Dear Shorewood Families,
With the weather getting colder, it's important to reiterate the District's inclement weather school closing procedures (which are also located on the District website under the Parent/Students tab), and the inclement weather makeup schedule. Safety of our students and employees is at the foundation of these decisions.
School Closing Procedures
When determining whether a snowstorm closure is necessary, the Shorewood School District monitors the estimated snow accumulation and the timing of the storm through the National Weather Service. If the District is considering closing school due to bitter cold and wind chill, it will do so if the National Weather Service changes a wind chill advisory to a wind chill warning (at -35 degrees). In the event that the inclement weather occurs outside of school hours, the North Shore school superintendents conduct an early morning conference call (typically conducted between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.) to compare information and to determine the impact on the snowfall in each local community.
In the event that the inclement weather occurs during school hours, the North Shore school superintendents conduct an immediate conference call to compare information and determine the impact of the snowfall in each local community.
Ultimately, the decision to close the schools or to dismiss students early in the event of existing or predicted hazardous weather is determined by the Shorewood District Administrative team. When school is closed or dismissed early due to weather, school district-sponsored activities, athletics, and Shorewood Recreation Department activities are also canceled.*
*If school is in session all day and inclement weather is forecasted for the afternoon and/or evening, the Recreation Department and the District Admin team will make decisions on the closures of after school/evening activities by approximately 2 p.m.
Please note the following:
- The decision will always be made to ensure the safety of the Shorewood School District's students, parents, and staff.
- When possible, the decision to close school will be made by 5:30 a.m., and to dismiss early by 11:30 a.m.
- The District will use the Infinite Campus communication system to contact families. In addition, the District will also post the school closure information on its website and social media pages.
- The following radio and TV stations will be notified and asked to announce the closures: TV Channels 4, 6, 12, and 58, WISN (1130 AM), WTMJ (620 AM)
- Parents/guardians should be certain that their children are properly clothed, instructed, and otherwise prepared for weather emergencies. If you will not be at home, please have an alternate safe location arranged. Listen to radio and TV reports during times of severe weather.
- If parents/guardians disagree with a District decision to hold school on a bad weather day because they think it is unsafe, they are urged to keep their students at home. Likewise, if a parent/guardian becomes uncomfortable with the weather conditions throughout the day during a bad weather day, we encourage the parent/guardian to make the necessary arrangements to pick up the student(s). In either situation, the students will be marked as excused as long as the school receives a phone call from the parent/guardian citing "inclement weather conditions."
What might appear to be a simple decision involves the consideration of many different factors, and the decision to cancel school is only reached after seeking the counsel of many sources. The District's first priority is to ensure the safety of Shorewood students, parents, and staff.
Inclement Weather Makeup Schedule
There are two additional days of instruction built into the school calendar as well as two inclement weather makeup days. This means that if we have one or two days of missed school due to inclement weather, we do not need to make those days up. Should the District have to cancel a third day of school due to inclement weather, students and staff will make up this instructional time on the designated snow make-up day on Friday, May 26. In the event that the District has to cancel a fourth day of school due to inclement weather, schools will make up that instructional time on Friday, April 21. Further communication about inclement weather days will be shared as needed.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Warmly,
Dr. JoAnn Sternke
Interim Superintendent, Shorewood School District