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Dear Parent/Guardian:
The cold weather has arrived. Please help us keep children safe and
comfortable during the winter by sending them to school prepared to learn and
play outdoors with jackets, hats, and gloves.
Dressing in layers is also encouraged as we know that temperatures
inside our building may differ from those outside. To make sure students keep track of these
extra items it is a good idea to label your student’s clothing.
Even during these wintery months we value recess as an
important part of our students’ daily lives and our intention is to hold recess
outside. Fresh air, running and outdoor
play allows for a break in the structure of the day and helps students to
release energy and come back in to the classroom with better focus. With this in mind we do recognize that during
this time of year we often have to consider a number of factors related to
student activity outdoors. We look
beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether
the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared
to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are
participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. Deciding on when students may play outside
remains the responsibility of the principal, with two exceptions:
- During a National Weather Service (NWS) issued
Wind Chill Advisory outdoor activity should be limited to no more than fifteen
(15) minutes.
- During a NWS Wind Chill Warning outdoor
activities are not permitted. Outdoor
activity includes: general and physical education classes, recess and scheduled
fire drills. This does not include
students walking to and from school, students waiting at bus stops, student
patrols or staff related outdoor duties before, during, or after the school day. All staff and students shall exit the
building during an activation of the fire alarm system.
Thank you
for sending your children prepared for outdoor recess. Should you need any assistance getting
jackets, gloves, or hats please let your child’s teacher know or contact our
parent liaison, Mrs. Rodriguez, at (703) 329-2177.
Sincerely,
Tim Slayter
Principal
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