Weather Related Closing
WCA places safety as a top priority, which includes weather-related safety. The school administration closely monitors forecasts when weather-related advisories or warnings have been issued.
In order to keep staff and students safe, the following scenarios may occur, based on timing of weather-related events:
- School closure
- Delayed start
- Early dismissal
- Cancellation of after-school activities
Notification of Closure:
- Check your phone for a text alert (make sure your cell phone number is current in your FACTS Family Portal Account)
- Check the Westlake website for a homepage notification
- Call our office and listen for an automated message: 847-548-6209
- Check your email
- Notifications regarding closure or delayed start are usually posted by 6am.
If school is open, but you choose to keep your child at home due to weather-related concerns, please submit an absence form online or in the WCA app.
E-Learning:
Westlake Christian Academy does NOT implement E-Learning on days when school is closed due to inclement weather. Our instructional calendar includes significantly more hours than are required by the state, which means that we do not usually need to make up any lost hours for unexpected cancellations.
Snow and Ice:
Student safety includes traveling to and from school during times of inclement weather. On days when the school is open but travel conditions in your area are treacherous, please consider keeping your child at home until travel conditions improve. If conditions improve, you may bring your child for the remainder of the school day. Determining the safety of road conditions in your area is a parental decision.
Extreme cold:
School administration uses established protocol to guide decision-making regarding closure in the event of extreme weather. Because Westlake students use private vehicles for transportation and their outdoor exposure time is limited, Westlake may be open even when public school districts are closed. In the event of a power outage or heating system malfunction, school will be canceled and parents notified.
Excessive Heat:
All classrooms currently have air conditioning units, which will impact any decisions to close school due to excessive heat. If possible, school will remain open during an excessive heat warning, with modifications to the daily schedule to limit exposure to the heat. In the event of a power outage or failure of an air conditioning unit, some or all classes might be closed.
Please note: Westlake no longer uses Emergency Closing Center to report school closures.