43
Girard schools expand weather alert options to students
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Sammy Chase, a junior at Girard Junior/Senior High School, uses her iPhone to sign up for new notification system that will alert parents, staff and students to school closings and delays. Participants have a choice of notification method — by text or e-mail.
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Sammy Chase, a junior at Girard Junior/Senior High School, uses her iPhone to sign up for new notification system that will alert parents, staff and students to school closings and delays. Participants have a choice of notification method — by text or e-mail.
girard schools
Notification system
Girard City School District recently implemented a districtwide notification system to inform parents, staff and students when schools are closed or delayed because of inclement weather. The system went through a trial test and worked well.
Notification choices: Parents, staff and students can select one of two options on how to be notified, either by text message or e-mail. To be notified by a text message, the person must send a text message from his/her cell phone to notice@girardcityschools.org. To be notified by an e-mail, send an e-mail from your e-mail program to notice@girardcityschools.org.
Confirmation: Parents, staff and students who pick one of the options will receive a confirmation message.
Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to Girard-notice-system+unsubscribe@girardcityschools.org.
Details: There is no cost to sign up; standard text message rates apply. No information is gathered other than the contact number or e-mail address. The system is managed within the school district, no third-party is involved. The system will only by used for closings or delays. Participants may unsubscribe at any time.
Information: Office of superintendent, Joseph R. Jeswald, 330-545-2596.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
GIRARD
When many inches of snow, treacherous freezing rain and dangerous wind chill are predicted, school superintendent Joe Jeswald does more than listen to the weather forecast. At 4:30 a.m., he’s out on city streets surveying conditions that might warrant closing schools.
He calls the police captain on duty and city road department to get their take on road conditions. “It’s a collaborative effort,” he said.
If he decides school should be closed, Jeswald said he’s using technology to deliver the word quickly and efficiently. Parents, staff and students may sign up to receive a text or e-mail message to be notified of a closing or delay. A letter was sent out Jan. 3 to inform parents of the new method.
The superintendent said assistance from television and radio broadcasts on closings remains another valuable means to get information to the public. An in-district phone tree system will continue as will postings on the district web site, www.girardcityschools.org.
“We’re using all the resources we have,” Jeswald.
“Once I make a decision [to close], the information goes out immediately,” Jeswald said. He contacts Jamie Williams, visual-arts teacher who manages the school district’s website. Williams, in turn, sends out mass-text and e-mail messages through a Google group system.
“I give [Williams] all the credit for this,” Jeswald said of the teacher with computer expertise.
Williams said he and the superintendent discussed using a company for this purpose. But, that came at a charge of $1.50 to $2 a student. “The Google method is free,” Williams said. He said he sends out one message through the Google group system and everyone signed up is notified.
“Safety is first and foremost,” Jeswald said about students and staff traveling to the schools. The district has 1,700 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.
Jeswald said the decision to close lies with him, but he considers input from many sources. He said superintendents in Trumbull County including Hubbard, Liberty, McDonald, Niles, Weathersfield and Fairhaven also talk to one another when the weather turns inclement.
The road department clears the main thoroughfares, Jeswald said, and they also “pay attention to roads around the schools.”
Students get to school by bus, car and walking. “If the sidewalks are all snow covered, we don’t want students walking in the streets,” he said.
Jeswald said he must make a decision to close usually by 5:30 a.m. because buses are moving by 6:45. “I can’t call it off after that,” he said. Last month, on Dec. 14, he cut it close by closing at 6:15 a.m. when the weather turned and there was snow predicted all day.