Hitzefrei!!

 Growing up, teaching and sending my kids to school all in Washington State we had a snow day here and there and more often than anything else we would get a 2 hour late start.  This way the morning temperatures had time to melt the usually nearly non existent snowfall from the previous night.  I would often go to bed (as a student, as a teacher and as a parent) with a bit of excitement wondering if there would be a snow day or a late start.  Normally the call/email came in the early hours of the morning so you couldn't stay up late knowing you could sleep in.  You always had to set your alarm and get up as usual and then find out once you were already fully awake.  Which really takes half the fun out of a two hour late start. 

Here in Berlin, they do not have snow days - Ever.  We haven't seen much snow since we have been living here the past couple of years but I remember when snow was predicted and I asked some moms here if they thought school would be canceled or start late if it snowed and they looked at me as if I asked them they thought a pig could fly.  Unheard of they said.   I had the same look when they started called "Hitzefrei" when things started heating up last spring.  Hitzefrei is a term they use when they let kids out of school early because it is too warm.  Last year we had 2 or 3 Hitzefrei days.  This year we have already had 4 or 5 Hitzefrei days and just today there was an email that declared the next three days to be early release due to extreme heat.  Sadly, it all points to the planet just heating up!!  It is really hot here... it is much more humid than Seattle, we have big glass doors and windows along the entire west side of our apartment.  We are on the 4th floor (heat rises) The sun doesn't set up around 10PM and it does not cool off here at night like in Seattle. Yes, we are HOT!!  This Wednesday it is predicted to be 99 degrees. Sadly, on Sunday, the day of our big move it is predicted to be 97!!  UGH.  

** GERMAN Translation below **

Dear parents, 

due to the hot weather for the next THREE days, classes and after-school activities after 13:30 will be canceled as follows.  Please note the text below has changed from last week! Please refer to the policy on early release due to hot weather on our website for more details.

Tuesday, June 25

Wednesday, June 26

Thursday, June 27

Elementary School

Grades EC-2: 

Release at 13:05 as usual (Hort, Late Birds, bus, pick-up). Children who would have attended a 13:10 after-school activity sponsored by JFKS must be picked up or enrolled in an after-school program (Hort or Late Birds). 

Grades 3-6: 

Release at 13:30 by their homeroom teacher following 10 minute homeroom. 

Please note: 

Elementary School students who are not enrolled in Hort/Late Birds and who go home on school buses at 15:00 will be supervised in the ES Office until the bus leaves. There will be no supervision on campus and all other students who are not in Hort/Late Birds must leave the school grounds when they are released even if they have an activity (on campus or nearby) later in the afternoon. For more information regarding activities organized by the JFK Sports Club (gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo, etc.), other sport clubs or outside coaches (ballet, robotics, etc.) please contact the organizers directly to find out whether the activity takes place. 

Please check with your child's homeroom teacher regarding any changes to field trips and picnics (locations, dismissal times, etc.)  

The ES talent show rehearsal will go on as planned on Thurs. 27.06.2019 in the large Aula from 12:00 - 15:00 hours.

High School

Grade 7-11 on June 25: 

release at 13:05.

Grade 7-11 on June 26: 

release at 13:05.

Grade 7-11 on June 27:  

Wandertag takes place as scheduled

MSA takes place as scheduled; 10th grade students should be in the large Aula by 16:00

___________________

Liebe Eltern, 

Auf Grund der heißen Temperaturen in den nächsten DREI Tagen fallen der Unterricht sowie alle schulischen Aktivitäten nach der Schule ab 13:30 wie folgt aus. Bitte lesen Sie weiter, denn der folgende Text hat sich geändert. Bitte beachten Sie auch die Richtlinien auf unserer Webseite für Unterrichtsschluss auf Grund von heißem Wetter.

Dienstag, den 25.06.2019

Mittwoch, den 26.06.2019

Donnerstag den 27.06.2019

Grundschule:

Klassen EK-2:

werden wie gewohnt um 13:05 Uhr entlassen (Hort, Late Birds, bus, oder abgeholt). Schüler, die ansonsten um 13:10 Uhr an JFKS-Aktivitäten teilnehmen, müssen abgeholt werden oder im Hort/Late Birds angemeldet werden. 

Klassen 3-6: 

werden frühzeitig um 13:30 (nach 10-minute homeroom) vom Klassenlehrer entlassen. 

Bitte beachten: Grundschüler/innen, die nicht im Hort/Late Birds sind und mit dem 15:00 Bus nach Hause fahren, werden bis zur Abfahrt im Sekretariat der Grundschule beaufsichtigt. Alle anderen Schüler*innen, die nicht im Hort/Late Birds angemeldet sind, müssen die Schule nach Schulschluss verlassen, auch wenn sie eine Aktivität am späten Nachmittag ab (auf dem Schulgelände oder in der Nähe), denn es gibt keine Aufsicht auf dem Schulgelände! Für Information, ob andere Aktivitäten stattfinden, wenden Sie sich bitte direkt an die nicht-schulischen Organisatoren: JFKS Sports Club (Turnen, Schwimmen, Taekwondo, usw.), andere Sportvereine und Trainer für Ballett, Robotics, usw.

Bitte wenden Sie sich an die Klassenlehrer Ihrer Kinder, um Änderungen von Ausflügen und Picknicks zu erfahren (Ort, Entlassungszeiten, usw.)   

Die Probe des "Talent Show" der Grundschule findet am 27.06.2019 vom 12:00 bis 15:00 Uhr in der Aula wie geplant statt. 

Oberschule:  

Klassen 7-11 am 25.06.: 

werden um 13:05 Uhr entlassen

Klassen 7-11 am 26.06.: 

werden um 13:05 Uhr entlassen  

Klassen 7-11 am 27.06.:  

Wandertag findet wie geplant statt

MSA findet wie geplant statt; 10. Klässler kommen bitte bis 16:00 Uhr in die Aula.