Winter weather reminders 2018

With wintry weather in the forecast once again, the City School District of Albany offers the following tips for families to keep up to date on potential school delays or closings throughout the school year.

Weather-related closings and delays

There are a variety of information sources you can monitor to stay informed about our school district's decisions to close school or shorten the day, or postpone programs and events due to the cold or other factors.

School News Notifier -- Albany SNN -- is an email alert system that also includes a text-messaging option for emergency news such as weather-related closings or delays. SNN allows you to sign up for information in as many as 29 categories. Join the more than 5,600 people already signed up for Albany SNN. When you create your SNN profile, be sure to include your cell phone information and select the "School closings and delays" option among your SNN choices to receive emergency text alerts.

A note for registered SNN users: Please remember to check the account settings on your SNN Profile page periodically to make sure that your email and cell-phone listings are up to date. If you changed your email address, cell carrier or cell number since creating your SNN account and have not updated those settings, you may not receive SNN email or text messages. To update your profile, click on the SNN logo on the home page. The SNN profile page is the first page you come to after logging in to your account. If you forgot your SNN password, please use the Forgot Password option at the bottom of the SNN login page.

Facebook -- Join the more than 5,700 people following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/albanyschools.

Twitter – Join the nearly 1,500 people following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/albanyschools.

Local media -- Announcements about closings, delays and other related news are provided to multiple local media outlets via the School Closings Network. You can find that information at www.timesunion.com and on the following radio and TV stations:

• CBS6 Albany (Ch. 6)
• Spectrum News (Ch. 9)
• WTEN (Ch. 10)
• WNYT (Ch. 13)
• WROW-AM 590
• WGY-AM 810
• WTRY-AM 890
• WFLY-FM 92.3
• WYJB-FM 95.5
• WAJZ-FM 96.3
• WTRY-FM 98.3
• WRVE-FM 99.5
• WKKF-FM 102.3
• WPYX-FM 106.5

CDTA reminders and information

For students who use CDTA buses to get to school in the morning, please remember that your CDTA IDs work on tripper buses (for eligible students) as well as all regular CDTA routes. Bad weather often causes traffic delays that impact buses as well, and CDTA's full network provides flexibility for students.

You can find information about CDTA routes, schedules and much more at www.cdta.org.

Staying warm and safe

It's not just snow that makes a "snow day."

Snow and ice cause most weather-related school closings and delays. But since thousands of students walk to and from school each day in our district, we also closely monitor severe cold and wind chill conditions.

If the temperature drops into the single digits or below zero, or if the wind chill dips below minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, the district may delay school or dismiss early. Wind chills of minus 40 degrees are considered dangerous and a medical reason to close school and suspend outdoor activity, including interscholastic outdoor sports.

Parents and guardians, do your best to see that children are properly clothed and not allowed to remain outdoors in extreme weather conditions, which include temperatures in the single digits or below and wind chills of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Monitor the weather and attempt to dress your children appropriately to go outside.

Also, discuss the following information with your children:

• Children who go outside in extreme weather must tell an adult if they feel cold, if they feel pain or numbness, if they see a color change in any part of their body or if their boots and gloves get wet. If this happens at school, the child should see the nurse to be warmed, given dry clothing and evaluated for frostbite.
• Children should be instructed not to remain outdoors for longer than five minutes in extreme temperatures, and should know to come in sooner if they are cold, feeling pain or numbness in their hands, feet, ears or noses, or if their clothing, especially boots or gloves, becomes wet.

Parents and guardians should avoid leaving a child completely unattended outside before pick-up and should discuss with the child what to do in an emergency or bus delay if the adult already has left for work. If required, it is crucial that your child has a safe and warm alternative while waiting for the bus.

The mission of the City School District of Albany is to work in partnership with our diverse community to engage every learner in a robust educational program designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for success. The district serves about 9,500 students in 18 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.