In a letter to families, Chicago Public Schools announced all outdoor activities are canceled or will be held indoors.
That will include recess, physical education, athletics and out-of-school time activities-due to dangerous and extreme heat.
The district's heat action plan recommends students bring full water bottles to school.
Officials are telling schools to keep rooms cool by drawing shades to keep sunlight out and turning off overhead lights, computers and appliances when not required for instruction.
All water fountains must be working properly and CPS facilities team are working with schools to fix any air conditioning systems that may encounter issues this week.
Here's the full letter to parents:
Dear CPS Families,
With temperatures forecast to be in the 90s for the remainder of this week, this morning, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Chicago today. CPS policy on extreme heat will be implemented as of Wednesday, September 2, to ensure students and staff are healthy, safe, and comfortable. All outdoor activities will be canceled or held inside if possible. This includes outdoor recess, Physical Education, athletics, and Out-of-School Time activities.
CPS Procedures and Guidance for Extreme Heat
As a reminder, all CPS classrooms are equipped with air conditioning, and the CPS facilities team will be working with schools to fix any air conditioning systems that may encounter issues this week.
We recommend students stay hydrated and bring full water bottles to school. Opportunities to refill water will be provided throughout the day.
We also want to let you know that CPS has a heat action plan for situations like this, and school leaders will take measures to ensure students are healthy, safe and comfortable this week.
Our plan includes the following steps:
Ensure that staff and students remain sufficiently hydrated
Ensure that all water fountains are in working order.
Encourage and allow students to bring full water bottles to school and provide them with opportunities to refill them.
Monitor students taking particular medications to ensure proper hydration.
Keep rooms cool
Draw shades in rooms to keep sunlight out.
Keep air circulating by opening windows and doors and by using fans.
Turn off overhead lights, computers and appliances when not required for instruction.
Move classes from rooms exposed to sunlight to auditoriums, interior or lower-level rooms.
Guidance for Athletics
Due to the forecasted extreme heat for September 2, all outdoor athletics games are postponed and all practices will either be canceled or moved indoors.
Regular programming may resume on September 3, pending any updates.
Should any tickets have been purchased via HomeTown ticketing to any events on September 2, per CPS Policy there is no refund, however that ticket can be used for whenever the game / event is rescheduled.
Health and Safety Information
We also want to provide you with this information from the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications in the event of extreme heat:
Drink plenty of water
Limit time spent outdoors
Keep electric lights off or turned down
Minimize use of your oven and stove
Wear loose, light, cotton clothing
Don’t leave people or pets in a closed car, even for a few minutes
Check on family, friends, and neighbors
Additional guidelines for older adults (65+), infants and children, those with chronic conditions, those who are pregnant, and others can be found on the CDC website.
Be on the lookout for symptoms of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke:
Heat Exhaustion Symptoms:
Heavy sweating
Cold, pale, and clammy skin
Fast, weak pulse
Nausea or vomiting
Muscle cramps
Tiredness or weakness
Dizziness
Headache
Fainting (passing out)
What to do:
Move to a cool place
Loosen your clothes
Put cool, wet cloths on your body
Sip water
Get medical help right away if:
You are throwing up
Your symptoms get worse
Your symptoms last longer than 1 hour
Heat Stroke Symptoms:
High body temperature (103°F or higher)Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
Fast, strong pulse
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Losing consciousness (passing out)
What to do:
Call 911 right away—heat stroke is a medical emergency
Move the person to a cooler place
Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath
Do not give the person anything to drink
Thank you for your attention to this important message. Please take precautions to keep yourselves and your families safe and healthy this week.
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline KingSuperintendent / Chief Executive OfficerChicago Public Schools
