As much as we hate to see the warmer temps go, the administration here at SR3 is ready for the call.

Who makes the decision to cancel school?

The Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Transportation Director work together to determine if roads and rural bus routes are safe for travel. Considerations also include current weather, forecasts, and the condition of district facilities and grounds.

What if there’s school when the weather is extremely cold?

Students should always wear appropriate clothing when it’s cold outside, including heavy coats, hats, gloves, or mittens and warm shoes or boots. Elementary recess is held indoors if temperature of wind chill falls below 25 degrees. As always, parents may choose to keep their children home for health and safety reasons. Notify your child’s school if your child will be absent for any reason.

Late Start?

Late starts are a hardship on district staff, students, and parents. The SR3 district does not utilize late starts.

How will I know if school is canceled?

We make every effort to announce weather cancellations as soon as possible after a decision is made.

• Evening decisions: If a decision is made in the evening to cancel school for the next day, automated phone calls will begin no later than 9:45 pm, with the latest call going out at approximately 10:30 pm

• Morning decision: If a decision is made after 9:30 pm the night before (therefore after the point where a broadcast could be launched by 9:45 pm), the broadcast will begin at 6 am the next morning, with the latest calls going out at approximately 6:45 am.

• Employee notification: District staff members will receive an automated call as soon as the decision is made, as late as 11 pm the night before, or as early as 5 am on the morning of cancellation.

• Canceling in the middle of the school day: If weather forces an early closure, we will contact all parents and emergency contacts and notice area media outlets. It is so important for us to be able to reach parents, guardians, and caregivers during daytime hours. Please give your child’s school any current phone numbers and emergency contact information.

Other Sources of information

Any time of the day or night, here’s where anyone can learn if schools will be closed:

• Savannah R3 App Android or iPhone
• District Website: www.SavannahR3.com
  

• Facebook page: facebook.com/SavannahSchoolDistrict

• Area media outlets like KQ2, NewsPress Now, and Eagle Radio

And why do my kids have 'Snow Day Packets'?

We will continue to use Sow Day Packets on days when school is not in session. These learning packets, or online lessons, allow us to continue learning even while we are not together in the classroom.

AMI Days: Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year the Missouri Department of Education (DESE) implemented a new program where school districts were “not required to make up school hours that are lost or canceled due to exceptional or emergency circumstances (up to 36 hours) if the [district] implements an Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) Plan that is approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)”. Please see the DESE website for more information.

Savannah R3 will follow their DESE-approved AMI plan for the first 36 hours of instruction that are lost or canceled due to inclement weather. This equates to about five snow days.

Snow Days: The current district attendance calendar has an additional 36 hours of “built in” time. These are traditional snow days that do not require students to learn from home. Once those hours have been exhausted the district will have to begin adding days to the end of the attendance calendar as “makeup days”

Please note that the implementation of AMI days by DESE was not a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue for future academic school years.

What about a good old fashioned Snow Day??

While AMI days allow us to capture some learning on a snow day, children shouldn't have to spend more than 2 hours of their day on school work. We absolutely encourage snowman building and time for sledding!

In a pivotal move for the Savannah R3 School District, the Board of Education, in collaboration with Anthony Hays, Savannah R3 Athletic Director, and Nick Morgan, President of the Savannah Youth Football Program, announced the return of 7th-grade football to the Middle School campus. This decision was reached following discussions at the regular Board of Education business meeting on Thursday, November 9th.

The initiative to reintroduce 7th-grade football was driven by several compelling reasons:

• Comprehensive Sports Offering: Aligning with other school sports, the addition of 7th-grade football complements the existing array of athletic opportunities, including wrestling, basketball, track, volleyball, cheer, cross country, and dance.

• Financial Accessibility: Acknowledging the financial burden associated with participation in the area recreational league, the move to school-based football aims to make the sport more financially accessible to all students and families.

• Scheduling Challenges: With an increasing number of schools offering football at the 7th-grade level, finding opponents has become a challenge for both the Youth Football Program and the school's 8th-grade team. Many schools prefer scheduling both 7th and 8th-grade games on the same evening, and Savannah's absence in offering 7th-grade football has led to scheduling difficulties.

Athletic Director and High School Football Coach Anthony Hays assured the Board that current fundraising initiatives will cover the initial cost of the ‘new’ program. Additionally, the Savannah Youth Football Program expressed support by offering to sell their current 7th-grade equipment to the school at a discounted rate.

The Board of Education demonstrated its commitment to this initiative by agreeing to cover the anticipated additional coaching staff needs, representing an investment of $10,000 annually.

This collaborative effort aims not only to enrich the Middle School sports program but also to provide a more inclusive and accessible platform for aspiring young athletes.

For further information, please contact:

Anthony Hays

Savannah R3 Athletic Director

anthony.hays@savannahr3.com

There's been a lot of parking lot work and rearranging going on over the last few weeks. We appreciate everyone's patience as we work through the growing pains associated with these updates.

Parking Lots District Wide

While there is no denying the disrepair of the High School parking lot, the decision to address the Middle School lot first was based on its optimal condition for resurfacing, allowing us to balance cost-effectiveness and preventative maintenance. We understand concerns about other lots, and we want to assure our community that parking lot maintenance across the District is a priority.

As we assess other campuses, we are committed to considering factors such as condition, budget, and long-term sustainability. The cost of replacing parking lots is a strategic part of our District's long-term planning, and we appreciate your understanding and support as we work towards comprehensive solutions for all our campuses.

While our buildings had to be closed due to COVID restrictions the last 2 years, we are NOW excited to bring parents and community volunteers back on our campuses! All of our SR3 schools have volunteer needs. If you are interested in helping read more here about how to become a district volunteer.

The Savannah R-III School District will accept declarations of candidacy from any person interested in filing for a position on the School Board in the April 2, 2024, election. There are two positions available with three-year terms.

Persons interested may file the necessary paperwork at the superintendent’s office at 408 W. Market. A line can be formed outside the district’s front doors (white doors facing north) on the first day of filing to begin Tuesday, December 5th, at 8:00 AM. Filing will continue during the district’s regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Filing will not occur on days that school is not in session due to inclement weather or closed for holidays. Filing will not occur during Christmas break, beginning December 22nd through December 25th. However, the office will be open from Noon to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, December 26th, for the last day of filing. The filing deadline is Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at 5:00 PM.

The names of the qualified candidates shall be placed on the ballot in order of filing. No early or late filings will be accepted.

November 22nd - 24th - No School - Thanksgiving Break

November 27th - No School - Teacher DCI* Day

December 22nd - January 5th - No School for Winter Break

January 8th & 9th - No School - Teacher DCI* Days

January 15th - No School - MLK jr Day

Check our website for a full academic calendar.

Click HERE for the SHS Activities Calendar

*DCI - District Continuous Improvement formerly professional development