How to determine if PMCA will be open or closed.
Early Dismissal Procedures.
School closing numbers for area schools.

IS PMCA OPEN OR CLOSED?

To find out if PMCA is open or closed, do one of the following:

• Check out the main page of PMCA’s website at www.phil-mont.com.
• Listen to KYW, 1060 on your AM dial, first thing in the morning. Our school closing number is 365. Also listen for your school district number (given below) for bus transportation information. If PMCA’s number is called, there is no school. If it is not called, we have school. Your school district number will then let you know if your child’s bus will arrive on a 1 or 2 hour delay*, or if you will not have busing at all (morning or afternoon) due to your district’s closing. (If your school district number is NOT called, your busing should proceed according to the normal schedule.) Special busing is NOT provided for PMCA students if your school district is on a delay or is closed due to inclement weather.
• Several television stations now list school closings by name on their early morning shows. You may watch for closings on either NBC Channel 10 (Snow Alert 10) beginning at 5 a.m. or ABC Channel 6 (WPVI) or FOX Channel 29 (WTXF) Morning News beginning at 6 a.m. Again, you will need to be watching for both PMCA and the name of your school district.
• A number of Internet websites also will be carrying this information, including PMCA’s website at www.phil-mont.com.

 If your district is on a delayed opening, you have two options: you may have your child ride the bus and arrive at school one or two hours late (he or she will be excused for being late) or you may bring your child in yourself, at the usual school opening time of 8:15 a.m. If you are unable to get your child to school by any means, it is extremely important that you call the office so we have an account of your child.

 *Philadelphia Parents, please note: An announcement that Philadelphia public schools will be opening one hour late does not necessarily mean that the Philadelphia buses to PMCA will be one hour late. Our experience with Philadelphia has been that some buses will run at the regular time, some will run one hour late and others will be somewhere in between. You need to be prepared for anything. The best option may be to touch base directly with the busing contractors, Atlantic Express (215-537-5405) for 4292 and 4293, or Durham (215-535-7300) for 4294, to see what time your particular bus driver is planning to begin his or her run.

ELEMENTARY EMERGENCY DISMISSAL

If we are in session for the day and need to send students home because bad weather has set in, we will activate our EMERGENCY DISMISSAL system. It is important for everyone to follow this procedure so that we can get the children home as quickly and safely as possible.

1. When we receive word from a school district that they are closing and are sending a bus for the children, we will call every family on that bus route to let them know. The bus will not be dismissed until everyone has been contacted.(If we are unable to contact you and you have stated on your Emergency Dismissal Form that we may send your child without contacting you, we will do so.) If we as a school have not closed for the day, you may choose to leave your child in school until the regular dismissal time and then pick him or her up yourself. If you choose this option, please be aware that there is always a chance that the administrators will elect to close the school early and you may receive a call to pick your child up as soon as possible.
   
2. PLEASE do not call the school to see if we have decided to close early. As soon as a decision is made, area radio and television stations will be contacted. Again, please be listening or watching for the school number 365. It is extremely difficult for the office staff to conduct an Emergency Dismissal when parents are calling the office. It is important that we keep the phone lines open for school districts to call in and for us to call out. The school website www.phil-mont.com will be updated promptly with any early closing information.
   
3. If we make a decision to close early, there will be no Extended Care. If your child normally stays in Extended Care and you receive notice that PMCA is closing early due to bad weather, please make arrangements to pick up your child as soon as possible. No supervision will be available after the regular closing time of 3:00.
   
4. If you know you will be some place other than what you listed on your Emergency Dismissal Form and the weather forecast is threatening, please send a note in with your child telling us where you can be reached. Tracking down parents is a time-consuming job and seriously slows down the Emergency Dismissal process.
   
5. If you come to school to pick up your child you must come to the office and we will call for your child to be dismissed. Please DO NOT go to your child’s classroom; in order to keep track of where each child is, we need to call for students from the office and record who has left and with whom.

We greatly appreciate everyone’s cooperation with this process. Getting both the children and our faculty and staff home safely and quickly is our main concern. If you have any questions, please call the office at 215-628-4330 before snowy weather sets in. Thanks for your help!

SCHOOL CLOSING NUMBERS