All permits and evening activities are also
cancelled.
Recreational Swim is cancelled for February 8, 2010
Skylert
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Baldwin-Whitehall School District has
implemented a new district-wide notification system called Skylert.
Skylert allows Administrators the ability to send instant communication via
phone, SMS text message, and e-mail to parents and staff. Our goal is to
utilize this effective and efficient communication system as part of our
continuous effort of keeping staff, students and parents informed and safe!
As a parent/guardian, this new
notification system allows you the opportunity to identify your notification
preferences and opt in/out of specific message types through your Skyward
Family Access account. Please note that EVERY parent/guardian in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District has been registered in
the Skylert notification system. Changes to your contact information can be
done via Skyward Family Access or by contacting your student's school.
Baldwin High School
412-885-7500
Harrison Middle School
412-885-7530
McAnnulty Elmentary
412-714-2020
Paynter Elementary
412-885-7535
Whitehall Elementary
412-885-7525
Note: Only
Primary Guardians are able to update the Skylert primary contact information
via Family Access
The Skylert notification system
allows the ability to disseminate information to parents and staff by way of
three notification types: Emergency, General, and Attendance.
Emergency
notifications will reference events such as safety related incidents and other
emergency notifications determined by district administrators. Emergency notifications
will be sent only as needed.
General
notifications are for informational purposes only and will reference various
district and campus events and information. In addition, General notifications will
be utilized to alert parents of school delay and/or closure due to inclement
weather.
Attendance notifications will only be generated if your student has an unexcused
absence for more than one period during an instructional day. If your student
is marked absent, a system generated attendance phone call will be sent between
the hours of 9:00AM and 9:00PM depending on the child’s grade level.
The Decision: The Superintendent is required by law to ensure that
schools are open on all scheduled days unless conditions
become unsafe for students. Unsafe conditions can take many forms
including, but not limited to, inclement weather, water line breaks and power outages. A critical consideration in
making the decision based on weather related
factors is whether school vans and buses travelling at safe speeds can
transport students to school safely and reasonably on time.
The Process: Emergencies are unforeseeable and require
immediate action consistent with the District or Building Safety Plan. If a
decision is weather related, the process of gathering
information begins as soon as the event is anticipated and relevant information
is examined throughout the evening
through the early morning hours. Whenever possible, the decision will be
made the previous evening in order for the announcement to be broadcast on the 11:00 PM news. Normally, the decision is made by
5:30 AM so that parents and students can be informed through the media
and the District web site.
The Information: Relevant information is provided to the Superintendent by
the Director of Transportation and the Director of Administrative
Services after conferring with local police
and public works departments. The United States Weather Bureau and local
weather sources provide meteorological data to support the final decision. When
appropriate, school personnel in surrounding
districts are consulted. The primary reasons for delays or cancellations
are dangerous road conditions and extreme cold.
Extreme Cold: The District will consider delaying the
opening of school if the temperature drops
to -10 degrees or colder. Predicted wind chills of -10 degrees or colder from sustained gusts will likely result in
a school delay. If the temperature drops to -20 or colder, the District will cancel school. Similarly, wind
chills of-20 degrees or colder from
sustained wind gusts will likely result in cancellation.
Communication: Decisions to delay or cancel school will be communicated
through the media (KDKA, WPXI and WTAE) and the District web site (www.bwschools.net).
Since information is available through the media and web site, there should be
no need to phone the schools or administration. The District's position
regarding delays and cancellations will always be public, and any changes or
modifications will be communicated as soon
as the need arises.
Non-Public Schools: Transportation for non-public schools within the
District follows the Baldwin-Whitehall School District schedule.
Parent Consideration: The
Superintendent makes a decision for the District at large. However, conditions within the District may vary and
parents may decide to send or not send a child to school based on
individual factors. Parents have the
right and responsibility to make decisions
in the best interest of the health and safety of their own children.
Consequently, the District will honor decisions made by parents who assess conditions, consider individual circumstances and
act according to what they determine to be in the best interests of their
child.
New Finger ID System
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Baldwin-Whitehall School District is
implementing a new program in our cafeterias developed by Educational Biometric
Technology™ (EBT), the leader in biometric finger identification solutions for
education and other markets. The program introduces a device that uses a
new way for your child to access his/her meal account by using a sensor that
identifies the child by the touch of his/her finger.
We have compiled a list of
Frequently Asked Questions to address any issues or concerns parents may have: