School Closings for Tuesday, February 3

[Admin]

Charles County Public Schools are closed on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004. There is a code 2 for employees. The math inservice scheduled for Feb. 3 at the Career and Technology Center has been cancelled and rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 4 starting at 7:30 a.m. in the Central Office Board Room.

This information will be updated throughout the day. E-Mail closing info to webmaster@somd.com.

 

[Admin]

Calvert County Public Schools are on a two hour delayed opening today, Tuesday, February 3, 2003. Employees are on a Code Yellow.

 

[Admin]

All St. Mary's County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, February 3, 2004. Employees are on a Code 4. Code 4 means emergency personnel report on time for work; twelve-month employees report to work (liberal leave in effect); ten and eleven-month employees do not report.

 

[huntr1]

From CCPS website

Calvert County Public Schools Are Closed
Calvert County Public Schools are closed today, Tuesday, February 3, 2004. Employee are on Code Yellow.

 

[Dymphna]

It's RAINING. The NWS site says it's 34 degrees at PAX. I can understand a delay, maybe because it may have been a little icy earlier but COME ON!

 

[Sharon]

It's barely raining where I am (Calvert) and it's 38*. I can't believe they cancelled school.

 

[Elle]

I too think it was a little premature to cancel schools today but at the same time my child is my biggest investment and his safety is always number 1. I truly feel sorry for the school systems in this area. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t, look at all the criticism they received last year for not closing when we got bad weather.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by kwillia
Exactly... It's a lose/lose situation for them... St. Mary's Countian's also have to keep in mind the the northern end of our county could be at or below the freezing level even if those of us farther south are above freezing. I'm sure other counties are the same way...

I'm in the Northern end of St M's. It wasn't even raining here when I got up at 6am. By the time it did start raining, It was above freezing. They always have the option of declaring a "2-hr delay" in order to buy time for the real decision to close or not.

 

[Elle]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
They always have the option of declaring a "2-hr delay" in order to buy time for the real decision to close or not.

I can't stand it when they have a 2 hour delay and then change it to closing. I'm lucky as in hubby is home in the morning and then my mom babysits in the afternoon but it really makes it hard on most parents to find childcare when they do that.

 

[yardsalequeen]

It makes me crazy that the schools say that safety is their #1 Priority - meanwhile I see school buses speeding down my street as if they are in training for the Indy 500 and rolling thru stop signs. Also, the first day of school this year (at Pax Elementary) my child came home with a loop of yarn around his neck with a tag listing his bus # etc - an obvious choking hazard.

I wish some of these school admistrators would see how other states deal with snow and school closings. My nieces in NY can get 10" of snow and still have school.

As far as school closings, it's like all 3 counties are afraid of doing something that the other county is doing (or isn't doing). So if one county decides to close, the others feel they have to do the same.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by tys_mommy
I can't stand it when they have a 2 hour delay and then change it to closing. I'm lucky as in hubby is home in the morning and then my mom babysits in the afternoon but it really makes it hard on most parents to find childcare when they do that.

I don't understand how it is any different then having to find child care for a 2-hr delay that doesn't close schools or schools being closed from the start. You still either have to make child care arrangements different from normal, or take off work, part or all day.

 

[Elle]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
I don't understand how it is any different then having to find child care for a 2-hr delay that doesn't close schools or schools being closed from the start. You still either have to make child care arrangements different from normal, or take off work, part or all day.

So as a daycare provider you charge the same amount for 2 hours as you do for 8? And if you only have one child in day care and the other at school during the day what do you do with the one in school, can't send them to the day care too, over crowded, and if you stay home with both you still have to pay the daycare b/c it was your choice your child stayed home. Most of my meetings are in the afternoon, I can miss 2 hours early in the day and not worry about cancelations but if it changes to me staying home all day after those 2 hours then I have to look unprofessional and make cancelations at the last minute.

Like I said, this isn't a problem for me but it is for my coworkers.

 

[billydog]

It has to be a difficult call about school delays/closings. Especially since some schools such as Esperanza Middle in St. Mary's start at 7:15 am. Some kids get on the bus as early as 6:20am, so the decision has to be made really early.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by tys_mommy
So as a daycare provider you charge the same amount for 2 hours as you do for 8? And if you only have one child in day care and the other at school during the day what do you do with the one in school, can't send them to the day care too, over crowded, and if you stay home with both you still have to pay the daycare b/c it was your choice your child stayed home. Most of my meetings are in the afternoon, I can miss 2 hours early in the day and not worry about cancelations but if it changes to me staying home all day after those 2 hours then I have to look unprofessional and make cancelations at the last minute.

Like I said, this isn't a problem for me but it is for my coworkers.

I agree, depending on your situation, it may be impossible to find child care if they close schools. But you said:

I can't stand it when they have a 2 hour delay and then change it to closing. ... it really makes it hard on most parents to find childcare when they do that.

and I said:

I don't understand how it is any different then having to find child care for a 2-hr delay that doesn't close schools or schools being closed from the start. You still either have to make child care arrangements different from normal, or take off work, part or all day.

If they close schools for 2 hrs, then the kids get on the bus, many parents have to go to work late or if they commute to DC, many have to take off all together. If they close schools completely, many parents have to take off. It's all a problem, that parents have to resolve, but how is it a BIGGER problem for the schools to announce a delay, then change their minds and make it a closing?

 

[SuperGrover]

Back to the earlier comment....


Damned if you do, and damned if you don't!


Just be glad that a decision was made, whether you agree with it or not. Surely nobody wants a repeat of what happened in DC last year with the indecisiveness.

 

[Kizzy]

When the school closes, it is such a huge hassle. My oldest son can stay home with grandma, but my youngest is a handful. Today, I came to work at 6 and will leave at 1-1:30 just in time for the hubby to dash out the door. I am lucky in the fact that I can work my hours around daycare issues. I could even go in at 11 at night and work until 7 in the morning.

I wish some of these school admistrators would see how other states deal with snow and school closings. My nieces in NY can get 10" of snow and still have school.

Exactly. I have relatives that live in Pittsburgh & Erie PA that think that our school closures are a joke. I wonder if the school system has ever considered just canceling bus services to/from school on bad weather days and making the parents responsible for transportation? I'd drop their butts off, no problem.

 

[Elle]

Originally posted by IM4Change
I wonder if the school system has ever considered just canceling bus services to/from school on bad weather days and making the parents responsible for transportation? I'd drop their butts off, no problem.

That would be a great idea but then the welfare mommas would need to be given a car allowance too so they could afford school transportation.

 

[Kizzy]

Originally posted by tys_mommy
That would be a great idea but then the welfare mommas would need to be given a car allowance too so they could afford school transportation.

Yea, how insensitive of me.

 

[Gunn317]

Move North for a Better Education

I wish some of these school admistrators would see how other states deal with snow and school closings. My nieces in NY can get 10" of snow and still have school. ]

Exactly. I have relatives that live in Pittsburgh & Erie PA that think that our school closures are a joke.

Looks like I'm going to have to pack up and leave in 3 years if I want my children to have a good education in this country. This area is a joke. I bet Buffalo kids don't miss this much school in a year!

I'm originally from the snowbelt region of the Great Lakes. When I was in school the hard and fast rule to look forward to was we had to have 6" of snow by the morning to get school cancelled. Yea, 6 INCHES (not point 6 inches). I remember going out early with my ruler and turning on the radio, hoping and praying. And if it was ice and sleet, don't worry about it; thats what salt trucks are for. By bustime, those roads would be wet...and I lived in a rural area.

Here, all the kids have to do in the months of October - April is pray for rain! And then look at how screwed up the day becomes for the parents.

Every season here it frustrates me and my wife; and my two kids are still too young....

 

[Elle]

Re: Move North for a Better Education

Originally posted by Gunn317
Looks like I'm going to have to pack up and leave in 3 years if I want my children to have a good education in this country. This area is a joke. I bet Buffalo kids don't miss this much school in a year!

The kids here will make it up in the summer; they have 5 snow days built in to the schedule that they don't have to make up but the rest they will be sweating it out come June.