Emergency Closing Information

EARLY CLOSINGS

Please review information below so that you will be prepared in case of inclement weather or other unexpected early dismissal.

We cannot stress enough the importance of your child knowing before coming to school how he or she will go home each day and especially for emergency closings. Any change in normal transportation home should be sent to the homeroom teacher in writing that morning. Each child should know whether to:
1. Go home on the bus (child should know the family plan), or
2. Wait at school for parent to pick up, or
3. Go to CARES (only if prearranged).
We need to emphasize that our most important request is that you do not call school. It is critical that phone lines be available for communication with school districts that bus our students and other emergency contacts. Because our primary concern, at all times, is the safety and security of 480 students and 325 families, it is impossible to be attentive to individual last minute requests. As is our usual policy for the safety of your child, emails, phone calls or faxes from parents making changes during the day cannot be accepted. This policy will be strictly adhered to for the safety of your child.
If a situation necessitates early dismissal, One Call Now, a telephone messaging system, will be activated for each family. Even if your child never rides the bus, you will receive a call to let you know that your district is transporting early or that GMA is closing early. It is the parent's responsibility to ensure the numbers on file with One Call Now are up to date. When you receive this phone call, or anytime you feel uncomfortable about the condition of the roads, you may pick up your child by parking in car line and coming to the office to sign your child out. Please note that we are serviced by multiple school districts who determine individually when and if they will begin dismissal early.
As the situation progresses, school bus pick up times from each school district will be posted on the GMA website. Please note that the pick up times are approximate and depend on traffic and road conditions.
Please inform your child that he/she does not have permission to call home to be picked up early.
For the safety of each child, anyone other than the parent picking up a child must be listed on the "2010-2011 PERMISSION FORM." If you wish to update your 2010-11 Permission Form, please contact Ms. Sue Stephan or Mrs. Eleanor O'Brien.

DELAYED OPENING OR CANCELLATION

The safety of our students is our prime concern when deciding to close school due to weather conditions. When unsafe weather conditions necessitate the closing of GMA for the day, a decision will be made by 6:00 am, if possible. Parents will receive information from the following sources:

One Call Now - our our automated telephone notification system will be implemented to inform families of delayed openings or school closings due to inclement weather or other emergency. We will no longer send these notices to TV or radio stations. For bus transportation in the event of a delayed opening, please follow your school district's schedule.
GMA WEBSITE - www.gmaelem.org

If school is closed, there will be no CARES, sports, or after school activities that day.

A link to each school district's website, to be used for bus transportation information, is posted below.

If GMA is open and your district is closed, no transportation will be provided by the district. Whether you transport your child(ren) by car is left to your discretion. A child who misses school on such a day will be marked absent, due to inclement weather.

If GMA begins two hours late and your school district begins at its regular time, the district will not be able to transport your child two hours late. If, however, a bus were to arrive at school at the regular time, staff would be present to supervise the children.

If GMA opens on time and your district is two hours late, your child's bus will come two hours late. In this case, your child's lateness will not be penalized. School district information will be listed on KYW Radio by number.

SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBERS (Click on to link to website)
ABINGTON 301

GMA ELEMENTARY 339