The Guilford Public Schools Non-Discrimination Statement

The Guilford Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or disability in its programs, activities, and employment practices and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries related to sex discrimination or harassment should be directed to Jason J. Beaudin, Title IX Coordinator and Assistant Superintendent, 701 New England Road, Guilford, CT 06437 or at 203-458-0001, ext. 6; inquiries related to disabilities should be directed to Jason Sconziano, Director of Pupil Services, 701 New England Road, Guilford, CT 06437 or at 203-458-0001, ext. 260.

Transportation

Student bus assignments are available on the district website at www.guilfordschools.org/transportation. Students and families should plan for an additional 10 minutes before and after posted times as the district makes adjustments to the new schedules during the first weeks of school.

School Openings and Closings for Adverse Weather Conditions

For the safety of staff and students, Guilford Public Schools will consider three options in the event of potentially hazardous traveling conditions on school mornings.

1) Close school campuses.

2) Delay the opening of school for two hours. All morning bus schedules will be delayed for two hours. Schools will close at the regular time.

3) Delay the opening of school for three hours. All morning bus schedules will be delayed for three hours. Schools will close at the regular time. Pre-K Programs will operate under the following schedules when the two hour or three hour delay is employed:

Full Day Pre-K Program: 11:05 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. (two hour delay); 12:05 to 3:25 p.m. (three hour delay)

Pre-K Program (A.M.): Sessions will be canceled

Pre-K Program (P.M.): 12:50 to 3:25 p.m.

In the event that school is closed or delayed, the information will be communicated through the following outlets:

1) A SchoolMessenger email message will be sent to the first two email addresses parents and guardians have provided to GPS.

2) TV Stations: WTNH-TV (Channel 8, FOX 61 (Channel 61), WVIT-TV (Channel 30), and WFSB-TV (Channel 3)

3) Radio stations: WKSS (95.7 FM), WWYZ (92.5 FM), and WHCH (105.9 FM)

4) Website: www.guilfordschools.org

5) Call 203-453-8200, press 6 to hear an updated message.

6) Text message to families and staff who have opted in for this service.

Do not call the Town’s Communication Center for information relating to school closings.

If a storm begins during the school day and shows signs of developing into a potentially dangerous situation, schools will be closed early to enable them to get children home quickly and safely. In this type of situation, P.M. Pre-K sessions will be canceled.

If a storm begins during the school day, a SchoolMessenger telephone, text, and email message will be sent to all contacts provided to GPS. The district website will display this information and the radio and TV stations will be notified as soon as possible.

Parents are asked to make provisions for their children who will arrive home early in the event schools are dismissed early for weather-related reasons.

Note:

• There may be times when the weather worsens quickly and GPS has missed the window of time to officially call an early dismissal. In this situation, GPS may have the buses pick up students at school approximately 15 minutes earlier than normal to allow more travel time for the buses under deteriorating conditions. The SchoolMessenger emergency contact system will be implemented to send email, phone, and text messages to all contacts provided to make parents aware of the early dismissal. Be assured that bus drivers will not leave a young child at home if there is no one there. Drivers will attempt to contact a parent/guardian; if they are unable to, the child will be returned to school.

• When schools are canceled because of inclement weather, Guilford pupils will not be transported to schools out of the district.

• The Guilford Police Department recommends to parents that it is safer for children to take school buses on days of inclement weather than for parents to provide transportation since buses are equipped with snow tires and chains. This action also reduces the number of cars on the road and minimizes the possibility of mishap.

Those with specific questions about these procedures may contact their building principal.

Orientation, Open House, and Back to School Nights

All Elementary Schools: Open House Thursday, Sept. 2 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Baldwin Middle School: Orientation/Picnic for Grade 5 and new to Guilford Grade 6 students: Friday, Sept. 3 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Back to School Nights

Specific times for the Back to School Nights will be communicated directly from the schools in September.

All Elementary Schools: Thursday, Sept. 30

Baldwin Grade 5: Monday, Oct. 4

Baldwin Grade 6: Tuesday, Oct. 5

Adams Grade 7: Monday, Sept. 27

Adams Grade 8: Tuesday, Sept. 28

Guilford High School: Thursday, Oct. 7

Receive Text Messages from Guilford Public Schools

SchoolMessenger is the school district’s automated email and phone notification service. It is a part of our communication system used to convey important information in the event of an emergency, to make you aware of school closings and delays, and also to share newsletters and regular announcements.

Text messaging is an option within SchoolMessenger. It does not replace our other methods of communication but provides an additional outlet for you to receive time sensitive, important information.

If you have provided Guilford Public Schools with new cell phone numbers, either by registering a new student in our school system or by updating your contact information for an existing student, you will automatically receive a text message from Guilford Public Schools from #67587 to “opt-in” to receive text messages from us. You may choose to “opt-in” by replying “Y” or “YES” if you would like to receive our text messages. If you do not want to receive text messages, simply ignore this message.

Provided your cell phone number is already in our system, you may opt-in for text messages at any time by texting “YES” to #67587.

SchoolMessenger does not charge recipients for text messages you receive; however, wireless providers may charge for individual text messages depending on the plan associated with your wireless device.

Board of Education

Board of Education meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, with the exception of July and August when only one meeting is held. The first meeting of each month consists of a regular agenda and includes opportunities for public input. These meetings are held at Guilford High School in the library beginning at 7:30 p.m. The board invites citizens to attend and welcomes dialogue regarding the schools and their educational programs.

The second meeting of each month is reserved for committee work and is held at our schools on a rotating basis.

The following is a list of the regular meetings for the Board of Education through January 2022:

Monday, Sept. 13

Tuesday, Oct. 12

Monday, Nov. 8

Monday, Dec. 13

Monday, Jan. 10, 2022

GPS Emergency Communications

The Guilford Public Schools will utilize several communication outlets to provide information during an emergency situation. Some resources may be compromised in an emergency due to power outages, interrupted Internet connections and poor or no cell phone service. Please check more than one outlet for updated information.

• SchoolMessenger communications will be sent to all email and telephone contacts provided to GPS by parents and guardians

• Updates will be posted on our website at www.guilfordschools.org

• A voice mail message will be available at 203-453-8200, prompt 6

• A text message will be sent to cell phone numbers provided you have opted in for this service via SchoolMessenger

• Information will be sent to local television and radio stations when possible and appropriate