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School Closure Information

PLEASE NOTE:
  • Whenever the school has an emergency communication, whether for a school closure or another important incident, we will implement our emergency text messaging system. We will also email all addresses that are registered in our student records database. 
  • We encourage all families to save the SAAS Alert phone number — (206) 209-1206 — to their contacts list to ensure SMS text messages are delivered promptly and recognized on your device.
  • When deciding whether to close school, delay the start of the school, or hold classes, we do NOT automatically follow the Seattle Public Schools.
  • It is rare that we would announce a delay to the start of the school day due to:
    • our complex bus network;
    • the geography of our dispersed community;
    • the nature of our block schedule.
  • When school is canceled, so are all events (games, concerts, productions, meetings, etc. scheduled for that day).
  • We do NOT send out a notification when buses will be running at normal times and the school is operating as normal. 

1. When school is delayed or cancelled (such as for inclement weather) BEFORE the school day, check the following sources of information:

  • Emails from Seattle Academy's Safety Team
  • Text Messages from Seattle Academy's Safety Team
  • Seattle Academy School Website: seattleacademy.org
  • Seattle Academy Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
  • The school’s main line: 206-323-6600.

2. If classes are dismissed DURING the course of the school day, our protocol is as follows.

  • When school is dismissed during the school day, the school will email and text message all families regarding the closure.
  • Students will have adult supervision until there is a safe means of transportation home.

Examples include:

  • Parents picking them up
  • Carpools from school
  • Metro buses
  • Walking (Only if this is the normal way a student gets home and conditions are safe for walking.)
  • For those families that normally use the afternoon shuttle, we will run an adjusted schedule. Parents will be notified of that schedule when a closure is announced. 

3. Extended Closure Procedure

School closure days, such as snow days, are usually a pleasant surprise and a gift of time for everyone. But as closure days accumulate, they become a disruption to the curriculum and could lead to make-up days being reclaimed from other places in the school calendar or added on to the end of the school year. Always check the SAAS website to see if school is open or closed.

In the spirit of the above statement, no classes will take place on Day 1 of interruption. On Day 2 and the days following, classes will resume and all students should attend classes remotely in order to best facilitate moving curriculum forward. 

In summary, in the event of a snow day or extended interruption from school:

  1. Always check the SAAS website (seattleacademy.org) to see if school is open or closed.     
  2. No classes will take place on Day 1 of interruption. Teachers should expect to attend a faculty meeting and email students with the necessary information for Day 2.
  3. Classes will resume remotely on Day 2 and the days following.
  • Students will attend classes virtually in order to best facilitate moving curriculum forward. 
  • Teachers should conduct a minimum of 60 minutes of synchronous instruction per class period.

4. We will maintain the existing class schedule (same times, Odd/Even day).

  •  Lunch and Community Time will remain the same, and we encourage students and teachers to take a break from screens and synchronous learning during these times in the day. 
  • Co-curricular activities such as advisory and clubs should expect to meet remotely. 

Resources: 

There are a variety of reasons why school might be closed: a major storm with lots of disruption including power outages, icy streets but no other disruption, or perhaps a large percentage of students with an illness, to name three possibilities. Every option implies a different impact on families, so we know that there may be reasons why a student is unable to view or complete assignments. For example:

  • The reason for the closure may mean that either the school’s network is down or that there are regional or local power outages.
  • A family may not have technological access at this time.
  • A student may not be well.
  • A student may not have access to class materials (although teachers will try to find ways for students to be able to do meaningful work).
  • Or a variety of other reasons.

Given the potential uncertainties, students will not be penalized for work they are unable to do, and teachers will make necessary adjustments in assignments and due dates. Our goal, however, is to continue to teach the curriculum as best we can. Students can access the Learning Management Systems and student email accounts through the school’s website (seattleacademy.org) by visiting The Hub webpage.

During a disaster, faculty and students may be afflicted with an illness or dealing with the disaster. Please be patient if your emails go unanswered. We will request that faculty post Out-of-Office replies if they will be offline for more than one day.