A school bell scheduling code for homeschool / distance students.

schoolbell.py

#!/usr/bin/python3
#
# a python program to have a raspberry pi do school bell alerts
# on a schedule.
# 
# the script is run every minute by crond
# it exits if the time doesn't match a dictionary entry
# if the time does match a dictionary entry, it chimes and
# then announces the message

belltones = {
    'warn' : 'bing-bong-chime-hq.mp3',
    'start' : 'bing-bong-chime-hq.mp3',
    'end' : 'bing-bong-chime-hq.mp3'
}

bellschedule = {
	'09:00' : 'start',   # 'Bus' bell to be getting ready
	'09:28' : 'warn',
	'09:30' : 'start',   # announcements (no end)
	'09:43' : 'warn',    # for period 1
	'09:45' : 'start',
	'10:45' : 'end',
	'10:58' : 'warn',    # for period 2
	'11:00' : 'start',
	'12:00' : 'end',
	'12:43' : 'warn',    # for period 3
	'12:45' : 'start',
	'13:45' : 'end',
	'13:58' : 'warn',    # for period 4
	'14:00' : 'start',
	'15:00' : 'end'
}

holidays = {
    '2020-09-07',
    '2020-09-25',
    '2020-10-29',
    '2020-10-30',
    '2020-11-13',   
    '2020-11-26',
    '2020-11-27',
    '2021-01-01',
    '2021-01-04',
    '2021-01-18',
    '2021-02-15',  
    '2021-02-16',  
    '2021-02-17',  
    '2021-03-08',  
    '2021-03-09',  
    '2021-03-10',  
    '2021-03-11',  
    '2021-03-12'
}

import os
import datetime
import sys

# find filepath where script is running to assure bell files are here
path, runfile = os.path.split(os.path.abspath(sys.argv[0]))

try:
    try:  # check if a time is being passed and parse it
        force_dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(sys.argv[1],'%H:%M')
        filename = None
    except:  # for testing: if you pass a filename, the code will chime it
        force_dt = None
        filename = sys.argv[1]
except:
    filename = None

if force_dt:
    dt = force_dt
else:
    dt = datetime.datetime.now()

timestr = dt.strftime('%H:%M')
datestr = dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')

if dt.weekday() < 5 and datestr not in holidays:  
    # it is a weekday not a holiday, do chimes
    print('It is a schoolday, checking time '+timestr)
    if timestr in bellschedule:
        filename = belltones[bellschedule[timestr]]
else:
    print('It is a weekend or holiday -- enjoy!')

if filename:
    filepath = os.path.join(path,filename)
    command = 'mpg321 -a hw:1,0 '+filepath
    os.system(command)