SEVERE WEATHER AND UNUSUAL CONDITIONS Weather Noun Verb Adjective wind The wind chill is below zero. to blow It is blowing. windy It is a windy day. fog It is difficult to drive in the fog. ice water The water on the sidewalk froze. Now it is ice. hail The hail is so big. It put dents in my car. rain freezing rain The freezing rain makes the street slippery. sleet Sleet covers the trees and bushes. snow snow storm The weather forecasters predict a snow storm. storm thunderstorm hurricane tornado There is a storm watch. cloud rain or storm clouds There are dark clouds in the sky. sun The sun is out. The car windows are fogging up. to freeze It is freezing. to melt It is melting. to hail It is hailing. to rain It is raining. to sleet It is sleeting. to snow It is snowing. to storm It is storming. foggy It is a foggy day. rainy It is a rainy day. snowy It is a snowy day. stormy It is a stormy day. cloudy It is a cloudy day. sunny It is a sunny day. Arlington Public Schools 1
Vocabulary Activity Directions: Write the correct word. 1. There is snow on the ground. It is a day. 2. Look at the rain! It is a day. 3. There are many clouds. It is a day. 4. The sun is bright. It is a day. 5. There is a lot of fog. It is this morning. Arlington Public Schools 2
School Words Noun Verb Adjective/Adverb early late Schools are closing early. Schools are opening late. delay one/two-hour delay Today there is a one-hour delay. dismissal early dismissal Today all students have early dismissal. release Elementary students have early release on Wednesday. cancellation The radio announced the cancellation of after-school activities. closing School closings are announced on TV and radio. opening Delayed openings are announced on TV and radio. to delay They are delaying the opening of school. to dismiss They are dismissing students early. to release They are releasing students early. to cancel They are canceling activities. to close They are closing school. to open They are opening school on time. delayed We have a delayed opening. closed Schools are closed. open Schools are open. Arlington Public Schools 3
Grammar Exercises Directions: Use the correct form of the verb to dismiss. 1. They students early. 2. They are students early. 3. They will students early. 4. Yesterday they students early. 5. Today the principal is students early. Directions: Use the correct form of the verb to close. 1. The schools early. 2. The schools are. 3. Yesterday the schools. 4. The schools will at 12 o clock. 5. The principal the school last night. Directions: Write the correct form of the verb to release. 1. They students early. 2. They are students early. Directions: Write the correct form of the verb to open. 1. The school at 8:30. 2. Today the school is late. 3. All the schools are late. Arlington Public Schools 4
Media / Communication English noun radio television (TV) computer internet- website telephone telephone hotline newspaper Spanish Vocabulary Activity Directions: Complete each sentence with a type of media. 1. I listen to the. 2. I read the. 3. We watch. 4. I call the hotline. 5. I find the school system website on the. Important Information Direction: Where can your learn about school closings? Post this list on your refrigerator. For School Closing information, check: TV channel Radio station School hotline number School system website Newspaper Arlington Public Schools 5
Reading and Comprehension It is morning. Marilú gets up. She looks out the window. It is snowing. There is snow on the ground and on the trees. There is snow on the street and on the sidewalk. Mom says, No school today. Marilú says, How do you know? Mom says, I turned on the radio. Our schools are closed. Great! says Marilú. I will play in the snow with my friends. Directions: Answer yes or no based on the reading. 1. It is raining. 2. It is snowing. 3. Marilú goes to school today. 4. There is no school today. 5. Mom listens to the radio. Directions: Complete the form. My children attend - Name of school/s: Name of school system: State: Regular school hours: School start time end time Start time with one-hour delay Start time with two-hour delay School system hotline number: Arlington Public Schools 6
Intermediate Vocabulary Precipitation infinitive present progressive past tense noun adjective to drizzle is drizzling drizzled drizzle = light rain to rain is raining rained rain rainy to pour is pouring poured (heavy rain) to freeze is freezing froze freeze, ice frozen to thaw is thawing thawed thaw thawed to melt is melting melted melted to re-freeze is re-freezing re-froze Results of precipitation on streets, roads, highways, sidewalks - wet streets, roads, highways, sidewalks flooded streets, roads, highways, sidewalks, storm sewers snow-covered streets, roads, highways, sidewalks icy streets, roads, highways, sidewalks Snow/ice removal: sand, salt, snow plow, snow shovel Directions: Complete each sentence with the right word. 1. The man is clearing the sidewalk with a. 2. The truck is clearing the street with a. 3. The steps are icy, so the woman puts on them. 4. It is very cold tonight. The ice that melted will. 5. It is raining hard. It s ing. 6. It is raining just a little. It s ing. Arlington Public Schools 7
Vocabulary SYNONYMS Words with a similar meaning English to open = to start = to begin opening = starting = beginning to close = to shut = to end closing = ending to release = to let go = to dismiss release = dismissal to cancel = to stop cancellation = stoppage to delay = to postpone delay = postponement normal = regular = usual normally = regularly = usually Spanish Vocabulary Exercises Directions: Rewrite each sentence, using a synonym for the underlined word. 1. The normal opening time is 8:10. 2. The radio announcer said that the school system will stop all after school activities today. 3. They will have early dismissal today. 4. School begins at 7:45 and ends at 2:30. 5. School will be delayed until 10 o clock. Arlington Public Schools 8
Vocabulary HOMOGRAPHS Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Wind uind uaind viento arrollar, envolver, dar cuerda a The wind is blowing hard today. He brought a wind-up toy. Close klous klous cerrar cerca Because of snow, the schools closed. His home is close to the school. Hail jeil granizar, granizo saludo; grito; salve! The hail was the size of golf balls. I need to hail a taxi cab. Directions: Complete each sentence. 1. Schools will early today. wind/close/hail 2. Did you see the size of the? It s as big as golf balls. wind/close/hail 2. My umbrella turned inside out, because the is so strong wind/close/hail 3. I tried to a taxi. wind/close/hail 4. The clinic is to my house. wind/close/hail Arlington Public Schools 9
Reading and Comprehension Bad weather may cause schools to close, to delay the opening time, or to close early. School closings or delays are to ensure the safety of students and staff. Each school system makes its own decisions. Those decisions apply to all the schools Directions: Answer the questions. in that system. There are many different school systems in the area. The media 1. broadcast Give some all examples the local of school severe systems winter weather. closings and delays. Many school systems also have a hotline and website which provide this information. In very severe weather all the school systems in the area may be closed. Severe winter weather includes heavy snow, icy conditions, freezing rain and sleet. In 2. the Why summer do school or fall systems there close may in be severe hurricanes weather? and flooding. In severe weather after-school and evening activities may be cancelled as well. 3. Give All some schools examples in a system of emergencies do not begin a school at the building. same time. Elementary, middle and high schools begin at different times. When school is delayed for one hour or two hours, you 4. must What calculate is a parent s the responsibility? start time for your school. If there is an emergency in one school building, that school may close early. Such emergencies include power outage or water main breaks. 5. Why Parents do you need think to school make systems arrangements delay the for opening child care time to of be school prepared sometimes? for any of these events. Directions: Complete the information. 1. Give some examples of severe winter weather. 2. Why do school systems close in severe weather? 3. Give some examples of emergencies in a school building. 4. What is a parent s responsibility? 5. Why do you think school systems delay the opening time of school.? Arlington Public Schools 10