05/21/2013
Important Reminders About Emergency Weather Communications
With the recent tornadoes impacting communities in Texas and throughout the Midwest, we are reminded that spring can bring unpredictable and sometimes dangerous weather. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind CHISD parents and students of our emergency procedures and provide you with some important things to remember:
Your school has a plan – Each school has a plan for responding to emergencies. Teachers, administrators and staff have been trained and have completed drills using this plan.
Keep your emergency contact information current – Please be sure your emergency contact information (home/work/cell numbers, email addresses and secondary contact information) is current in Skyward Family Access. You can make changes by logging into Family Access and clicking on “Student Information” on the left side and then “Request Change to My Child’s Information” on the top right.
Stay informed about potentially severe inclement weather.
Monitor the CHISD website and official CHISD social media pages - In case of an emergency or threatening weather, these resources will be updated as soon as information, updates or instructions are available. (Web: www.chisd.net, Twitter: , Facebook: /CedarHillISD)
Be alert for a Skylert email or phone message: The district will send emergency messages to parents via mass telephone and email notification. Parents may register multiple phone numbers and email addresses (in Skyward Family Access) to ensure messages are received.
Do not call or go to your child’s school – During a severe weather event school staff will be busy responding to the emergency and addressing the needs of students. Calling the school will only tie up phone lines that must be used for emergency communications with staff and emergency responders. Please do not go to your child’s school unless you have received direction from the school or district officials. In the event of a damaging storm, vehicular traffic around the school may impede the ability of emergency responders from entering/exiting the campus.
All CHISD campuses have plans to respond to emergencies, including inclement weather, fire, dangerous items on campus, etc. These plans are updated annually. Teachers and staff are trained regularly to prepare for a wide range of potential emergencies. In addition, all schools conduct emergency drills throughout the school year so that students and staff are aware of the most effective and safe emergency responses. In the event that severe weather threatens the area, students will be sheltered in place in the inner most areas of our buildings, away from all windows. If a tornado or severe weather warning is issued for Cedar Hill, please do not put yourself in danger by traveling to the school to pick up your child. In case of threatening weather arriving near the end of the school day, please be advised that school officials may delay the dismissal of students. If a warning is issued, please seek immediate shelter for yourself and monitor district communication via phone, email, web and social media for the all clear or further instructions.
Creating and maintaining a safe environment for our students, staff and visitors is a priority for CHISD. We appreciate your support and thank you for helping us by remembering these tips in the event we experience any severe weather.
Cedar Hill ISD
