With fall coming to a close and winter arriving, the possibility of snow is finally on the horizon, with it coming snow days. Post-COVID, the debate arose about holding remote snow days, as opposed to tradition. But these remote snow days take away the classic fun of snow, as well as the other benefits of snow days.
SCASD schedules built-in school snow days each year, and many students are happy with our school’s choice, making it unpopular to switch to remote days.
Snow days are the perfect chance for students to get outside and off their electronics without having to stress about doing schoolwork. “It’s good for your mental health because, instead of having to go to school another day, you get a day off, a day to yourself,” senior Ben Tuthill said.
When SCASD has snow days, it is possible that it could add a day or two of school to summer, about four days; however, it is rare with our PA weather that we exceed the pre-scheduled snow days. The academic calendar has May 23 as a makeup day, meaning that if there is a snow day, teachers won’t have to worry about falling behind because the day will be made up later.
If for some reason the one day is exceeded, after the last planned day of school, four extra days will be implemented. However, this is very rare, and the extra days barely affect students.
Freshman Ea Stilson is all for the break. “A snow day is just, it’s so much joy, I would even take an extra week of school even if we could just keep the snow days,” Stilson said.
Tuthill and Stilson both say that the snow days give them a break in the winter, because apart from winter break with the hassle of multiple holidays, the snow days sprinkle in extra time to relax, and there’s still plenty of summer.
In a Vox article, Professor of Human Development Melanie Killen says that snow days offer a different important kind of learning for children and teens. Online school “undermines the power of peer interactions, which are fundamental for contributing to change and development,” Killen said. Snow days are “a break from the traditional teacher to children learning, which kids need.”
Another voice from the article, Andy Jenks, brings up that not all students have access to stable internet or other classroom materials that students may need for remote school. “There’s also the question of what’s become known as the digital divide: the socioeconomic gap between those who have reliable access to computers and the internet and those who don’t,” Jenks says. So in many ways, it is much easier for schools to cancel altogether.
In conclusion, snow days are a great form of a break and a chance for any student to get outside, and catch up on their sleep and work; all things that SCASD encourages. A standard summer is still included, and those who love the snowy weather get a chance to play and enjoy the day with their friends and family.
