Western Springs School District 101

Please note that when communicating to parents regarding an emergency or a winter closing, parents will receive information in all of the ways that they put into PowerSchool.

In the event of an emergency the first decision is whether the students may remain at the school. If an evacuation is required, the students will be moved to a pre-determined location based on their home school. Otherwise, students will either be in the classrooms or the gym, depending on the nature of the emergency.

The principal or designee will send a message to all after there has been sufficient time to assess the situation and communicate accurate information.

If the nature of the emergency requires students to be picked up from school or the church, only the child's parent/guardian may do so. Staff members may accept verbal approval over a phone from a parent for their child to be picked up by another parent; please remember that depending on the situation, staff members may need to address other tasks first.

When parents or approved designees arrive to pick up their child, they will be asked to wait until their child is brought to them. This procedure prevents confusion and allows staff members to document that the child was picked up.

In general, during an emergency our priority is to ensure the safety of the students, and then to contact parents in the event that they need to pick up their child. 

When considering school delays or closures due to weather, we prioritize several key factors to ensure the safety of our students and staff. These include:

• The safety of students who rely on bus or car transportation to get to and from school

• The safety of staff members who commute by car

• The safety of students who walk to school

• The ability of our maintenance and custodial teams to clear sidewalks and parking lots

Another major consideration is wind chill. For students waiting for buses or walking to and from school, extreme cold is always a concern. As in past years, we will consider closing schools when sustained wind chill temperatures approach 25 degrees below zero.

On snowy, icy, or extremely cold mornings, the Lyons Township superintendents stay in close communication with each other, as well as our bus companies, to determine whether or not schools in the Township should be closed. The outcome is typically a joint decision, made and communicated generally before 6:15 AM. In keeping with District 101’s tradition, we will always strive to keep school in session unless safety dictates otherwise.

Although remote learning days are an option, we intend to use them sparingly in lieu of a traditional “snow day.” As such, we will only utilize this option when qualitative conditions lead us to believe that it is the best choice. Some of these considerations may include:

• advanced notice of an incoming “weather event,”

• the likelihood for the need for multiple days away from traditional in-person school due to blizzard conditions or extreme cold, and/or

• negative implications/impact of adding day(s) to the end of the school calendar, as required, to make up missed days.

Because our younger students (K-2) do not typically bring their district-issued devices home, in addition to reviewing and practicing logging in for an e-learning day at school, students will also practice bringing their devices home, particularly when the forecast indicates a possibility of a “weather event.” This does not mean that an e-learning day will automatically occur. We will provide clear, proactive communication, to the extent possible, before moving forward with an e-learning day.

When schools are delayed or closed, we will notify local TV and radio stations through the Emergency Closing Center. Be sure to look for “Cook County District 101” (and not Batavia District 101 in Kane County) when checking for updates. You can also access school closure information through www.emergencyclosings.com, or via our district website at wsd101.org. The district website is typically the first to be updated with closure information. In addition, we will continue to use our emergency notification system to contact families via email, text, and/or phone call, depending on the contact information provided in PowerSchool.

Finally, we want to emphasize that you, as parents, always have the final say in whether your child attends school during inclement weather. If you feel that the journey to school is not safe, we encourage you to make the decision that is best for your family. Weather-related absences will be excused.