Bad weather sparked a series of small emergencies across Alexandria City Public Schools this week, testing emergency communication systems and prompting parents to ensure they are signed up for ACPS and City Emergency notifications.
Heavy rain brought by hurricane Joaquin saw school sporting events and field trips canceled for the weekend and put the school division on alert ahead of Monday morning.
Meanwhile a downed tree on Wythe Street near the Braddock Road Metro Station early on Wednesday morning caused a power outage that affected George Washington Middle School, the T.C. Williams Satellite Campus and ACPS Central Office. This disruption was compounded by a simultaneous gas leak at George Mason Elementary School that required a temporary evacuation.
Central Office phone lines and staff moved to Jefferson-Houston School to continue to send out notification about the situation, while adult education students and students at the T.C. Satellite campus were sent home and classes canceled for the day. Students at George Washington were able to enter the school shortly after 8:25 a.m. when power returned, while George Mason students returned to class approximately an hour later.
TV crews who interviewed parents after the George Mason evacuation were told that parents were impressed by how smoothly the emergency had been handled.
Please make sure you have signed up to receive emergency notifications from the City and ACPS. During an emergency, ACPS posts all information on the ACPS website first. All communication during emergency situations comes out of the Office of Communications and Public Relations, so that principals and staff can focus on guiding students and keeping them safe. Please remember not to call your school during an emergency.
We are now ready for the winter weather!