School delayed and no sports or activities for 3 days straight just for cold weather?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am sorry but this is getting out of hand. So many musicals, concerts, after school clubs, school events, sports just cancelled after missing so much time already.

Overall everyday feels like a fluff day and kids are out of sync.

We never had delays for cold weather. It’s not even that bad out. What are we doing here?!?

Omg you mean you have to take care of your children for three whole days omg omg omg

Omg you have to be a parent omg

That isn’t the problem. My kid enjoys and benefits from their activities. That doesn’t mean we don’t take care of them.
One of the ways we care is by teaching resilience and coping skills for routine life hassles like cold weather.

[Anonymous]

Went to pick up my DC from a low FARMs school this afternoon. Kids who have coats and can afford coats were walking in Tshirts at dismissal. The delays have nothing to do with coats or poor families. The parking lots need to be cleared and safe which they can’t do if the cars are parked there.

[Anonymous]

McPS made the decision about school sponsored activities and sports this afternoon. CUPF made the decision to cancel community use of MCPS facilities this afternoon and evening. As for tomorrow morning, I think MCPS made the delay call, but I haven’t seen anything from CUPF about tomorrow so I think the childcare closure decision is on MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw on the news that the wind chill temps tomorrow at 7 am are supposed to be -5 in Gaithersburg. There are many, many high schoolers in my neighborhood who have to walk a mile or more to get to school. Can you not see that the school delay is a sensible decision?

In no universe is it sensible for MCPS to prohibit childcare providers from operating when no other employer in Montgomery County is telling employees to come in late.

Exactly. But asking MCPS to be sensible may be a bridge too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a bunch of whiners. It happens rarely. Just deal with it.

Not really. Just look at how many closures and delays there will be in January 2025 alone.

Sigh. It's called weather. MCPS has always closed for low temps, it's just that we don't have them every year, on a school day.

I am posting with years of experience as an MCPS parent. School districts in this area, including MCPS, generally err on the side of caution. Some districts are smaller and don't have buses or parking lots (DCPS) and can stay open. Some are large and deal with a ton of terrain and snow/ice variability (MCPS and FCPS) and need to close even when a good number of school properties are perfectly fine.

Now you know this! In five years, when we have the exact same scenario, there is a minuscule but non-negligible change you might even remember it!!!

And you'll be telling some other irate, dumbass parent who has kittens all over DCUM, exactly what I've told you.

They really didn't require childcare providers to close/delay this often before covid. Then covid happened and MCPS lost its mind against working parents.

They did. I remember. But it's RARE that we have so many weekdays of cold temps, so of course people will claim MCPS never used to close their childcare so often.

I have long noticed that people on DCUM are usually very skilled in the languages and social sciences, but not good at all when it comes to math and logic and remembering things that have to do with math and logic. Weather is one of those things. Some years MCPS hardly closes, some years it closes a lot... because of weather. It's not the policies that change. It's the weather. Policies are largely dictated by MCPS efforts to clear school properties and county efforts to clear streets. MCPS does not consider clothes and childcare - that's on parents. If your school is clear, it doesn't mean another school is clear. If your sidewalk has been shoveled, or not, MCPS couldn't care less. If your kid has a winter coat, or not, MCPS couldn't care less.

Once you've integrated MCPS criteria for closures and delays, and read the messages on status of snow clearance on school lots, and building check-ups on pipes and heat, it all starts making sense. But people don't want to make that effort in rational thinking.
They always just see life from their point of view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to pick up my DC from a low FARMs school this afternoon. Kids who have coats and can afford coats were walking in Tshirts at dismissal. The delays have nothing to do with coats or poor families. The parking lots need to be cleared and safe which they can’t do if the cars are parked there.

Cleared from what? The snow stopped on Sunday. The lots could have been cleared and treated on Sunday night. If not, then on Monday. This is total incompetence as usual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a bunch of whiners. It happens rarely. Just deal with it.

Not really. Just look at how many closures and delays there will be in January 2025 alone.

Sigh. It's called weather. MCPS has always closed for low temps, it's just that we don't have them every year, on a school day.

I am posting with years of experience as an MCPS parent. School districts in this area, including MCPS, generally err on the side of caution. Some districts are smaller and don't have buses or parking lots (DCPS) and can stay open. Some are large and deal with a ton of terrain and snow/ice variability (MCPS and FCPS) and need to close even when a good number of school properties are perfectly fine.

Now you know this! In five years, when we have the exact same scenario, there is a minuscule but non-negligible change you might even remember it!!!

And you'll be telling some other irate, dumbass parent who has kittens all over DCUM, exactly what I've told you.

They really didn't require childcare providers to close/delay this often before covid. Then covid happened and MCPS lost its mind against working parents.

They did. I remember. But it's RARE that we have so many weekdays of cold temps, so of course people will claim MCPS never used to close their childcare so often.

I have long noticed that people on DCUM are usually very skilled in the languages and social sciences, but not good at all when it comes to math and logic and remembering things that have to do with math and logic. Weather is one of those things. Some years MCPS hardly closes, some years it closes a lot... because of weather. It's not the policies that change. It's the weather. Policies are largely dictated by MCPS efforts to clear school properties and county efforts to clear streets. MCPS does not consider clothes and childcare - that's on parents. If your school is clear, it doesn't mean another school is clear. If your sidewalk has been shoveled, or not, MCPS couldn't care less. If your kid has a winter coat, or not, MCPS couldn't care less.

Once you've integrated MCPS criteria for closures and delays, and read the messages on status of snow clearance on school lots, and building check-ups on pipes and heat, it all starts making sense. But people don't want to make that effort in rational thinking.
They always just see life from their point of view.

That is a good point. Must be why Montana and Maine schools are closed November through March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to pick up my DC from a low FARMs school this afternoon. Kids who have coats and can afford coats were walking in Tshirts at dismissal. The delays have nothing to do with coats or poor families. The parking lots need to be cleared and safe which they can’t do if the cars are parked there.

That could have worked as justification for today, but doesn't explain tomorrow. The lots and sidewalks are already clear.

[Anonymous]

This is just a microcosm of the incompetence of central office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a bunch of whiners. It happens rarely. Just deal with it.

Not really. Just look at how many closures and delays there will be in January 2025 alone.

Sigh. It's called weather. MCPS has always closed for low temps, it's just that we don't have them every year, on a school day.

I am posting with years of experience as an MCPS parent. School districts in this area, including MCPS, generally err on the side of caution. Some districts are smaller and don't have buses or parking lots (DCPS) and can stay open. Some are large and deal with a ton of terrain and snow/ice variability (MCPS and FCPS) and need to close even when a good number of school properties are perfectly fine.

Now you know this! In five years, when we have the exact same scenario, there is a minuscule but non-negligible change you might even remember it!!!

And you'll be telling some other irate, dumbass parent who has kittens all over DCUM, exactly what I've told you.

They really didn't require childcare providers to close/delay this often before covid. Then covid happened and MCPS lost its mind against working parents.

They did. I remember. But it's RARE that we have so many weekdays of cold temps, so of course people will claim MCPS never used to close their childcare so often.

I have long noticed that people on DCUM are usually very skilled in the languages and social sciences, but not good at all when it comes to math and logic and remembering things that have to do with math and logic. Weather is one of those things. Some years MCPS hardly closes, some years it closes a lot... because of weather. It's not the policies that change. It's the weather. Policies are largely dictated by MCPS efforts to clear school properties and county efforts to clear streets. MCPS does not consider clothes and childcare - that's on parents. If your school is clear, it doesn't mean another school is clear. If your sidewalk has been shoveled, or not, MCPS couldn't care less. If your kid has a winter coat, or not, MCPS couldn't care less.

Once you've integrated MCPS criteria for closures and delays, and read the messages on status of snow clearance on school lots, and building check-ups on pipes and heat, it all starts making sense. But people don't want to make that effort in rational thinking.
They always just see life from their point of view.

The delays for tomorrow and Thursday contradict your claims. Facilities have already been checked and cleared of snow and ice.

[Anonymous]

What are their reasons for delay then? The message says the temperatures and ice is making it difficult to clear the parking lots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just a microcosm of the incompetence of central office.

It is incompetence, or blatant hostility towards students and parents?

[Anonymous]

This
‘ The following is an update concerning MCPS’s operating status for today, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. Plowing school lots and walkways and addressing overnight refreezing has been challenging due to the cold temperatures. MCPS central and school-based staff continue to work to get schools and offices ready to open daily, and maintenance problems are prioritized for repair to ensure heat, water, and electrical service is not impacted. ’

Clearly states why they are delaying school and tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are their reasons for delay then? The message says the temperatures and ice is making it difficult to clear the parking lots.

They don't want you to think about it too much. Obviously that doesn't make any sense given that we eventually opened today.

Or maybe Taylor doesn't realize snow doesn't melt overnight in 10F weather.

[Anonymous]

I completely approve of their decision. This is unusual frigid temperature, and after school activities are not cancelled.