Dear Oyster River Students, Staff, Parents, Caregivers, and Community Members,
The cold weather upon us is a reminder that inclement weather will soon be inevitable. Weather conditions can change quickly in New England, making inclement weather decisions difficult to make.
My goal is to make all decisions related to delayed starts, school closures, and remote learning no later than 5:30 a.m. I do so after careful review of weather and road conditions, conversations with our Transportation team and superintendents from surrounding areas.
Notifications will be sent in ParentSquare as soon as the decision is made.
When it’s time to make a weather call, there are three options.
- Delayed starts: We use delayed starts when the weather is predicted to thaw or improve by mid-morning. In January 2025, ORCSD implemented a new 1-hour delay option. School may now be delayed by one or two hours. View the delayed schedule for each school here.
- Snow days: We use snow days for predicted heavy snow events. During a snow day, school is canceled. All Oyster River schools and the SAU office will be closed.
- Remote learning: While we will prepare students and staff for the option to pivot to remote learning, for the first part of winter, we will limit inclement weather decisions to delayed starts and cancellations. Remote learning will not be considered as an option for the first three inclement weather calls. It may, however, be considered later in the season to better align with the school calendar.
In the event of a delay or cancellation, we will evaluate safety and road conditions for the possibility of conducting after school and evening activities.
Respectfully,
Dr. Robert Shaps
Superintendent of Schools