division):
- Great Falls
- Pinawa
- Winnipeg – Winnipeg Richardson International Airport
The identified temperature thresholds will not be used as absolutes for determining school bus operations and school closures. Additional criteria such as temperature variability across the school division and forecasted temperatures for later in the morning will be considered.
When considering school closures for cold weather, efforts will be made to make a decision by 6:10 am and begin communication with families. It is a usual practice of Environment Canada to update temperature and weather conditions a few minutes after each hour.
School Closure Communication
When the Division cancels school bus operations and closes schools, the decision will be communicated in the following ways:
· By automated telephone call to Sunrise students’ families and Sunrise employees
· By automated email to Sunrise students’ families and Sunrise employees
· Posted to the Sunrise School Division and school websites
· Posted to social media used by Sunrise School Division
· Notification to media outlets
Learning Expectations for Students
When schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no additional learning requirements for students and no remote teaching. Subject to the availability of home internet of both the family and the teacher, students may try and reach out to teachers through Teams or email if they have questions.
Each year schools will make available to students and families a variety of optional learning opportunities for students to engage in when schools are closed.
Individual Route Cancellations
The Transportation Manager has the authority to cancel bus operations on individual routes due to unsafe conditions that put the safety, health or welfare of students at risk.
Families will be notified of the individual route cancellation by a phone call from the Transportation Department.
Evening Activities and Evening Staff
When schools are closed for the day, all evening, outside user group, and extra-curricular activities will be cancelled.
When weather conditions deteriorate throughout the evening, the Superintendent/CEO, in consultation with the Maintenance Manager, may decide to close schools so evening staff may travel home safely.
Expectations for Staff on School Closure Days
When schools are closed due to inclement weather staff are expected to work from home to the best of their ability. There will be staff who are identified as having specific responsibilities on these days who will be required to attend their regular worksite. School principals and department managers will communicate work from home expectations to their staff.
Nothing in this procedure prohibits the Superintendent/CEO from closing schools or cancelling bus operations in whole or in part due to other unforeseen circumstances.
Cold Weather and Recess
There will be days on which schools are open and yet temperatures are still cold. Students are to stay inside if temperatures exceed -28 degrees Celsius with or without the wind chill. The principal will make the final decision to keep students inside. We ask that you always dress your child appropriately for the weather.