Winter Closings.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday break. Eventually, we will get back to school. As the end of the year approached, I began to wear-out the Accuweather App on my phone. It became obvious to me that a return to school was probably not going to happen on the 2nd. Looking ahead from there, the 3rd was going to be colder. In addition to Thursday and Friday, the forecast for Monday and Tuesday looked bitter and bleak. In the end, school was cancelled for several days. Canceling school is seldom a simple decision. Sometimes, like Monday with its -40 wind chills, it is a no-brainer. Other times, like Friday, the decision is less obvious because the morning weather and the mid morning weather vary so much that by 10 AM school could have easily been in session. Additionally, we like to give parents plenty of time to make plans for days out of school. We can't always cancel the night before, but when we can we will. The biggest concerns regarding closing school are transportation related. We don't have any walkers, but we do have a lot of bus riders. Most of these riders (240+) wait at open bus stops in the mornings. Then there is the bus ride itself. If a bus breaks down in low temperatures, the wait on the bus could vary from uncomfortable to dangerously cold. We have a safetyvplan in place that would have a assistance bus on the road within 5-10 minutes of receiving notification of an issue. In addition to those we transport, there are those students and staff that drive to school each day. Stranded individuals, especially novice drivers, aren't always prepared for being exposed to the weather while they wait for assistance. This group is also an area of concern when ice, snow pack, or drifting snow are on the road or approaching. Our decision to dismiss early is entirely dependent on weather updates and forecast models throughout the day. We also talk with other schools in the path of the ice or snow. During a school day, We are forced to make a decision two-three hours before we believe the storm will hit us. This window allows parents of younger students to make after school plans. It gives student drivers a chance to get home. It allows buses time to drop off students and get back to base. Additionally, we need to make sure our staff and bus drivers have a window to get home before the storm hits. As you can see, there are numerous concerns that we take into consideration before we close school. Our philosophy is simple - error on the side of student and staff safety. Looking ahead, if this winter is anything like our extreme summer, this won't be the last round of school closings. Have a great day and STAY WARM. - Mr. Curry



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Green Hair

Friday was a very exciting day at VIT Elementary School. The morning began with our incentive rewards for the school's recent fundraiser. Students who met specific goals were rewarded with the new scooters. After the scooters were given out, the students watched as I was painted and pied by a couple of people. As an incentive to raise funds, the PTO asked if I would allow them to set certain goals ties to my hair being painted green and/or a pie in the face. Needless to say, they met both goals and I received a nice green hair do and a whip cream pie in the face. The kids and teachers had fun with it.

Lady Rebel Pink Night Survivor Walk

On Saturday, the Lady Rebels hosted their annual Pink Night. The night recognizes the challenges, struggles, losses, and survivors in the battle against all kinds of cancers. Before the varsity game, there was a Survivor Walk for those in attendance who have dealt with or are dealing with cancer in their lives. Once the game started, the Lady Rebels put it to the Lady Bombers of Macomb High. Wearing their personalized pink uniforms, our girls battled hard and controlled the game from start to finish. A great cause + great outcome for our team = A great night.

Feliz Navidad at the Festival of Trees

Yesterday, after a meeting in downtown Macomb, I stopped in at the Festival of Trees. The art gallery was filled with many themed trees. The one I have pictures of was decorated by our Spanish Club. When I told the ladies at the festival I was here to see "my school's tree," they knew I must be from VIT. We were the only school to enter a tree. There were at least 20 trees on display and we were near the front of the tour. The ladies were very complimentary of our tree and, more importantly, our kids who decorated it. This is another example of our students and staff representing VIT in a positive light outside of the school building. Gracias, Spanish Club and Señora McGregor.

Students, Families, Snow and Great Fun

I made a quick collage of a few pictures from a great afternoon at the 1st Table Grove Winter Play Day. Fun activities and good food all afternoon! The day included a human dog sled race, kids craft and cookie activities, free lunch, Santa, reindeer, Clydesdale wagon rides, and a parade.
The VIT Marching Band braved the cold and entertained the crowd during the parade.
It was great to see such an outstanding community response to a new idea and new reason to get together.

Foggy Mornings and Safe Buses

I just wanted to say "thanks" to our bus drivers for driving the last few mornings in fog like this. It is easy to take the school bus and the job the drivers do for granted, but they are an important step in the educational process. Often, they are the first step in the process. Without safe buses, many children and parents would have an additional hurdle to jump to get to school. The big yellow buses and the people who drive them are valuable members of our district and the past few mornings bring their value to the forefront.

Final General Session

This morning's final session is a motivational program led by the founder of the WWII Honor Flight Program that provides free trips to the Washington DC War Memorials. The theme of humble and selfless veterans is one that we could all emulate a little better everyday.