Preserve joy of snow days

Preserve joy of snow days

Picture this: The contin- uous fall of snowflakes, Jack Frost nipping at your nose and the rest of your body, and a monotonous daily school routine. What is the one thing that can re-energize a student during these dreary winter months? Two words: Snow Day.

A student’s (and faculty’s) little piece of heaven may be taken away within the next five years. Snow days may be replaced with “E-days” or “electronic days.” This means that students are required to complete a certain lesson for that day, as they would in class. Teachers are available at their homes to take calls from children if they do not understand.

A Mississinawa Valley school in western Ohio has been using online schooling for days that have called off due to inclement weather. If you were a student how would you feel about this?

Some of a child’s best memories can include those surprise vacation days when the temperature is a little too cold or there is just too much snow. I think that we need to give these children a break. Not to mention that this idea assumes that every student would have access to a computer, which may not be true in low income families.

The total number of snow days has already been reduced from five to three days in Ohio House Bill 1 for the year 2010-2011. Allow these children to enjoy themselves on these days that are few and far between.

There is no point to punish teachers and students on a snow day by making them log online and do a lesson. Students will work better with a little break; we all would. So let’s forget about these online classes and get back to enjoying those days when a child can go make snow angels and igloos in their back yards and not have to be glued to the computer screen doing a class lesson.

Isn’t that what the magic of a snow day is all about?

Bethany McGehee, Salem