August 27, 2012
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The warmth of summer will soon give way to possible severe weather conditions ahead. So it is time to
remind you of the delayed opening and school closing procedures for Prince William County Public Schools
(PWCS).
When inclement weather causes hazardous road conditions, schools may open late, close early, or close for
the entire day depending upon the severity of the weather. These decisions are made based on Divisionwide
conditions and weather forecasts, and are focused on ensuring safety.
Here is how to get the message: Opening and closing decisions are made and the information is released
by 5 a.m.
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Text Message: Register smart phones and computers at pwcs.edu to receive up-to-date weather
closing announcement by text mail.
Online: Check pwcs.edu and individual school Web sites for weather announcements.
Broadcast: Local radio and TV news carry delay and closing information within minutes of getting
announcements and repeat them regularly.
Cable: Announcements air on PWCS-TV (Comcast channel 18 and Verizon channel 36).
Phone: Information may also be obtained by calling 703.791.2776 and selecting #3.
Information will be available in the same manner if weather conditions deteriorate after the school day has
begun and it becomes necessary to close schools early. In these situations, announcements will typically
state that: “All Prince William County Public Schools will close one hour (or two hours) early today.”
All after-school student activities, athletic activities, and General Educational Development (GED) and
Adult Education classes will generally be canceled when schools Divisionwide are closed or end early due to
the weather. However, exceptions can be made, so please monitor the PWCS Web site, your school’s Web
site, PWCS-TV, and look for special communications from coaches.
The decision to change the school schedule is not made lightly. When inclement weather is a
possibility, transportation personnel monitor road and weather conditions in both the major and
remote parts of the county. Additional input is gathered from the Virginia Department of
Transportation, the police, and weather services. This combined information yields the best
decision for the safety of students and staff across a large school Division.
DR. STEVEN L. WALTS
Superintendent of Schools
P.O. BOX 389, MANASSAS, VA 20108 • WWW.PWCS.EDU
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Occasionally, schedule changes may be needed even when conditions in one specific area may not appear
to warrant them. Delayed openings may sometimes be used to allow commuter traffic to clear and
hazardous road conditions improve before schools can open or so officials can make a call on closing
them if conditions worsen.
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Special instructions for Special Instructions to School Age Child Care (SACC) and for preschool
parents/guardians are attached.
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Do not bring students to school early during a delayed opening; staff may also be late.
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Since some parents/guardians and childcare providers may be unaware of early closings, it is
advisable to designate another person to receive your preschool or elementary child. Provide
name(s) and telephone number(s) to the school. Preschool and kindergarten students will be
returned to school unless designated individuals are at the bus stop to meet them.
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Have a plan so children know what to do if they arrive home before anyone is there to meet them.
Middle and high school students also need plans to ensure their safety.
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If schools are open, but parents/guardians consider local roads and sidewalks unsafe for travel,
they have the option of not sending their child to school. Students will receive an excused
absence and will not be penalized academically, though they are expected to make up all
assignments.
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Please do not call your child’s school or PWCS offices during weather emergencies. The School
Division telephone system is needed to attend to operational and emergency matters.
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The staff of PWCS works hard to make school grounds safe after snowstorms. You can help by
ensuring your neighborhood sidewalks, walking paths, and bus stops are cleared so students will
have a safe place to walk and wait, and so buses will have a clear route to safely pick up and drop
off children.
During the upcoming winter months, please listen to or watch one of the major radio or television news
stations, PWCS-TV, or monitor the PWCS Web site at pwcs.edu for announcements of changes in school
schedules. If you have any questions concerning these procedures, please call the principal of the school
your child attends prior to the inclement weather season.
Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Steven L. Walts
Superintendent of Schools
Attachment
Special Instructions to School Age Child Care (SACC) Program Parents/Guardians
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Parents will be asked to complete and return to their SACC site staff an “Inclement
Weather Plan Form” which describes how their child will leave the school at dismissal
when the SACC program does not open.
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If schools are closed for the day, the SACC program does not open.
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When Prince William County Public Schools open two hours late the SACC program will
open two hours late.
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When schools close early, the after school SACC Program does not open.
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When all after-school and evening activities are canceled, the SACC program must close at 5
p.m.
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If you have any questions, please call the supervisor of SACC at 703.791.8844.
Special Instructions to Preschool Parents/Guardians
When a two-hour delayed opening of school is announced, this automatically alters the preschool
schedules. Parents/guardians should review the following schedule:
Two-Hour Delayed Opening
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A.M. preschool and full-day preschool students who ride the preschool bus to school should
expect their bus to arrive at the bus stop two hours later than usual.
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A.M. preschool and full-day preschool walking students should arrive at school two hours
later than the regular schedule.
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Only A.M. preschool students will be dismissed one hour later than the regular schedule.
Full-time preschool students will be dismissed at the regular time.
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P.M. preschool student buses will arrive one hour later than usual and will be dismissed at the
regular time.
One-Hour Early Closing
A.M. preschool and full-day preschool students will be dismissed one hour earlier than the regular
schedule. There will be no P.M. preschool.
Two-Hour Early Closing
A.M. preschool and full-day preschool students will be dismissed two hours earlier than the regular
schedule. There will be no P.M. preschool.