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ST. CATHARINE SCHOOL

EMERGENCY CLOSING INFORMATION 2022 - 2023

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THIS INFORMATION REGARDING OUR EMERGENCY CLOSING PROCEDURES SHOULD WE HAVE TO CLOSE IN THE MORNING, HAVE A DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING, OR AN EARLY DISMISSAL. THIS PROCESS WILL BE IN EFFECT REGARDLESS OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.

OUR COMMUNICATION TO PARENTS:

• SCHOOL MESSENGER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM ~ THIS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WILL SEND YOU ALERTS VIA PHONE CALLS AND EMAIL MESSAGES TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AN ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION.

• TV & RADIO STATIONS: NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY: CABLEVISION & VERIZON FIOSNEW JERSEY 101.5 (NJ1015.COM), 94.3 THE POINT (943THEPOINT.COM), 92.7 WOBM (WOBM.COM), MY BEACH RADIO.COM, 105.7 THE HAWK (1057THEHAWK.COM), AND CATCOUNTRY96.7/104.1 (CATCOUNTRYJERSEYSHORE.COM)
• PARENT & GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD REFER TO THE AFFILIATED WEBSITES AND APPS. (I.E. NJ 1015.COM, WOBM.COM). EACH STATION ALSO HAS A FREE APP FOR IPHONE & ANDROID.

FULL DAY EMERGENCY CLOSINGS:

• WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO CLOSE SCHOOL DUE TO THE WEATHER OR ANY OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATION, BEFORE THE SCHOOL DAY BEGINS, OUR SCHOOLMESSENGER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL BE ACTIVATED IN THE MORNING AS WELL AS THE ABOVE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION.

DELAYED SCHOOL OPENINGS:

• THE DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING IS UTILIZED AT APPROPRIATE TIMES TO AVOID CLOSING SCHOOL FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DAY, A 90-MINUTE DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING WILL BE ANNOUNCED. OUR SCHOOL MESSENGER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL BE ACTIVATED AS WELL AS THE ABOVE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION.

• AT TIMES, THE DECISION FOR A DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING MAY HAVE TO BE UPGRADED TO A SCHOOL CLOSING. IF THIS SHOULD OCCUR, OUR SCHOOL MESSENGER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL AGAIN BE ACTIVATED WITH THE UPDATE AS WELL AS THE ABOVE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION.

• IF A DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING IS ANNOUNCED ON A SCHEDULED EARLY DISMISSAL DAY, OUR SCHOOL DAY WILL BECOME A REGULAR 2:30 PM DISMISSAL.

EMERGENCY SCHOOL-WIDE EARLY DISMISSAL:
IN THE EVENT WEATHER BECOMES INCLEMENT OR THERE IS A SCHOOL EMERGENCY AND WE MUST CLOSE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, OUR EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IS AS FOLLOWS:

• ADMINISTRATORS & STAFF WILL NOTIFY THE BUS COMPANIES, POLICE, & TV & RADIO STATIONS.
• OUR SCHOOLMESSENGER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL BE ACTIVATED.
• EVERY CHILD WILL THEN BE DISMISSED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN YOU ESTABLISHED WITH YOUR CHILD IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND YOU WROTE ON THE “SCS SCHOOL-WIDE EMERGENCY DISMISSAL” FORM. YOU SHOULD HAVE THE YELLOW PARENT COPY. IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR PLAN, ANYTIME DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, PLEASE SEND IN A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR A NEW FORM, THEN RETURN THE UPDATED FORM TO SCHOOL THE VERY NEXT DAY.
• BUSES WILL RUN AS USUAL
• AFTER THE BUSES LEAVE, THE REMAINDER OF THE CHILDREN WILL BE ESCORTED TO THE GYM BY THEIR TEACHER, PARENTS MUST COME INTO THE SCHOOL (USING THE FRONT DOOR) AND APPROACH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER TO INSURE THAT THE STUDENT WILL GO HOME WITH THE DESIGNATED PERSON AS STATED ON THE SCS SCHOOL-WIDE EMERGENCY DISMISSAL FORM THAT WE HAVE ON FILE.

NO STUDENT WILL BE RELEASED BEFORE THE STATED DISMISSAL TIME.

PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL’S MAIN OFFICE TO TRY TO CHANGE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PROCEDURE ~ WE NEED TO KEEP OUR DISMISSAL PROEDURE AS ORGANIZED AS POSSIBLE AND OUR PHONE LINES OPEN.

LET’S BE PREPARED: IF THE WEATHER LOOKS INTIMIDATING IN THE MORNING, PLEASE REMIND YOUR CHILDREN OF THE ESTABLISHED DISMISSAL PROCEDURE BEFORE THEY LEAVE FOR SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE THE PLAN YOU SUBMITTED TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER.

WE REALIZE THAT DURING EMERGENCIES, YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD, BUT KEEP IN MIND AS ADMINISTRATORS & TEACHERS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL BEING OF EVERY CHILD.