If you grew up in the northern half of the country, you probably remember snow days. As adults, we definitely don’t look forward to dealing with snow and ice, but as kids, it was something to look forward to. Not only did snow and ice mean that we could build a snowman and make snow angels, but it also meant that school might be canceled and we would have the whole day at home.

We have fond memories of walking over to our neighbor’s house on snow days to go sledding with some of our friends from school. We remember warming up with hot chocolate and watching a movie in the middle of the day.

We also remember the relief of a snow day when it fell on the day an important homework assignment was due or on the day of a big test. It was especially amazing when the roads were so bad that schools would announce the night before that they were going to be closed the next day.

Our kids may never know the joy of snow days. They may be a thing of the past. It might be one of those stories we tell the grandkids about the good ol’ days. 

The pandemic has made us all realize the capabilities of distance learning or remote learning. Whatever you want to call it, logging into Zoom or Google Meet and learning online has become the new normal for many students.

Due to the pandemic, schools throughout the country have different ways of holding class at the moment. School currently ranges from 100% distance learning to 100% in-person classes (you know, like normal), and a hybrid model that combines the two.

Now, some school districts who have decided to hold in-person classes have also decided that instead of a snow day meaning a day off from school it will mean that students will learn remotely by logging into classes on their computer or tablet.

Watch the video below to learn more about why some Massachusetts schools will not be canceling school on snow days.

We remember having to go to school for a couple extra weeks in the summer to make up all the school we missed during the winter, so perhaps distance learning on snow days is actually a great idea. 

If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow and your kids are going to school in-person, you might want to consider setting up a desk for them at home in case your school district decides to switch snow days to remote learning.

Did you have snow days when you were in school? Do you think it’s a good idea to have kids learn remotely instead of having school canceled for snow days?