Procedures for Overnight, Emergency and Scheduled Early Dismissals
Our automated notification system, OneCallNow, will be used to send a message regarding school during weather situations provided you have not opted out of receiving this message from the service.
Please do not call the school office to inquire about a weather situation so that we can keep the school lines open for calls from the various school districts to inform us of their individual decisions. We do not hear from all the districts at the same time and they do not all make the same decision.
We will also put a message on the school answering machine with information about overnight decisions to delay opening or closing for the day. Please dial 215-675-2820 to hear the message.
Click here to update your OneCallNow profile to add or remove numbers.
Overnight Changes to School Hours
OneCallNow will notify ONLY the home phone numbers of school families in the case of an Overnight change in school opening or delays. There will also be information provided to local TV stations (Channel 6, 10, Fox29) by school name, posting on the school Facebook page, and a message on the school answering machine.
Emergency Early Dismissals (for storms or other situations that create a need for dismissal)
Our automated notification system, OneCallNow, will call all numbers provided with a message regarding school clsoing early during weather situations provided you have not opted out of receiving this message from the service.
Should you choose to pick up your child instead of their usual bus transportation in the event of an emergency early dismissal, you must come to the office to collect them. Parents may not go to the classroom to take their children home. All students must be signed out in the office.
If you need to notify us of a change in your child’s usual transportation, please fax the information to the school office at (215) 675-9413 or email Mrs. Chirillo at mchirillo@nativityofourlord.org.
This is for the safety and wellbeing of your child so that we know where they are and who is responsible for their care. Usual car riders will be dismissed at a time announced with the early dismissal information.
A Note About Emergency/Early Dismissals:
Many factors enter the decision to close school for the day or close early once we are already in school. The decision to close our school or open later than usual is usually made by the public school district that is providing transportation. The decision is not taken lightly.
Safety of the children waiting at bus stops or on the roads is the primary concern. While finding child care for your child is difficult at the last minute, every parent that has children in school should have a backup plan for child care in the event school is closed and the parent has to be at work.
Since we are located in the Centennial School District, any announcements pertaining to Centennial Schools will apply to Nativity in the event of emergency school closings or early dismissals or late start times. However, someone will remain at school until all students have been picked up or delivered to the C.A.R.E.S. program. Information on the C.A.R.E.S. program can be obtained from their answering machine at (215) 672-5914.
Other announcements by the other school districts will pertain only to their transportation. For example, if Council Rock School District is running two hours late but Centennial is opening on time, Nativity school will open on time but Council Rock buses to school will be two hours late. It is then your decision to have your child take the bus at the adjusted time or provide your own transportation. Half day kindergarten attendance is at the parents’ discretion in the event of a delayed opening.
Conversely, if Nativity is opening two hours late but Council Rock is opening on time, their transportation will run at the regular time. It is your decision to use the bus or transport your child at the delayed opening time. Someone will be at school to receive children using the buses that are running at the regular time.
Scheduled Early Dismissal Procedure
Centennial bus riders will NOT have bus transportation on any early dismissal day other than the first one of the school year. Parents of all Centennial bus riders will have to provide their child’s dismissal transportation for early dismissal days for the rest of this school year. Other districts will provide transportation for most early dismissal days. Please consult the monthly school calendar for information on buses for your district’s transportation.
In order to ensure the safety of all our children during early dismissal, and in cooperation with the Warminster Police Department, we ask that you follow these procedures on days for early dismissal when any school districts do not provide buses. We are grateful for everyone’s cooperation as it will assure a quick and safe dismissal for all. Dismissal times will be:
- 11:55 AM — Central Bucks, Council Rock, Hatboro-Horsham, Upper Moreland, Children of America buses — front school yard.
These same districts, when busing days run out, will follow directives for car riders.
- 11:55 — Street Road walkers
- 12:05 — Centennial students and students who are usually car riders.
- 12:10 — Orchard Road walkers and bike riders
For Centennial Students and Usual Car Riders:
Those whose last name begins with the letters “A” through “J” will park in the BACK school yard facing the field. To insure the safety of the children, parents should stand near the exit your YOUNGEST child will use, and walk them to your car.
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 103, 105, 106, 107, 202, 203, 204, 205 will be dismissed through EXIT A (facing playground).
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 212, 213, 115, 117 will be dismissed through the Courtyard (near library)
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 208, 209, 210, 211, 215, 217 will be dismissed through stairway “D” (Father Healy Annex).
Those whose last name begins with the letters “K” through “Z” will park in the FRONT school yard facing WEST (York Road). Parents should stand near the exit your YOUNGEST child will use, and walk them to your car.
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 103, 105, 106, 107, 202, 203 will be dismissed through EXIT A (facing playground).
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 204, 205, 208, 209, 210, 211, will be dismissed through EXIT B (middle of building).
- HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 115, 117, 212, 213, 215, 217 will be dismissed through EXIT C (closest to Church).
For Half Day Kindergarten & All Pre-School Students:
Half Day Kindergarten students will still dismiss at their regular time (11:45 am). Those half day Kindergarten students who have older siblings that ride a bus may ride home with the older siblings on the bus. The homeroom teacher must be notified IN WRITING if you intend to use this transportation. Other half day Kindergarten students should be picked up as usual.
ALL Preschool students will dismiss at Door “B” (Rm. 108) and Door “C” (Room 110) at 11:45 am on early dismissal days.
If your child is normally a bus rider, but will be a car rider/walker on early dismissal days, or if your child is car-pooling with another family, please send a note to the homeroom teacher with that information.
Please communicate this information to the person who will be responsible for picking up your child(ren) on an early dismissal day (grandparents, babysitters, etc.) so they will be in the correct location to meet your child.
