Psalm 148:7-8
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding.
The purpose of the RCA Inclement Weather Policy (the “RCA Policy”) is to provide the RCA community (the “RCA Community”) (which for the purposes of this Policy shall include the RCA students, parents, and staff) with a known set of guidelines for given expected weather conditions.
The RCA Policy is for the use of the RCA Community only.
The RCA Policy reflects the demographics and methods of transport to and from RCA of the RCA community. The RCA Community is comprised of families that live in and around Guelph, Rockwood, Cambridge, Fergus, Kitchener and surrounding areas. The majority of families drive to school on a daily basis.
This policy document is a risk management document that is written with primary aim of supporting the safety of the RCA Community in its journey to and from school. Notwithstanding the above, this Policy does not ensure the safety of the RCA Community in its journey to and from school and RCA will not accept any responsibility for accidents or injuries that occur in the aforesaid journey.
It is the responsibility of each driver to determine whether conditions are safe to drive in on any given day, members of the RCA Community will not be penalized if they choose not to drive to RCA on the basis of poor driving conditions.
RCA will consider closure due to Inclement Weather only when the Service de transport de Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services (“STWDSTS”) has already cancelled school transportation. The decision on whether to close or open for the day in question will be made at 6:30am in accordance with this Policy.
Please be aware that the decision by the STWDSTS to cancel transportation is made after discussion with school bus operators based on information from Environment Canada, OPP, MTO and local road superintendents from Wellington and Dufferin counties.
STWDSTS regional divisions are as follows:-
Yellow – South Wellington and the City of Guelph
Blue – Centre Wellington, the Town of Erin and Eramosa
Pink – North Wellington
Green – Dufferin County
In the event that STWDSTS cancels transportation the RCA response will be as follows:-
a) Cold weather cancellations – Yellow district buses cancelled due to temperatures of minus 25°C AND Yellow district schools OPEN
RCA will be OPEN
b) Cold weather cancellations – Yellow district buses cancelled AND Yellow district schools CLOSED due to temperatures of minus 35°C
RCA will be CLOSED
c) Inclement weather cancellations – Yellow district buses cancelled due to poor driving conditions including snow, fog, freezing rain, blowing snow
RCA will be CLOSED
d) Inclement weather cancellations – Blue, and/or Pink, and/or Green district buses cancelled due to poor driving conditions including snow, fog, freezing rain, blowing snow BUT Yellow district buses running
RCA will be OPEN but recognition should be made that the operation of RCA may have to modified if some RCA Community members are unable to drive to school.