WOODBURY – Snowmen, snowflakes, and bundles of clothing keeping people warm as they sled down their hill in their backyards, are all many of the plentiful activities that come with a snow day.
While everyone is in their own winter wonderland, they tend to forget the unfortunate punishment of snow days in the winter.
Each snow day that is called for, the Region 14 school district adds one additional day in the summer, giving a seemingly longer year that feeds into student’s and teacher’s summer.
“I think snow days are good but too many can be bad,” says Joshua Kornblut, Nonnewaug High School science teacher. “I think that number one there is just an excitement around snow days; it gives everyone a nice break.”
Teachers and staff alike, they all enjoy the relaxation of a day off. Blissful blizzards can be extraordinary for a day, but when it comes to the last day of school students look forward to, when does it get to a point?
With seven snow days, the date of the last day of school (June 11th) has been pushed out 11 days to June 22th. Although the snow days are enjoyable at the moment, it makes students and staff pay the price for more days in June.
Superintendent Brian Murphy is the ultimate decider for the decision of a snow day or a delay; he states his process of granting students and staff a day off due to snow and dangerous road conditions.
“I always have the safety of our students and staff in mind before I determine if a snow day is warranted,” says Murphy.
For Murphy, this decision isn’t easy and is grounded by several factors.
“I then check with the road crews in Bethlehem and Woodbury to see if the roads are safe and clear,” Murphy said. “Then I participate in a conference call with area superintendents to gather information on the plans of other districts as well. I check the weather forecast and make the decision to cancel or delay school.”
Snow days are perceived as a day off, a break from school, but what do students and staff think about the day off in the winter only for it to come back in the summer.
“I would rather be playing with my friends outside and swimming than being in school,” says Gwen Murphy, freshman at NHS.
Students at NHS even argue that one or even two snow days “wouldn’t hurt.”
Logan McGuire student at NHS shares opinions on the school accumulating many snow days over the year.
“I think that snow days are a relieving thing for students, but I think it gets to a point because every student just wants to get to summer break,” says McGuire. “The more snow days there are, the farther that gets away from us. So I think snow days once in a while are a nice thing for students, but the more that we get, the worse it gets.”
On the other hand, some students aren’t in agreement with the fact that snow days can be bad; they think that the last couple days of school are easy, and don’t require much work.
“I feel fine about a couple more school days in the summer because the last couple of weeks of school we don’t do a lot of work and it’s just hanging out with your friends,” says Charlotte Toon, a freshman student at NHS.
The tradeoff for a break within the week during the winter, or to what it feels like, have a summer cut short; within the best interest of the students, the sacrifice for more days spent inside the classroom glancing outside at the fresh summer breeze is necessary towards students’ safety.
So whether or not students think snow days should happen as regularly for a chance at a longer summer– the reality is that snow days are important, but maybe students shouldn’t be so quick to jump for joy at the sight of a snow day.
