Chaffee’s Chat:  Winter is upon us…maybe?

As South Central Local School District Superintendent, I will be providing regular news articles of various educational topics.  I hope readers find the articles informative and valuable to our school district.  Today’s article focuses on winter season activities and safety tips for students.

This year’s early winter season has been unique, to say the least.  Continued rains have wreaked havoc on many area farmers with fall harvest, and, since the rains were NOT snow (on average, 1 inch of rain equals 12 inches of snow), many school children have been disappointed that there hasn’t been a “snow day” yet.  Maybe when we return from Christmas break…

Trying to determine whether the school system should be on a 2-hr delay or if school should be canceled is a challenging task.  As superintendent, I travel about 25 miles of district roadways, beginning by 4:30am, on mornings of possible delays or cancellations.  If we delay for 2 hours, then I re-check road conditions, to see if conditions have improved.  Fortunately, area superintendents and transportation supervisors talk with each other to see what road conditions are like in various parts of Huron County.  However, it is important to realize that weather and road conditions may not be the same from one school district to the next.

When it has been decided to have school, children are encouraged to bundle up, especially at bus stops.  Wearing hats and gloves help protect one’s head and hands from cold temperatures and frigid winds.  Be sure to zip up coats and try to wear heavy boots, like snow boots.  Sometimes, school buses might be a few minutes late to a bus stop, due to the weather.  Dressing warm at the bus stop is the smart thing to do.

Be sure to visit the district website (www.south-central.org) for various events that are occurring over Christmas Break.  Also, I would encourage you to check out the “After School Enrichment” link on the website; the participating students (grades 3-6) do an awesome job of producing mini-movie clips of general information and school happenings on a regular basis.  These clips are also shown daily in the K8 main lobby.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season.  School resumes on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

For more information about the school system or how you can help learn with your child, please contact Superintendent Ben Chaffee, Jr.