Safety, Emergency Procedures and Inclement Weather
Safety is a priority at McAuliffe
Keeping schools and students safe requires efforts by the school, the district, local law enforcement and first responders. Read an overview of the district’s working groups, programs, and other efforts to keep our school safe here.
Keeping schools and students safe requires efforts by the school, the district, local law enforcement and first responders. Read an overview of the district’s working groups, programs, and other efforts to keep our school safe here.
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Communicating Emergencies and Closures
The district uses School Messenger, a parent notification system, to reach parents with routine and emergency messages. Learn when parents will get messages and how to change which phone or email they go to here. Make sure you can be reached in an emergency.
Control how the school and district contact you for emergencies, attendance calls, food service balance notifications and other communications through Skylert. If preferences are not changed through Skylert, LWSD will use the phone numbers, email addresses and text-capable numbers the district has on file to contact you using standard notification protocols. For instructions on how to complete the Skylert process click here. The FlashAlert system distributes emergency messages such as breaking news, weather closure information, early dismissal and news releases from LWSD and other organizations. To sign up:
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Emergency Operating Schedule
When emergency conditions such as snow and ice, windstorms or earthquakes result in school schedule changes, the district will use plans developed for school closures, late start, and limited bus service. Read more about these procedures here. In case of bad weather
To ensure that all families know when school has been cancelled or delayed, Lake Washington School District will place a call to all parents via School Messenger beginning at 6 a.m. on those days. If you need to know whether school has been cancelled or delayed before you get a call, the information will also be available on this website or at flashalert.net or on many local television or radio stations. The calls are made early so that students at the high schools, which may begin class as early as 7:20, have enough time to get to school. |
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McAuliffe Procedures for a Shortened School Day
The following procedures will be in place should LWSD shorten the school day due to inclement weather. Parent Notification: • Parents will be notified of early release by school district via phone, email and/or text. • District will post an alert (red alert box) on district and McAuliffe website • Parents will be reminded of our school’s early release procedures via email. Student Release Procedures: • Parents are to pick up students at the outside classroom doors. • Teachers will release students to parents or emergency contact. • Teachers will verify that the person picking up the student is listed as a parent or emergency contact on the student’s emergency card. • Teachers may ask for ID, if needed. • Teachers will have parents sign out the student. • If the adult picking up the student is not listed as an emergency contact the teacher will send them to the office. The front office will then call the parent/guardian to get a verbal “ok” to release the student. You may check your emergency contact information for your child on Skyward Family Access. Parents are allowed 5 emergency contacts. Please email Kathleen Jeffcoat at kjeffcoat@lwsd.org if you would like to change or update your emergency contact information. |
How School Closures are Determined
The decision to close or delay schools in emergencies such as snow, ice or power outages is a complex process. Safety is the main priority. Learn more about how and why the district decides to close schools here. 
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Prepare Your Family for an Emergency
How to Prepare for a Windstorm and Power Outages
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For wind advisory updates visit the National Weather Services Wind, Warnings and Advisory page for the Seattle area.
Review measures to prepare for the common windstorms that affect our region during spring, fall and winter. PemCo Insurance provides information on what to do to before, during and after a windstorm here. The Seattle Red Cross has issued these tips to help area residents prepare for windstorms and power outages. Prepare for High Winds
Top Safety Tips for a Power Outage
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Safety Tips for a Power Outage continued
The American Red Cross is a non-profit, humanitarian agency dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. For more information about emergency preparedness or Red Cross Chapters in Washington State, please visit www.redcross.org/local/wa/northwestregion. Here is a one page checklist put together by Washington State Emergency Services for preparing for windstorms. 
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Emergency Preparedness Resources
Check out the following resources to help you and your family be prepared should an emergency occur.
Check out the following resources to help you and your family be prepared should an emergency occur.
- What to Do to Make It Through: Resources to help you make a plan, build a kit and help each other.
- City of Kirkland-Personal & Family Preparedness
- City of Sammamish-Emergency Management
