Inclement Weather, Emergency & Closure Information

Inclement weather information may be found at the following sources:

• www.newsbridge.net/Salem-Keizer_Sch_Dist
• The local TV and radio stations will be broadcasting this information as well. Just remember, there are other Cornerstone Christian listings, but you are looking for "Salem-Keizer Public Schools" because we follow Salem-Keizer School District.

Inclement Weather:

Remember, Cornerstone Christian School follows the decisions made by The Salem-Keizer School District when it comes to inclement weather.

The reason for this is that the district has staff who test-drive roads in inclement weather to test for drive-ability throughout Salem and Keizer. We have staff and students who come from South Salem and West Salem to Cornerstone, so we will follow Salem-Keizer's determinations for inclement weather to minimize danger on the roads for our staff and our students' families during inclement weather events.

• When Salem-Keizer says "No School",
  • Cornerstone will be closed.
  • There will be no classes and there will be no staff at school to answer phones until school re-opens at 8:15 AM the following school day.
• When Salem-Keizer says "2 Hours late with no AM Kindergarten",
  • Cornerstone classes (grades 1-5) will start two hours late at 10:30 AM.
  • The Cornerstone school office will open at 10:15 AM.
  • There will be no AM Preschool.
  • There will be no AM Kindergarten classes.
  • PM Kindergarten will be in session beginning at noon.
• Beware that Salem-Keizer usually advertises its school closure decisions by 5 AM to the local media and listing services. However, they can and do change their decisions, so it is wise to keep checking. For example, they may change from "two hours late" to "No School".
• If there is a need to close school after it is in session for any reason, we will personally call each parent to inform you of the situation and arrange to have you pick up your child(ren). Of course, in this event staff will be on hand at the school until all children have been picked up by a parent.

Emergency & Closure Procedure:

Disasters, such as earthquakes and floods are rare and usually short-lived, as has been the case recently in parts of our state. There is always the possibility, however, that there could be a serious disaster. We feel that it is important to be prepared if that should happen while your child(ren) are at school. We prepare our students by teaching them how to react safely with potentially life-threatening danger.

A primary concern for each of us as parents and school staff is the safety and well being of our children. Recent disasters throughout the world have increased the awareness that we in Oregon are also at risk. Please take the time to review the items below.

• In the event of a major disaster, all students will be kept at school until they can be released by their teacher to a parent or designated adult. It is very important to keep the information on your Vital Statistics sheet up to date.
• If a disaster should occur, please do not call the school. The telephone lines, if working, will need to be kept open for communication with local emergency services.
• If you come to school after a disaster (to volunteer or to pick up children), please do not block roadways with your car, and remember to maintain a calm and positive attitude in the presence of the children.

In the event of a major disaster:

We are prepared to care for your child(ren) in times of critical situations. If you are not able to reach the school, we will care for your child(ren) here. All faculty and staff have completed the required CPR and first aid courses, and we will be in contact with various local emergency services as needed.

We do ask for parents to help in the following areas:

As we are in the process of teaching proper emergency procedures to everyone, we are including the following brief instructions so that you will be informed also. This will allow you to discuss the procedures with your student, know what to do if you should be at school during a disaster, and also help you use the principles at home during an emergency.

• Important! Stay where you are!
• In the classroom:
  Drop! Get down under a table or desktop. Turn away from windows. If there are no tables or desks, get close to inner walls or doorways.
  Grab! With one hand, grab onto the desk or table you are under so that it won't slide away from you.
  Cover! Lower your head and put your remaining arm behind your head to protect your neck. Stay in this position until the emergency is over. Do not leave the building.
  
• In the halls, gym, etc.:
  Get as close to an inner wall as possible, away from windows. Drop and cover (use both arms to protect your head and neck).
• Outside the building:
  Get as far away as possible from the building and other elevated objects that could fall and scatter debris. Do not go into a building until an all-clear signal is given.