Waiting to hear if February 13 will be Snow Day #3

Tuesday, February 12, 2019 [Evening] ~ WEST SHORE & SOOKE.

UPDATE: 6:20 am February 13 – yes, today is “Snow Day #3”. SD62 has made that call based on snowy/icy road conditions.

~ West Shore Voice News

Will Wednesday, February 13 be Snow Day #3 in the west shore and Sooke, consecutively on the heels of SD62 schools being closed Monday and Tuesday?

That decision will come from SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson by 6:30 am on the day. That will come on Twitter at @SD62_Sooke and the www.sd62.bc.ca website (which doesn’t always hold up under the sudden deluge of visits).

Some parents are saying that’s not enough notice. The novelty and energy for which planning around usual routines is wearing thin. Monday was exciting for knocking routine off kilter, but today the impact of missing work, school, business commitments and appointments for health and family was starting to sink in.

“It’s unusual to have two snow days in a row,” said Stinson on Monday evening, right after he announced Tuesday as a day where schools and school offices would be closed. Given the amount of snow falling tonight, he wanted to give parents and staff enough notice.

Environment Canada’s snowfall forecasts are not as intense as they were for Monday and Tuesday.  For the most part, municipalities have had a chance to clear major roadways and secondary transportation routes.

Stinson said the school district needed Tuesday to clear access to schools including parking lot clearing.

The Sooke School District SD62 serves Langford, Colwood, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and Juan de Fuca areas and some parts of View Royal. There are 24 regular schools in SD62 plus the Westshore Centre for Learning & Training campuses (one in each of Langford, Colwood and Sooke).

Declaring a snow day (i.e. schools closed or classes not in session) is not taken lightly. The school district realizes that parents often must get to work and also may not be able to find child care for any children that cannot get to school. Teachers and facilities staff as well as bus drivers must be advised in a timely manner.

Employers, businesses and other services are also affected by snow days, when employees cannot get to work or arrive late. A range of services to the public can be affected.

“A snow day is typically not called until morning,” Stinson said on Monday evening. The decision requires an early morning out on the road with the transportation director, facilities director and some bus drivers at 4:30 am to assess the road conditions, in time for a 6 am snow day announcement.

Losing two days (and now possibly three) of instruction time can impact the classroom upon return. In particular, high school students (now in Semester #2 of the 2018-2019 academic year) will see their teachers adjusting lessons accordingly, says Stinson. “Teachers will do a little extra work to make sure students are ready for exams.” Stinson said.

Some academic course material can be advanced by email and online with high school students when the regular classroom is not available.

The Sooke School District SD62 can be followed on Twitter @SD62_Sooke  hashtag #sd62

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Related articles:

Snow Day #2 was called the night before for Tuesday, February 12

Heavy snowfall Monday night February 11 into Tuesday

On Sunday night, SD62 waited to decide about Monday February 11 being a Snow Day