In Defense of Snow Days
Photo by Lauren Packard
February 14, 2021
In the dull months of January and February, a snow day is every kid’s dream. Whether you’re a kindergartener or a high school senior, nothing beats the excitement that a snow day brings. Everyone can remember a time when they were sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring, or checking their email repeatedly hoping for an update. It’s an opportunity for us students to relax and have some fun amidst the monotony of school. But now that remote learning has become more accessible during the pandemic, there is a possibility that snow days could be a thing of the past. Is that really necessary?
Students have undoubtedly been through enough this past year. We’ve lost sports, school dances, extracurriculars, and so many other opportunities. Kids of all ages had their worlds turned upside down in just a few weeks without any warning. Now it feels like we’re trapped in an endless, repetitive cycle. Every single morning we log onto our Chromebooks and stare at a screen for hours on end. Surprising kids with day off is the least school districts could do for all of us.
So what is the big deal about having a snow day anyways? I highly doubt students would fall behind and suffer from having one day off. Most kids (myself included) could not care less about making up a day or two at the end of year. Plus, having a snow day gives teachers a break as well. It gives them the opportunity to catch up on work, have a day to themselves, or play with their kids.
Having a younger sibling, I can guarantee that most young kids will not be focusing on remote learning anyways. They will be staring out the window wishing they could be sledding or building a snowman. And as for highschoolers, we still love snow days too. It makes us feel like a kid again even if it’s just for one day, and we could definitely use that extra sleep too.
Now I know some adults would say that we all need to buck up and deal with it, but I disagree. Anyone can think back to a time when they were a kid hoping for one of these special days off. Maybe I’m being overly sentimental, but there really is something incredible about these days and the memories made on them for kids. So please, let’s think twice before switching that snow day to a “remote learning” one.
Matthew Leonardson • Feb 16, 2021 at 9:53 am
I think the issue with snow days is how sporadic they are. They’re frustrating to schedule around, they can’t be predicted until potentially hours prior, and they are days off where you likely cannot leave your home (even barring Covid). I believe if you want to preserve the nature of a “random” day off, just incorporate them into the schedule at regular intervals. Not only does it make planning around them easier, but they can also be spread across the whole year rather than just those winter months, as generally snow days either happen at the end of first semester (where that day off may be frustrating because everything is wrapping up) or the beginning of the second (where a break is less needed, as things are just beginning and a break was had just a few weeks ago). I do enjoy the fun and wild nature of a flurry essentially stealing a day from the calendar, but I feel like from a logical standpoint, there’s much better and more practical ways of addressing the need for breaks in the year.