Children need an opportunity to get exercise and free play time outdoors, however, weather conditions sometimes warrant that indoor recesses, lunch periods and pre-entry periods be considered necessary for student and staff safety.
Conditions warranting indoor recesses:
- Rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, extreme winds and extreme cold.
- Cold weather: When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates -28C or lower children will remain indoors due to risk of frostnip and frostbite.
When temperature and/or windchill factor indicates -20 to -28C, recesses may be shortened to 10 minutes and lunch recess may be 20 minutes depending on local conditions. Children should be monitored closely for signs of frostnip, frostbite or difficulty breathing.
- Humidity, Heat and Smog Alerts: The City of Toronto issues heat alerts and heat emergencies based on the daily forecast from May to September. Alerts are posted on the Web site www.toronto.ca/health/ or by calling (416) 338-7600. Staff and students should be vigilant about their level of activity and should take frequent breaks for water in order to remain adequately hydrated.
Other conditions:
Weather conditions change during the day. When necessary and if the weather is questionable, the school principal will consult the Environment Canada's http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/ or Toronto Public Health Web sites for information.
Any staff member may voice weather concerns to the principal for consideration prior to the next scheduled recess.
During extreme weather conditions, students will be permitted to enter the school at 8:20 a.m. at their designated entrance door where they will be met by the supervision teacher and/or their classroom teacher. If no teacher is outdoors on supervision, then parents and students will know that the weather necessitates an early entry at 8:20 a.m. which is 15 minutes prior to the normal entry bell.