Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Dear Northwest Indiana Lighthouse Families,
Safety is our number one priority next to fulfilling our mission of educating our students. While we are experiencing excessive heat, we will be open tomorrow. All of our buildings are air conditioned and we service our systems regularly. We recommend sending your scholar to school with a water bottle that can be refilled. For bus riders, the bus company we use does not have air conditioned buses. If your scholar has any underlying health conditions that suggest they should not ride the bus under these circumstances, please make the best decision for your scholar. We recommend sending your scholar with a cold towel and water bottle if you still plan on them riding the bus. We strongly suggest that if you are able to drop your scholar off that you do so. Excused absences will also be an option for any family that contacts the school to inform us of their inability to get their scholar to school due to these circumstances. To ensure families are able to secure proper transportation for their scholars, we will support any accommodations needed for late drop off and early pick up for those families that need them.
Our plan for the extreme heat includes:
Having indoor recess and gym
Keeping our classroom shades pulled and lights off
Ensuring all water fountains have bottle filters and fillers
Monitoring our students who have asthma and other health impairments
All after school activities will be canceled
We also suggest the following at home:
Drink plenty of water
Keep blinds and shades drawn
Minimize the use of your stove and oven
Minimize your time outdoors
Check on family, friends and neighbors
Here are signs and symptoms of a heat stroke:
High body temperature (103°F or higher)
Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
Fast, strong pulse
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Losing consciousness (passing out)
What to do (Recommendations from the CDC):
Call 911 right away
Move the person to a cooler place
Help lower their body temperature by placing a cool cloth over their head and neck
Do not give the person anything to drink
For additional tips please visit the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.html
Thank you for your attention to this important message. Please take all necessary precautions to keep yourself, your scholar, and your family safe. Please check your email, NWILCS website, and phone for any updates as we continue to monitor the weather for our school communities.
In partnership,
Jessica Beasley,
Executive Director/Superintendent