APS heat advisory

[Anonymous]

APS issued a heat advisory for today canceling all outdoor activities.

Our elementary school usually has morning recess from 8:250-8:50 and that is cancelled too, even though it's in the 70s out. Shouldn't we be having kids run around and get their energy out while it's still cool out? Why can't the heat advisory not start at a specific time (noon?) when it's actually forecast to be hot out? It just seems very poorly thought out.

[Anonymous]

Lady is this the only thing you have to worry about this morning? We’re going to be at 100° for one day. This is affecting one day. Further, APS is not the one you should pick a bone with, it’s the national weather service.

[Anonymous]

APS did not issue a heat advidory, the NWS did. APS has set plans in place based on NWS alerts. At times, it may not make sense to an individual parent, but making the decisions on the fly is way more disruptive to administration, schools, parents, and children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS issued a heat advisory for today canceling all outdoor activities.

Our elementary school usually has morning recess from 8:250-8:50 and that is cancelled too, even though it's in the 70s out. Shouldn't we be having kids run around and get their energy out while it's still cool out? Why can't the heat advisory not start at a specific time (noon?) when it's actually forecast to be hot out? It just seems very poorly thought out.

Boo hoo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS issued a heat advisory for today canceling all outdoor activities.

Our elementary school usually has morning recess from 8:250-8:50 and that is cancelled too, even though it's in the 70s out. Shouldn't we be having kids run around and get their energy out while it's still cool out? Why can't the heat advisory not start at a specific time (noon?) when it's actually forecast to be hot out? It just seems very poorly thought out.

APS let us know about this last night. Next time, since you will know ahead of time, wake up earlier and go play outside with your kid before school. They’ll get plenty of energy out.

[Anonymous]

Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

Incorrect. Read policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

Incorrect. Read policies.

A policy that says 75 degree weather is unsafe? That must have a very strong rationale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

Incorrect. Read policies.

I can understand why APS has taken some of the "thinking" out of this. But it is certainly annoying. Why can't elementary kids go outside when it's in the 90s (which will be the temp for all of them since recess is almost always before 1pm)? Kids can certainly handle 15 minutes of 95 degree heat without adverse consequences. It does make sense to alter the HS sports schedules etc, which take place in the hottest part of the day. We have outdoor recess from 7:35-7:50 and that was canceled today too. It was a perfect morning for running around!

It just feels like the policy is getting in the way of common sense.

[Anonymous]

Seriously? Let your kids out before school. We knew about this yesterday. It's not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

Incorrect. Read policies.

I can understand why APS has taken some of the "thinking" out of this. But it is certainly annoying. Why can't elementary kids go outside when it's in the 90s (which will be the temp for all of them since recess is almost always before 1pm)? Kids can certainly handle 15 minutes of 95 degree heat without adverse consequences. It does make sense to alter the HS sports schedules etc, which take place in the hottest part of the day. We have outdoor recess from 7:35-7:50 and that was canceled today too. It was a perfect morning for running around!

It just feels like the policy is getting in the way of common sense.

This. The principal was forcing all the kids into the crowded cafeteria this morning when it's absolutely lovely out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Parks and Rec is only putting restrictions in place starting at 1 PM. This was just a knee jerk APS decision that didn't get any actual thought.

Incorrect. Read policies.

The official Board approved policies only say that APS administration is tasked with keeping kids safe. Syphax then sets its own rules. APS admin has laid out lots of substance behind how they decide snow days (probably given past criticism) but I can't find any written standard for heat closures. This seems to be Syphax's call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? Let your kids out before school. We knew about this yesterday. It's not a big deal.

I disagree. Kids already have very limited movement breaks during the school day when it's a known fact that being able to MOVE helps learning. We live in an area with rain, so sometimes they can't do out because of that. Adding "it's over 90 degrees" to the list limits the number of days student get to move their bodies while learning. I have 2 incredibly active elementary kids. We do walk to school, and they'll go outside later when they get home. But that is not a replacement for moving their bodies as a break from learning.

Is this the largest issue facing APS? No. But it's an example of how bad policies are written. "Oh there's a weather alert, keep kids inside to protect their health" can actually be damaging their health. So it should be discussed.

[Anonymous]

OP is named Karen.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why OP is getting so much hate. Yes, of course the kids should only be kept inside during a heat advisory if it's actually hot. Anyone can look at the hourly weather forecast and make the call at a certain hour (including a margin of error). This wouldn't be an "on the fly decision" and it shouldn't inconvenience anyone. We don't have that many heat advisories so this isn't a huge deal for today, but it would probably make sense for APS to review going forward as it's only getting hotter.