The View on Snow

RCS provides an important service to our community and snow days cause inconvenience for all of us – parents, families, staff, and administration. It is difficult trying to weigh the safety of our students and staff travelling to and from school with the inconvenient repercussions for families who are forced to make alternate arrangements. Many work places simply do not allow for snow days and they expect to remain open in spite of the weather.

Students are encouraged to attend school on a snowy day. However, it is understood that some students travel to school in ways that may not be possible or safe on a snowy day. If, for any reason, a parent/guardian feels that a child cannot travel safely to school they should make the appropriate choices and arrangements. Parents/guardians are responsible for their children’s safe travel to school, whether it is snowing, raining or sunny and dry.

Frequent Questions

“How much snow is required before a snow day is determined? Will school be cancelled if there is 5 cm of snow? 10 cm?”
The best answer is that RCS will consider school closure based upon significant snow levels and/or road safety. If the roads are clear and there is 10 cm of snow, you can expect the school to be open as usual. If the roads are treacherous and icy with 5 cm of snow, RCS will likely be closed for the day.

“There was lots of snow at my home. Why was the school still open?”
Because RCS is located in the municipality of Richmond, the snow levels in Richmond will be used to determine a school closure. Our staff and students travel from Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Langley, Surrey and Delta on a daily basis. There is a great variety of weather conditions between these various locations, on any day and time of the week.

“How will I know if there is a school closure?”
School closures will be posted on the school website, www.myrcs.ca by 6:30 am. Please check the website frequently when there is a snowfall warning in effect. An email will also be sent to all families advising of a school closure. Please ensure that RCS has your most current email address.

Closing school due to weather considerations is not an exact science. We all recall having forecasts of significant snowfall that never materialized and sometimes we have been caught unaware by an unexpected snowfall. Hindsight is 20/20 in making weather predictions. Therefore, school closures cannot be called according to weather forecasts but according to the actual weather occurring in Richmond.

(These pictures were taken at the same time – from Mr. Grose’s office window in Richmond and Mrs. Grose’s office in Vancouver.)

Mr. Roger Grose
Superintendent

RCS Christmas Program

Our community will gather once again for the annual Christmas Program on December 20. The program will be held at South Delta Baptist Church in Tsawwassen. (1988 56 Street.) Although the program officialyl begins at 7pm, there is pre-concert music beginning at 6:30pm.

Please join us as our students from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve lead us in this special time of praise and worship.