Weather-Related Procedures
School Closure and Delayed Start Due to Inclement Weather
Occasionally it becomes necessary to close school due to inclement weather or an emergency situation. Here are two district resources to check for the most accurate up-to-date school closure or delayed schedule information. Weather-related decisions are made by area so make sure to check the Highlands Ranch Feeder Area.
- Website at www.dcsdk12.org
- Hotline 303-387-(SNOW) 7669
Lone Tree Elementary will follow the delayed 90-minute schedule for the Highlands Ranch Feeder Area. Start times for a delayed schedule at Lone Tree Elementary are:
- Lone Tree Elementary - 9:45 A.M.
- Lion's Club - 8:00 A.M
Early Dismissal - Discuss in detail with your child what they are to do in the event that he/she arrives home before you do (i.e. go to neighbors, locate hidden key, etc.). Occasionally, because of unexpected severe weather or other emergencies, it may be necessary for the school officials to dismiss the students before the end of the school day. Children will remain in their classrooms until an authorized adult signs the children out. The teacher will release the child at that time.
Cold-Weather Procedures - During cold weather, the temperature and wind chill will be monitored. If you see a red flag in the morning, this means that the temperatures or conditions outside are extreme enough that students will be let inside the building beginning at 8 am to wait until the bell rings. Please send students prepared for outdoor conditions in all other situations.
Factors Determining Indoor Recess - Recess is an important part of the school day for children, and participation in outside activities is valued, however, the safety of our students is always our first consideration before sending students outside. The safety factors we need to consider include:
- Temperatures, including wind chill, need to be above 20°F.
- Main traffic patterns and play areas for students need to be free of ice
- Area is free of severe weather or other possible outside threats
Severe Weather Procedures including Lightning - The district provides severe weather notification to the front office, and we follow their guidelines for severe conditions indicated on the radar. If lightning is within an 8-mile radius, students will be contained in the building for recess or any other school activity. We encourage parents to use these tools to self-monitor conditions
- APPS - please use the WeatherBug APP
- Refer to the zapmap linked to our weather station dashboard
Red Flag Dismissal Procedures
If severe weather happens during dismissal, we will suspend normal dismissal procedures and implement our Red Flag Dismissal Procedures.
- By 2:45 pm we will:
- Post red flags at the entry point to both pickup loops designating that parents need to enter the building in order to sign out their child(ren)
- Send out an email announcing a Red Flag (lightning) dismissal
- Parents need to park their cars and enter our building at either the main entrance or the Kindergarten entrance.
- We ask that all parents wear masks—once inside they will proceed to the appropriate classroom to sign out their child(ren).
- Students will be monitored until an authorized adult (at least 18 years old) signs them out.
- Walkers and bike riders will be allowed to call home at 3:15 pm
- Supervision ends at 3:30 pm so all students need to be picked up by that time
- Students registered for Lion's Club for the day will go there as usual until released
Fire and Tornado Drills - Fire and tornado drills are conducted on a regular basis for the safety of students and school personnel. Maps are posted in every classroom outlining these emergency procedures. Please be assured that your child's welfare would be attended to in the event of an emergency of this nature. Our staff is trained to respond to a crisis and a detailed crisis plan is available in the office.