In the event of bad weather, the following general arrangements will apply and appropriate announcements will be made. Please stay informed via the ESF Parents App or email as the school will send out any relevant updates to parents.
| RAINSTORM WARNING SYSTEM | ACTION TO BE TAKEN |
|---|---|
| Typhoon Signal No. 1 |
All schools will operate as normal. |
| Typhoon Signal No. 3 |
All Primary and Secondary schools will operate as normal unless advised otherwise. |
|
Typhoon Signal No. 8 or Above |
If the Observatory hoists a Typhoon weather signal before the start of the school day and schools are closed, ESF will activate the work-from-home arrangement. A message will be sent through the ESF PARENTS APP.
If extreme weather conditions occur and a typhoon signal is hoisted above a No. 8 signal and/or a Black Rain signal is hoisted, the school will not provide online synchronous or asynchronous teaching and learning during this time. If the extreme weather conditions are down-graded to T8 or lower or below a Black Rain before 12 noon, schools will instigate their online learning provision for the rest of the school day. |
| Amber Rainstorm Warning |
All schools will operate as normal. Please listen to radio and TV announcements in case the weather deteriorates. |
| Red or Black Rainstorm Warning |
(i) Before the start of school – All schools will close all day. If a Red Rain signal is hoisted before the start of the school day and school is closed, teachers will provide synchronous or asynchronous teaching and learning online. If a Black Rain signal is hoisted, schools will not provide synchronous or asynchronous online teaching and learning during this time. If the extreme weather conditions are down-graded to below a Black Rain before 12 noon, schools will activate their online learning provision for the rest of the school day. (ii) After students have set off for school but before the commencement of school – If students arrive at school they will be supervised until it is safe for them to be collected. (iii) When classes are in session – Schools continue until the end of normal school hours and students are retained until conditions are safe for them to return home. The school is not allowed to run the school buses when a Red or Black Warning is issued. For ii and iii, children may only be released to a parent or designated responsible adult if requested by a If the Red/Black Rainstorm signal is still in place at 3:00 pm, the school will have buses on standby for the next 60 minutes if available. If the signal does not change, the school will ask parents to pick up their child(ren) when it is safe to do so. |
Before School Hours
Parents should use the radio or television (or consult the EDB or ESF websites) to receive announcements on the closure of schools. Announcements are usually made from 6:00 am onwards.
In School Hours
With the government announcement of the closure of schools, all schools are to close. In that situation, principals will ensure that safe and adequate arrangements can be made for students to return home. If that is impossible the school will inform affected parents that their children will remain in school until it is safe to release them or until a parent or designated responsible adult picks them up. Students will not be sent home on school buses once a Signal 8 or above has been hoisted.
Learning Activities on Closure Days
Teachers will be in touch via the ESF Parents App to set some optional activities for children to complete on days when school is unexpectedly closed due to inclement weather. Asynchronous learning activities, weather permitting, will be made available by 9 a.m. to talk through the learning activities with those children who would like to join.
Parents are encouraged to check their ESF Parents App regularly for updates.