To the chagrin of the administrators and the joy of the students Ms. van Putten announced at the end of the day on Wednesday the 9th that the rest of the week would have minimum day schedules due to the extreme heat. With the middle school and high school getting out at 12:15 p.m., the only downside for students was the lack of a break between the last two periods of the day.
The San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District posted on the SLVHS website that “Due to the extreme heat advisory from the National Weather Service, the San Lorenzo Valley School District will be implementing the following procedures: ALL schools will implement a MINIMUM day schedule for Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th. We understand that this is a last minute change, but due to the recent weather alerts, we think this is the best decision for students.”
Teachers worked hard to try to keep classroom temperatures bearable. Turning off the lights and closing windows and blinds as the temperature rose were just some methods employed to keep students safe. Some classes were moved to different classrooms after the temperature on the top floor of the H-Building became unbearable on the 9th.
While many students were excited for the short days, they forced teachers to modify lesson plans to comply with the shorter schedule“I had to hustle through what I wanted to do in Freshman English this morning. I was able to get it all done, but I had to move quickly through it.” said Mr. Poetzinger, “It affected sports more because we had a football practice at 6 in the morning, which was actually kind of fun. I don’t know how many people got to see the sunrise this morning but I did.”
The district also announced that, “SLVHS athletic practices will be canceled or moved inside for Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th. If it is too hot to be in class, it is too hot to be outside practicing.”
The elementary schools in the district also received minimum days, with SLE getting out at 1:25 p.m. and BCE at 1:15 p.m.
Middle school sports practices were cancelled completely, and P.E. classes were modified- taking place in the pool as afternoon temperatures on the track and football field became unsafe. The SLVMS Nature Academy took temperature readings during their P.E. class on the 9th and confirmed that the heat was making athletic pursuits dangerous. It was 98° F in the shade, but the air over the track was 108° F, the track’s surface was 112° F. This may sound bad, but the air above the turf field 112° F, and the field itself was measured at 128° F.
Despite the heat and early practices for many sports like the Cross Country team, coaches saw near or complete practice turnout. Water polo practice in the evening on the 9th took another approach to dealing with the heat. With a ten minute on, ten minute off practice schedule, players were forced to get out of the pool to drink every 10 minutes. When asked about the heat and adjusted schedule, Varsity water polo player Wiley Berggren said, “The half says are nice, but the heat sucks and I still have sports so I am sad.”
The district wrote that, “We understand that this is a last minute change, but due to the recent weather alerts, we think this is the best decision for students.” Ms. van Putten could not be reached to comment on the heat or the schedule.
By: Katie Maxwell
The Claw 