Chester County Intermediate Unit
Revised Fall 2013
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we embark on the winter months, the Chester County Intermediate Unit Preschool Special Education program (PSE) will use the following procedures in case of school closings, late openings and early dismissals due to inclement weather. Please keep this letter for future reference. Please note clarification regarding transportation.
The CCIU Preschool Special Education program will follow the kindergarten schedule in the district where the program is located. For example: If the morning kindergarten programs in the Owen J. Roberts School District are canceled, the morning session of the CCIU PSE located at Vincent Elementary will also be canceled. If the West Chester Area School District decides to dismiss their afternoon kindergarten at 2:00 P.M. due to bad weather, the PSE classes at Mary C. Howse Elementary would also dismiss at that time.
NOTE: The morning PSE sessions in all districts will be canceled whenever those districts have a two-hour delay. The afternoon PSE session would follow the regular schedule in case of a two-hour morning delay.
Classrooms located at TCHS-Brandywine and the Chester County Intermediate Unit Technical College High School (Jennersville) will follow the specific building’s closings. All Preschool Special Education programs located in district school settings will follow the schedule for the school district in which they are located with the exception of programs located at the Stanley K. Landis (SKL) building. Programs located at SKL will follow the Chester County Intermediate Unit Child and Career Development Center (CDC). All itinerant services will follow the schedule for the school district in which the child is served.
Transportation: Due to safety concerns, children will not be transported to or from the Preschool Special Education Program if the school district in which they live is delayed or closed. For example: If a child lives in West Chester School District, but goes to a class in another school district that is open, that child’s transportation will operate according to the West Chester School District. This rule also pertains to subcontractors for transportation offices such as On the Go Kids and for CCIU transportation. Parents who wish to take their children to a preschool special education program with the scenario listed above should be aware that they will have to provide transportation for the return trip as well.
In case of early dismissal, the Intermediate Unit will notify all transportation departments to pick up students at the designated time. Your child’s Preschool Special Education teacher will notify you by telephone that your child will be arriving home early and ask that you make sure there is someone at home when your child arrives. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER HAS AN EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER WHERE YOU CAN BE REACHED IN THE CASE OF AN EARLY DISMISSAL.
Late openings and cancellations are announced on the radio and are also available on the Philadelphia area television station websites. Please refer to the enclosed chart for stations carrying announcements for each of the Chester County School Districts. This chart also includes the individual district’s identification code, which is used by most Philadelphia stations.
NOTE: The above procedures relate only to cancellations, late openings and early dismissals caused by inclement weather. If you have any questions regarding the above procedures, please contact the Preschool Special Education office at 484-237-5048 or your child’s teacher. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Preschool Supervisors
cc: Transportation Directors
Building Principals
Ann Henry
Dr. Jackie Auris
Austill's
Educational Service Center • 455 Boot Rd. Downingtown, PA 19335 484-237-5000. Fax: 484-237-5167