Hello Dorothy,

When the forecast calls for snow, kids begin their silent (or maybe not so silent) appeals to the weather gods – or anyone else who will listen – “please be a snow day, please be a snow day…”

Having grown up in Michigan, I’ve said that prayer. We had a fair share of snow days, and I still have fond memories of them. They’re a school of a different kind – a time to enjoy and respect and learn from winter’s fury. For students, it’s a time of solitude, a sabbath of sorts in the middle of the week. If you had a test planned for the day, all the better. But the greatest pleasure came from taking advantage of winter by sledging, building forts, and just playing outside in the snow. When the forecast calls for snow, kids begin their silent (or maybe not so silent) appeals to the weather gods – or anyone else who will listen – “please be a snow day, please be a snow day…”

But now that remote learning is a part of everyday life, does it mean the end of the snow day? Will they become one of those old-timey things we tell our kids about, like rotary phones or driving a stick shift?

I’d hate to lose that experience. Yes, many kids will want to hang out on their iPads when the snow comes, but it’s up to parents to steer them away from electronics to the special treasures that snow days can provide. Schools are making significant changes because of the pandemic, and many of them are probably here to stay. But let’s hope we don’t lose a bit of that unexpected magic that can come out of nowhere. 

What do you think? Will snow days soon become extinct? Or will they be a part of the school year again once we get back to regular in-person learning? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

I look forward to learning from your experiences. 

Until next month,

Andy