School Canceled Friday, 9/30. Early Dismissal Today, 9/29

SCHOOL CLOSED TOMORROW, 9/30

Heathwood will be closed on Friday, September 30, 2022. Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking our students and employees to stay home due to the likelihood that Hurricane Ian will bring severe weather to campus. To clarify, the campus is closed to all people (except essential emergency workers), and all school activities are suspended tomorrow.

According to nearly every meteorological prediction, Hurricane Ian will pass over the Midlands on Friday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains. Such conditions make campus difficult to access for carpoolers and buses and increase the chances of disruptive and potentially dangerous events, including power loss (food service, sprinklers, toilets, and communication technology), flooding, facilities damage, and others.

Thank you for your understanding and support. We understand that closing school is inconvenient for our families and students. Please know this decision is never easy. We make the best judgment possible based on the information that we have at the time.

EARLY DISMISSAL TODAY, 9/29

As a reminder, school will be dismissed early at 2:05 p.m. today, Thursday, September 29th. Heathwood will host Laurence Manning Academy at 4:00 p.m. on the Stadium Field.

Special Instructions

I also want to follow up regarding our announcement yesterday about early (2:05 p.m.) dismissal today (Thursday, 9/29). Please do not arrive for carpool pick-up prior to 1:35 p.m. Once arriving at campus, you will be held in a carpool queue that will not begin feeding cars to the pick-up areas until 1:45 p.m. when the parade concludes.  EC/LS & MS carpool will begin dismissing children at 2:05 p.m., and Upper School students will be dismissed immediately following the conclusion of the parade. I want to thank you in advance for your patience during a dismissal process that will likely experience delays.

Parade Logistics

The Homecoming Parade organizes and launches from the LS carpool circle. It officially starts at 1:30 p.m. from the road adjacent to the pond that provides access to the LS carpool circle. The students march around the campus loop road on the north side of campus before turning left and proceeding past the Chapel of the Epiphany and the Nord MS Building. The Homecoming Parade concludes in the Dining Commons parking lot at approximately 1:45 p.m. 

Watching the Parade

If you would like to watch the parade, please arrive on campus by 1:00 p.m. at the latest, and park in the Campus Center parking lot.  At 1:00 p.m., we will begin restricting traffic on the north and west side of the campus loop road in order to prevent disruption to the Homecoming Parade.  We suggest that you walk to the Nord Middle School and observe the parade in the area across the road from the Nord MS building. It is an ideal location for viewing.

Remaining on Campus

Upper School students will be permitted to stay on campus from 2:05 - 4:00 p.m. without parental supervision. All other Heathwood students (MS, LS, & EC) are required to have parental supervision in order to remain on campus prior to the game. Upper School students with cars on campus must depart campus at dismissal or move their cars to the Campus Center Parking lot.

IMPORTANT SCHEDULE NOTES

• No afternoon activities - with the exception of the Varsity Football Game at 4:00 p.m. - will be held this afternoon (Thursday 9/29). This includes sports practices, rehearsals, enrichment activities, and Afternoon Express/Thought Studio.
• Middle School, Lower School, and Early Childhood students must leave campus at the 2:05 p.m. dismissal unless they are supervised on campus by their parents or guardians. These same students can then return to campus to watch the game after 3:00 p.m. with parental supervision.
• Between 2:05 and 3:00 p.m. in order to efficiently manage campus traffic during dismissal, game attendees are asked to delay their arrival to campus. Fans should arrive on campus only after 3:00 p.m.
• All employees and staff who are not essential to the management of the home football game are welcome to leave campus between 2:05 and 3:00 p.m. today (Thursday, 9/29)
• Kickoff for the football game is at 4:00 p.m. We will announce the Homecoming Court and recognize the queen during halftime.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the residents of Florida and the Heathwood family members being impacted by the severe weather and disruption caused by Hurricane Ian.