Frost Families,
Student health and safety is our primary concern. During cold months, schools monitor temperatures on a day-by-day basis. If it’s determined that temperatures are too cold for outdoor recess activities, then students will be kept inside the school and recess activities will take place inside the school gym or individual classrooms.
When temperatures drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below (including the wind chill), students are kept indoors during recess to avoid exposure to dangerously cold conditions. Students will be allowed inside the school building up to 20 minutes early if temperatures reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
When temperatures range from 21 to 27 degrees, the decision to hold outdoor recess is left to the discretion of school administrators. This flexibility allows schools to consider specific conditions such as wind speed, sun exposure, or playground safety.
Parents are encouraged to check local weather forecasts and ensure their children are appropriately dressed for the day’s conditions, regardless of whether recess is held indoors or outdoors. Proper attire such as coats, hats, and gloves is always encouraged, but during extreme cold, even these precautions may not be sufficient to protect against frostbite or hypothermia during prolonged outdoor exposure.
Air Quality
Schools also monitor daily air quality indexes and take appropriate action based on guidance from the Utah Department of Health.
The guidance aligns with federal Air Quality Index (AQI) recommendations and links indoor recess recommendations to PM2.5 levels, which is the air pollutant of main concern during winter months. The guidance also takes into account students with respiratory symptoms or pre-existing respiratory conditions who may be more sensitive to poor air quality.
Air Quality – Recess Guidance (PDF)
Recommendations for Recess based on Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and Air Quality Index (AQI) Levels:
- PM2.5 above 55.5 or AQI over 150 – All students stay indoors.
- PM2.5 between 35.4 and 55.5 or AQI between 100 and 150 – Students with respiratory symptoms** and sensitive students*** stay indoors.
- PM2.5 Below 35.4 and AQI below 100 – All students stay outdoors.
Check PM2.5 levels on the Air Quality website; click on “Current.”
**Respiratory symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
***Sensitive students may include those with asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, compromised immune systems, or other respiratory problems.
Parents, with the advice of their health care provider, should inform the school if their child is part of a sensitive group who should have limited outdoor physical activity when air quality is poor.
As outlined in the graph, students with respiratory symptoms or other health concerns should remain indoors when PM2.5 levels are above 35.5. All students remain indoors when PM2.5 levels are above 55.5.
Early Morning Access
To ensure students are not sitting outside in the cold waiting to enter the building, we ask parents not to drop their children off until at least 8:40 a.m. On mornings when the temperature is less than 20 degrees, the doors will be opened no earlier than 8:40 a.m.
After school, please make sure your student has been picked up or is on the way home no later than 3:50 p.m.
After considering these policies and procedures, one must remember that we are making the decision with all the students in mind. It is important that parents inform the school if their child is part of a sensitive group who should have limited outdoor physical activity when air quality is poor.
Sincerely,
Brandon Moore, Principal
