It's Cold Outside - What Does Your School Do?

Well, we moved from Phoenix, AZ to Calgary....basically from the frying pan to the freezer, and we go along with what the schools dictate. ALL the kids must play outside. No exceptions. Until it reaches -20 C. Which is -4 F.

So bundled up they go....mittens, hats, scarves, snow pants if you like, boots, chapstick, ski jackets.

We live close by you and my kid is NEVER cold...I send him to school bundled up - coat, hat, gloves and when there is snow with snow pants and boots. The kids are running around and they are warm. 10 degres is fine for 10-20 minutes with bundled up kids. No one is going to get frost bite or be that uncomfortable. I would just bundle them up and drop them off at normal time and not worry about fighting this fight with the school.

I belive that the 10 degrees is a DCFS rule. If the kids are wearing proper attire, being outside for 10-20 mins is fine. Hat, gloves, scarff. I guess growing up here in Chicago, we are just used to it.

Sorry, I find the issue a bit unclear -- are kids who are dropped off then allowed to be outside in or near the parking lot before school, and they're running around, or running to get out of cars? Clearly parents are not driving carefully enough, but where are the kids coming from who are nearly getting hit -- are they popping out of cars trying to head inside or are they just hanging around after being dropped off but before school begins?

Our school has VERY strict rules about the dropoff line, which goes through the parking lot. All children who arrive before the first bell must go directly to the cafeteria,where they sit and can read or do homework until the bell rings. No child can be anywhere else in the school or outside it, period, until that first bell allows them to move to classrooms. They do not wait in the hallways for the bell. This applies whether it's cold or hot - the weather is totally irrelevant. It sounds as if your school does not allow the kids indoors before the bell rings so they are mucking around outside; they should be inside the school in one designated area with adult supervision (teachers are assigned to this duty on a rotation basis). The earliest any child can even enter the building is shortly before 9:00 and the child must go to the cafeteria until the designated time to move to classrooms at 9:15.

No child would be tolerated anywhere near the parking lot, which is where the dropoff area for car riders is located. Student patrols AND adults (again, teachers who rotate the duty) are always there; only the student patrols can open the car doors for the kids to exit so no child opens his or her own car door to get out; and the patrols close the doors again before the parent drives off; and believe me, any kid on the parking lot surface for any longer than it takes to walk from car door to sidewalk would be swiftly told off and hustled along by the patrols and adults. Does your school not have a student patrol program? Are the teachers too resistant to these kinds of extra duties? It's expected of our teachers.

We do not have issues with kids nearly getting hit!

The school needs to have a designated indoor waiting area; a staffing system to have a adult or adults there for a short time each day; and a strict rule that students must go there the moment they reach campus, if the bell has not yet rung. That prevents kids from liniing up in hallways and clogging them up and disturbing teachers who are trying to get things done early before class.

And if the school says there's no room -- our school has over EIGHT HUNDRED students and manages this for the car riders, so surely your smaller school can do it. Get on their case before a kid gets hit.The school also needs to send home some very strongly worded messages about safe driving around the school. If it's really bad, get the cops to be in the parking lot each day for a week; those parents whipping around the lot because they're late will feel their hearts stop when they see a fully uniformed cop standing there and beckoning them to pull over so the cop can say, "You realize you were driving unsafely in this lot, right?" No tickets, but give them a heck of a scare. They will learn to be on time.

If we didn't play outside when it was cold in MN, we didn't play half the year. So we regularly wore our boots and brought our sneakers for indoor play. I say bundle them up and know that they'll have to be outside for a bit. If there's a safer drop off location (like maybe a side street near a crossing guard), you might consider doing that. Contact the PTA to see if they have tried to address anything with the principal re: the driving.

I agree that a designated drop off is probably best and driving behavior isn't related to the cold.

You are totally a pansy that needs to suck it up and I am saying that with HUGS, LOVE, and WELL WISHES (you are so cute!) I live in Minnesota, and I deliver papers, and I'm often outside for four-five hours in below zero weather. :) :)

The key is to dress your child properly in layers when it is cold. Besides having a shirt on, they ought to have a sweatshirt on under their coat. Snowpants if the temperature falls into the teens or single digits, boots (even if there's no snow, because they are warmer), a hat, good gloves (not the cheaper $1 slip on gloves), and a scarf to cover the face with.

Then let the school deal with the disrobing each day...and maybe they'll change their policy. But either way, that's the appropriate way to dress in the cold.

I promise you'll get used to it...well...at least your children will. My parents never did, after 20 plus years in Minnesota, and they retired and moved back south. Of course, they never really "dressed" the part. I promise, if you bundle up, you'll be perfectly comfortable. Last night to deliver papers (and it was about 10 degrees out plus wind so probably below zero with wind chill) I wore long johns, jeans, knee high fur lined boots, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, ANOTHER sweatshirt, and a parka, gloves, a hat, my hood, and earphones. ;)

I'm in St. Charles. Our school doesn't line up outside in the mornings, but the district policy is that they go outside for recess unless it is below 0 degrees. Personally, I think being outside (even in the cold) is better for them than being inside all day.

I'm from Des Moines Iowa so I remember those frigid winter days very well.
I don't remember our schools having any policies re severe weather, unless it was a full on blizzard or thunderstorm we just dealt with it.
If I were you I would make sure my kids had really good clothes, especially good boots and gloves.
And I probably wouldn't try to get the school to change their policy (because I know that kids can handle being cold as long as they're properly dressed) but if the carpool drop off is as bad as you say I might organize a group of parent volunteers to help supervise.

I am in MN not far away. Its snowed here recently and its ice cold. We have 3 main elementary schools and the policy is that they wait in the hall before first bell. There is a monitor there if there is no foyer area, and even with the schools that have the foyer, the kids have to stand with out moving around too much. There is also a policy you can not drop your child off more than 10 minutes early in extreme weather or temps (10 or lower, 90 and above) with OUT permission. If they are there for the school breakfast they have to have a pass to give to get in.
No matter the weather. Kids can wait and horse around outside, but there are PTA and parent volunteers that will watch during the morning and afternoon hours. Drivers that are found to be reckless are stopped on the way out or licence plates are taken and they are sent a letter. They are reprimanded by the school.If its an ongoing issue they will turn it over to the police. There has been a few parents that were banned from driving in the parking lot of school. They have to park off lot and walk to the school entrance to pick up the kids now. Even then, there are some pretty inattentive driving parents out there. Its amazing. Me, I creep through and I make my kids be very quiet till I get out of the lot. I am terrified someones un watched child will dart in front of the car. There are 2 parents there than continuously are so negligent. They let there older and younger ones just run every where while they yap on their phones or smoke there cigarettes. and if cars stop quickly to avoid hitting them, they yell and gesture at the car... its nuts. With as strict as our system is here there are always the ones that manage to be a-holes.

Maybe suggest a parking lot monitor position to the school. Volunteer basis???

I suggest that the issue of parents waiting to the last minute has nothing to do with the temperature. At my granddaughter's school parents are dropping kids off at the last minute and it's in the 40's.

I suggest that this is a battle not worth fighting. Kids are fine lining up outside. If the school were to change the policy there would be other excuses for being late.

The issue to be addressed is people going too fast in the parking lot and kids not paying attention. If there aren't drop off zones, I suggest arranging for those would be more effective. And having a safety campaign with both teachers and parents teaching their children how to be safe in a parking lot.

I have never heard of a school that doesn't have at least 15 minutes of time where the kids can just go to their classroom.

My kids ride the bus and the buses start getting there about 20 minutes before the warning bell the kids can either go eat breakfast or go to their classroom. Since the staff is already there the driving parents can start dropping off at 20 minutes before the warning bell. It is rather easy if you are a drop off parent, you see the first bus pull in you unload your car.

My son's school has the policy that from December 1-March 1, the students are allowed right into the school, and line up in the hallways until their classrooms are opened.

If they aren't doing that, couldn't they at least designate a portion of the parking lot as 1 or 2 drop off lanes, and then the rest as waiting space for the kids? They could easily put up some wooden or plastic barriers to mark the boundary.

When I went to grade school we lined up outside. On the days that it was raining or maybe too cold (I don't remember), we lined up in the lunchroom. The grade school in my town opens their doors 20 minutes before school. The kids line up in the gym (k-1), lunchroom(3-4), and the art room (5th grade) everyday...the buses are in the parking lot, so no place to line up outside.
I suggest writing an email to the principal and/or the school district. Tell them your concern and give them some of your ideas to better the situation. Maybe they'll make a change. Possibly list example from other local grade schools.

I live in VA and for my kids school and the preschool I work at, if it's 32 or less, we stay inside. We have a big room for indoor recess also. In the mornings at drop off time, they open the doors at 7:40am and they can go right into their class. No need to wait outside

When the temperature is below -26 celcius (-14 F) the kids only get to go outside for recess 10 minutes at a time. When it is below -29 celcius (-20 F) the kids have indoor recess, and instead of lining up outside they may go directly to the gym until the bell rings. The temperature here right now is -24 celcius (-11 F). I realize you are not used to the cold, but when it is 10 degrees here our kids are still just wearing hoodies. Just make sure your kids have appropriate outdoor clothes and let them out. Kids need to be outside for fresh air and to run around, even when it is cold. I know that we usually have about a week or two when it is too cold for outdoor recess, and the kids have a really hard time concentrating in class. There would be no benefit to keeping them inside at warmer temperatures. I'm in Winnipeg (sometimes called Winterpeg).
My kids walk to and from school every day, no matter what the temperature!

ETA Students at our school line up at the doors adjacent to the playground, so instead of standing around waiting for the bell, they are playing and staying warm.

It works that way here, too (late drop offs) except for that its when its RAINING (at least half if not 2/3s of the time.

Ditto, its because parents don't want their kids out in the weather. Matters not that xyz could take care if "it" (warmer clothes, rain gear, etc.). Some parents just ARE NOT going to do xyz (because they can't or because they choose not to).

Our school closed the parking lot.

So there aren't kids in it. Ever.

Instead, parents drop kids off at the curb. So there are no kids crossing and its a MUCH larger space (rings the whole school).

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I think your idea sounds reasonable, HOWEVER it will only take care of SOME of the problem AND creates budget problems (if kids are indoors, they need people to supervise), AND creates definition problems (I consider 'cold' to be between 32&60. I'm more 'warm' in 31 to -20 than 30's. So if the policy changes to 'below freezing'... Some parents will get upset / want it changed to 40's others to 50's others adamant its not cold until negative numbers, etc. So there will be lots of 'dialogue' (arguing).

Which is probably what the school is looking at. Because it won't fix the problem (just alleviate SOME), but create more... Its not worth it to them.

I don't know what your schools layout is, but our school's solution MAY work:

Dear Students & Families,

Because of the ongoing problems in the parking lot, the parking lot will now be closed 30 min before and after drop off & pickup times. Parents may continue to drop off at the curb, but may no longer drop off in the parking lot.

Wow!! I enjoy reading these types of posts to see what it is like to live in the really cold,cold. It is hard to get my kids to wear a long sleeve shirt in our "cold". We have made a deal...you wear a short sleeve shirt then you have to wear a sweatshirt.

I live near San Francisco...it will be about 68 today. I might just wear my flip flops around today which will be kinda ironic as I walk past our Christmas tree that we have flocked so we can imagine what a white Christmas is like.

Good luck with getting some great suggestions.

Puts life in perspective for us out here where some moms are complaining that our kids are sent out to play when there is a slight frost on the grass!!!

In IL it's anything below 20 degrees and the kids are not allowed to go out for recess. As far as lining up inside, I do believe that since school has not officially started they do not have to allow it at all. You can google that though and find out the school codes and laws.
I live walking distance from the school and my kids walk. Unless there is lightening (heavy rain, who cares, but lightening is actually not safe) or they have something really heavy or have had surgery. I find it very irritating that parents feel the need to drop off up to half an hour before school starts. Drop them off 10 minutes before, it's enough time, and then they can walk right in.

In my childrens school it just states that on really cold/rainy days children will stay indoors. On these days they get to wait inside the hallways before school and stay in for recess.

Being that we live in MI we are used to cold days so I bundle my kids up in the morning and send them to school with the proper attire to spend time outside. I guess if you've lived in cold weather all your life, while yes 23 degrees is cold, we're used to it.

I would however be concerned about the safety of my child if they did not have a designated area for my child to stand outside without the harm of vehicles hitting them. At my kids school they line up right outside their "outside" door which is along the sides of the school and no where near the parking lot. They also have safety patrol keeping an eye on them too.

Well I'm probably not much help because I live in 75 degree Charleston today, but why can't the school have a policy where NO CHILD is dropped off before the bell rings and the doors open? That's how the schools do here. Our first bell rings at 7:30, and all car riders have to stay inside the car until the bell rings and the door opens. I'm not sure what the busses do, but I never see kids lining up outside before the bell rings.

If anyone should have to line up, the kids in the south should because we are usually never that cold! I would be a miserable person in 23 degree weather, and if it had to be 10 degrees before they let in? I'd be frozen solid.

I see nothing wrong with asking your school administration to allow the kids to come inside. Unless there is some state law that says they can't because of the number of hours or time the teacher have to be "on watch", it seems reasonable to me! Even if that's the case, I'd ask the PTA to have volunteers to man the lines!

Good luck!

It is 10 degrees here as well. However, the students can enter the school as early as 7:30AM. They are not forced to wait outside until the official start time of 8:10AM.

One, 30 degrees isn't cold. Ten is, but I would say 20 is a more reasonable cut off - that's the temperature here where they have the kids stay indoors for recess. But there is no reason for kids to not be outdoors for few minutes in 20-30 degree weather - that's what jackets, hats and gloves are for.

Two, we do not have this issue at either of the elementary schools my boys go to. At one, the first bell is at 8:10 and the second is at 8:25. That's a 15-minute window to drop kids off, so there is no big rush at any given time (900 kids). The other school does first bell at 8:45 and final bell at 9:00 and again, that's plenty of time for everyone to get inside (300 kids). At both schools, there is a traffic circle in front of the main doors - you either park in the lot and walk your child in (kids are not allowed to walk through the lots on their own) or you pull up into the circle and your child exits on the right of your car, onto the sidewalk, and walks into the main doors. There are no kids in the line of traffic and no kids gathered outside without supervision, ever.

Hopefully a look at how other schools manage this will give you principal some new ideas on how to better handle the flow of morning drop off.

Don't get mad at this, I grew up in Illinois so I remember those cold days. I live in Texas, outside of Dallas now. It was "cold" for us yesterday, well all this week. My youngest is in kindergarten and they had inside play yesterday because it was only in the 40's during the day. I was laughing when he told me this because I remember having to wait outside or evening having afternoon play outside.
However, even in the morning, the kids don't play outside before classes start, they go into the cafeteria or their homerooms.

My question is why are all these kids getting dropped off. What happened to taking the bus?

At my daughter's school the kids are allowed to enter the school after the 8:10am bell rings (classes start at 8:20am) but the kids that arrive before the 8:10am bell are instructed to walk around to the back of the school - which is up a hill and out of sight of the parking lot - and wait for the bell to ring regardless of the weather (rain, snow, cold, etc). In the warmer weather I don't mind walking her up the hill to the back of the school but in the winter (or rain) we simply leave the house right before 8:10am so I can pull up and she can walk right in the main doors! Not sure if that answers your question though =/

We live near Chicago, too. Out here in this northern suburb if it is below 20 the kids are inside for all recess time. 21 degrees and they go out...
As far as the safety issue...why are the kids lining up in a parking lot? Is there no playground blacktop to play/stand on? I would definitely make your voice heard when it comes to the safety of your child and the possibility of them being run over by a car while lining up for school!

Schools around here have kids in the gym or cafeteria or all purpose room before school. Much easier to supervise children. Much safer!