Since the "polar vortex" weather is back

I originally posted this information over at The Sixth Ward on January 6, 2013 during the first "polar vortex" episode. So this information remains important. Please remember if you need transportation to or information on the nearest warming center call 311.

State Rep. Elgie Sims (District 34) provides some more resources with regards to the weather in a recent email

Please use the following resources to keep you safe and warm:

• Keep warm Illinois
  • A website aimed at identifying warming centers around the state and other information necessary to assist with keeping warm during the cold months of the year.
• Getting around Illinois
  • The website will provide residents and motorists with information regarding the status of our roads. 
• ComED energy assistance
  • Customers are encouraged to notify ComED as quickly as possible if they experience an outage. 
  • Customers can text OUT to 26633 to report any outages and receive restoration information, or they can contact ComED by calling 1-800-EDISON-1.

And as always this:

Please check on elderly neighbors and make sure that you and any children under your care are sufficiently bundled up if you must go outside.  Please do not forget pets and keep them indoors during these extreme conditions.

Be careful out there everyone! Stay safe and warm!

CPS schools back in session on Wednesday

Well, it appears the two day extended vacation is over for CPS students. And perhaps the weather is starting to get better!

Message again via the CPS FB page where if you connect with them there will be updates on what's going on at CPS.

CPS school will be closed on Tuesday also...

Click for better resolution

You may have seen this posted at Chicago Public School FB page. It looks like CPS students get a two day extension of their Christmas holidays this year. And as always stay safe and warm. Be sure to check the information posted earlier with regards to those services available to you during this cold snap!

It's wintertime on the south side...

Cross-posted from The Sixth Ward and hopefully if you read this blog this information will be valuable to you as well!

Well we knew the winter weather was coming and hopefully many of us prepared for it. We got our salt and shovels ready for example in addition to putting fuel in our vehicles and buying extra food.

We also hope you fare well in your homes because if you're not there's a city warming center where you can stay warm until the cold snap ends. Please call 311, and we're sure they'll provide a ride if you're not able to get to one very easily.

Also, in light of the low temperatures expected on both Monday and Tuesday it appears CPS students will have their holiday break extended by one day. CPS has cancelled classes on Monday in light of the weather. On Saturday a report from the Tribune indicated that CPS were asking parents to use their discretion as to whether or not they want to send their children to school which were expected to be in session on Monday and Tuesday.

AGAIN call the CPS hotline if you have any questions (773) 553-3100

All the same here's hoping you stay safe and warm these next few days. Let's remember that Spring is almost two months away!

ALSO, we do have a weather widget in the sidebar so whenever you check this blog you will have an idea of the weather. For the time being it will be placed into the sidebar!

9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale has sent an email about city warming centers in the city.

Tribune: Chicago schools to stay open during cold snap

UPDATE 1/5/2013 5:40 PM According a report by the Chicago Sun-Times media wire the Chicago Public Schools has cancelled classes on Monday. Please continue reading this post for the CPS Hotline at the end.

UPDATE 12:25 AM Forgot to post a link. My apologies!

What you see above I have on my ABC7 app for my mobile device. The temps you see for Monday & Tuesday are expected to get that low and CPS made the following advisory according to the Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Public Schools are leaving it up to parents to decide whether their children should go to school when wind chills drop to 50 degrees below zero or colder next week. Meanwhile, some suburban school districts expect to decide Sunday whether to stay open.

All Chicago Board of Education schools are scheduled to be open Monday and Tuesday, when highs are barely expected to reach zero degrees, according to a release from CPS.

"While all District schools are slated to be open on Monday, I strongly encourage parents to use their own discretion in deciding whether to send their children to school," schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said in the release. "We will be working throughout the weekend to ensure that our buildings and school officiails are ready to receive students on Monday."

Building engineers were to head into city schools on Sunday to turn up heat to standard classroom temperatures in preparation for children going to school Monday, according to CPS. If heating systems are malfunctioning, CPS will take students to alternate sites.

The contractors who run the CPS bus system are checking their vehicles to make certain they will be ready to arrive on-time Monday.

Parents can call CPS hotline if they have any questions: (773) 553-3100.

BTW, there is an accuweather widget on this blog if you want to keep getting updates on weather, especially updates for the weather on the days in question.

Get a free popcorn, for donating a coat at Chatham 14 Theaters

Until December 20, 2013 if you donate a coat that's either new/clean but gently used please drop it off in the Chatham 14 lobby. The cineplex is located at 210 W. 87th Street and not only are they accepting coats they want toy donations as well. According to this article from DNA Info:

For every new or "gently"' used coat donated during the theater's first annual winter coat drive, the theater will give away a voucher good for a large popcorn.

Venisha White-Johnson, director of operations for the Chatham 14 Theaters, said while the theater has done food drives in the past, the coat drive started after she saw so many kids coming to the movies in shoddy jackets.

"I see kids coming to the theater with coats too small, worn out and in some cases not suitable for cold weather," she said. "Times are hard for everyone, especially single mothers, so having a coat drive seemed more appropriate."

The donations are being accepted daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Dec. 20 at the theater at 210 W. 87th St. A voucher that can be redeemed anytime is given for every coat donated, and there is no limit to how many coats a person can donate.

Well we call for donations to food pantries this year, and now donations for winter coats. More than one way to provide a blessing for someone this holiday season!

Plowing along after storm

I can only imagine what happened at both Shedd and Bennett Schools when students returned to class yesterday. Since this blog isn't frequented by parents from either school all I can do is find one example from another neighborhood school:

And even though the Chicago Public Schools reopened Friday, scores of kids remained home. The roughly 24,000 students who normally ride school buses had to find their own way to school. As a result, attendance plummeted at some schools.

At Burnside Scholastic Magnet, where about two-thirds of kids are usually bused, only 209 of 760 students showed up. Streets were so treacherous around Burnside, 650 E. 91st Place, that even some parents who usually drive their kids to school kept them home.

Another worthwhile for the parents of CPS students from the ChicagoNOW blog, Ay Mama, about the Snow Days of 2011:

Now, from a mother's perspective it is very hard to entertain children on snow days.  I know Tuesday, I was excited for all of us to be home and just chill or veg all day.  I even told Gaby that we should do everything that evening as if we were going to go to school/work the next day.  So on Wednesday we can just watch TV and movies, play games (UNO and Wii), etc.  Well, Tuesday evening we prepared to veg on Wednesday.  About 8 everyone was in the living room watching TV and snow, excited to see what this storm would bring.

Wednesday morning, we looked out the window to see what mother nature had brought us.  It was unbelievable.  My daughters were in awe.  We were also watching the news to see how the rest of the city was faring during this time.  Then we had breakfast, cleaned up, played UNO, watched more TV and more looking out the window.  By the afternoon it was a little on the boring side.  The girls could have more of this but I couldn't  I also realized, that given the condition of the city we would have another snow day on Thursday.  By 3:00 it was announced, another snow day.

Thursday was the same as Wednesday.  This lounging was starting to get old.  Plus, a mother's job is never done.  There was still the accumulating dishes and clothes, beds to be made, and toys needed to be picked up.  The girls had enough movies, TV and games.  Running around became the new thing to do.  Then it was hide and seek.  They were having a lot of fun.  We went outside for a few minutes for pictures and some snow playing.  Gaby and Karla only managed about 15 minutes, while Andrea could only take 5 minutes.  They enjoyed what they could. 

I'm sure many mothers were happy to hear classes resumed Friday for CPS,  But I feel for the mothers whose children go to private school or suburban schools.  Many of them were going to have a 5 day weekend.  This includes my daughters.  While I'm at work, they are by my sister-in-law's house with their 3 cousins since last night.  I hope my sister-in-law is sane and in one piece when I get home this afternoon.  Thank you Manuela.  We'll see what the next storm brings us.  Ay mama!

Anyone else has some stories to tell about spending snow days with their children?

Back to class on Friday students...

Sun-Times:

Classes will resume Friday for more than 400,000 Chicago Public School students, Mayor Daley said Thursday.

But no school buses will run until Monday, officials said.

“It’s important we have clear and safe passage for them,’’ Interim CPS Schools CEO Terry Mazany said, noting that about 5 percent of students are bussed to school.

Winter wonderland outside of Shedd School

The side streets are really a mess outside of the school's lot. It'll be very difficult to drive around on the side streets and Shedd isn't on a major street at all. Good thing school is out both today and tomorrow.

Second CPS snow day Thursday

Oh wow! Two days in row, great for CPS students. Well OK let me be adult here it's unfortunate that students take two days from their studies, however, it's very important for students to be safe instead of being unable to travel safely to school.

That being said story from the Sun-Times:

Kids, rejoice: Chicago Public Schools officials have announced a second snow day for Thursday.

Officials said schools will remain closed as the city continues to dig out from one of the worst blizzards in history.

CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond said the system decided to close for a second day out of concern about “accessibility.”

Many CPS schools are located on side streets, which could be affected by dropping temperatures and icing overnight, Bond said. Plus, more than 24,000 students take buses to school and bus transportation was not 100 percent certain, Bond said.

“We can’t compromise safety,” Bond said.

Have fun children. Just know your teachers will see you back in class in no time. :)

Chicago Schools Cancel Classes For First Time Since 1999

This is really old news anyway, but worth posting here. You know when I was still at Bennett the only time schools were closed was not for the snow, but for the extreme temperatures. It got so cold that they closed the schools because of it. It happened again when I went to high school.

Chicago Public Schools classes have been canceled for Wednesday–for the first time since 1999–as the Blizzard of 2011 blows into Chicago.

Mayor Richard Daley made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. More than 400,000 students are enrolled in the system.

Given the sheer size of this storm, Daley and CPS Chief Executive Officer Terry Mazany cited the safety of students as the key reason for the rare decision to shut the school system.

You know it's probably time I added a weather widget here.