With Student Safety in Mind, St. Margaret’s Upgrades Weather-Tracking Tools

As temperatures soared and air quality in Orange County was impacted by nearby fires, St. Margaret’s was well prepared. 

 

The school recently upgraded its weather-tracking system, installing a weather station atop Campaigne Center to track temperature, air quality, lightning proximity and other weather data on-site. It’s the latest investment in student safety, as the new tools allow administrators to better track extreme weather and make informed decisions on outdoor athletic practices, recess and other student activities.

 

St. Margaret’s revised its emergency action plans regarding heat index and air quality after new guidelines from the state of California and the California Interscholastic Federation were adopted. To keep better track of weather updates, a Perry Weather station was installed atop Campaigne Center, enabling immediate weather alerts with on-site precision. School leaders are now able to track weather updates in real-time at St. Margaret’s through an app and make decisions with student safety in mind. Upon receiving a push notification, administrators can immediately notify the rest of the professional community of a weather alert. 

 

“It’s been very accurate, and the technology of this system alerts us to when any extreme thresholds are met so we can take immediate action. In addition, it allows us to be more proactive in our planning with predictive data and access to meteorological experts.” said Patrick Bendzick, assistant head of school for health and wellness. “With the recent heat wave, it’s already proven to be a valuable tool for student safety here at St. Margaret’s.”