Breaking the Ice: No More Snow Days For The Remainder of 2020-2021

On the cold morning of December 3rd 2020 all students and parents of  Howard County Public Schools woke up to the  announcement that, “they are all but doing away with snow days for the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year.” No more will kids spend all day outside playing in the snow until they practically get frostbite. Instead they will be sitting at a computer screen doing homework and going to class. 

Ava Alvarez, a freshman here at Atholton said that, “logically it makes sense, if we are not in school there is no reason to cancel it.” She thinks that even though it doesn’t really make sense to have snow days, “it would be nice to have them.” And even though she is “ not one for the cold” she feels bad for people who like snow since they won’t be able to enjoy it. 

Naomi Jackson, another  freshman student here at Atholton remembers “being outside for hours and hours in the snow, being super freezing cold and wet but you don’t care.” Her opinion on the cancellation of snow days is that she is “not mad about it” but she does “wish we still had some form of snow day.” Most kids have the same opinion; while its not the end of the world because we don’t have snow days, we all kind of wish we still had them so we could go outside and have fun. 

Now some may think well if we are stuck at home why not make kids do their work it makes sense. Plus kids won’t have to make the snow days up over the summer so the school year will be shorter.  Which doesn’t sound too bad until you realize that kindergartners, and young kids won’t be able to experience the joy of waking up to that announcement of no school. Wearing your pajamas inside out and putting ice cubes in the toilet so that snow will come. They won’t be able to play in the snow all day long and end the day by drinking a warm cup of coca. They won’t be able  to sleep in and spend the day making snowmen!

Bondy Shay Gibson, the superintendent of Jefferson County Schools in West Virginia had the same opinion on snow days. On December 15th for her county she allowed them to have a day off to play in the snow because as she said it”..we can all let go of the worry of making up for things we missed by making sure this is one thing our kids won’t lose this year.” ” She wanted people to relax and enjoy their day, drink hot cocoa, and send photos of their kids in snow gear. 

As of December 3rd Snow days have been canceled for the remainder of the year. This means no more going out and experiencing a fun snow day. Just about everyone agrees that even though it may not make sense to have them, the happiness and joy we get from them will make up for the school work we would have to make up. Besides, 2020 has been hard enough for most students and their families and I’m pretty sure most of 2021 will be as well  so why not give them a day to just relax and play in the snow?