Hot chocolate, pajamas, laughter, snowmen, sledding, movies: The sweet memories of childhood. This is what our society may be losing as video conferencing apps like Zoom are expanding and evolving. In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the rise of online learning platforms changed the way in which students were being taught. When Zoom was first introduced, it seemed like a smart way for kids to learn remotely in times of crisis, but also made learning a lot less interactive because kids were confined to a screen. They were not able to connect with their teachers one on one and may have had difficulty with instruction. Once schools were safely able to go back to in-person learning, most assumed Zoom would no longer be needed. However, in reality, this proved not to be the case. Zoom is still used in schools in various ways, which is why it might eliminate the need for schools to ever unexpectedly close. The risk of losing snow days is increasing by the day as more and more school districts try to maximize learning, in- person and remote, as mentioned in an article by Education Weekly.

With Zoom still being an accessible tool for teachers, the long standing “tradition” of snow days is now in question. Snow days are decided due to unsafe winter weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall, and this is to ensure the safety of both the students and faculty. Utilizing Zoom would allow teachers and students to resume a normal day of learning from home, while still staying safe. However, losing our snow days may not be beneficial to kids or administrators, as snow days are a historical part of school in the winter. Snow days serve as a much needed break and are a way for people to relax and recharge.
For students, snow days are often the highlight of their weeks in the winter. The excitement of finding out you have no school the next day is one of the best feelings as a kid. As a younger child, I remember being ecstatic whenever it would snow because the idea of being able to stay in my pajamas all day, play in the snow with my friends, and spend quality time with my family was very appealing. Snow days also give teenagers a day of peace and quiet; high school can often be very stressful, and it’s important for us to take time to ourselves and shut off our brains for a day. It is essential for teenagers to focus on their mental health and snow days serve as these much needed breaks which can help to lower stress. When interviewing Horace Greeley students about how snow days help them manage stress, the responses were pretty unanimous. Ninth grader Nicole W said, “snow days act as a reset for me, I can relax and not think about school for the day.” Similarly, another 9th grader Mia S added, “I can destress and focus on repairing my mental health, and for once not feel super overwhelmed and exhausted. But most importantly, snow days are fun and serve as a much needed break.” Answers varied but the overall consensus is that snow days are a crucial part of our school experience, and they allow for a pause in our chaotic lives, giving students a chance to reset their minds, relax, and enjoy themselves.
Snow days can also be a time of reset for teachers and give them a chance to step back from their own hectic lifestyles. They can take a day to themselves and not focus on grading work or planning lessons. Not to forget, teachers have lives totally separate from school, and snow days can serve as quality time with their families and put work aside. Many teachers are also parents, which means that just because snow days are a break from school, they aren’t a break from parenting. Their kids most likely have a snow day as well, and being a parent is hard enough, but if their children are learning from home, teachers can’t teach remotely and look after their kids. If teachers have families which require their time, they cannot teach, and school without teachers is hardly school at all! This is why online learning days in replace of snow days is not a fit solution. Greeley English teacher, Dr. Letizia had some very smart insights and thoughts. He mentioned how as a teacher daily life is very stressful, and snow days are a great way to take a break and just relax. “As a teacher and a father it is so nice to be able to enjoy a day at home with my family. Teachers as well as students deserve a mental health day and time to just have fun and be.” I think Dr. Letizia speaks for all teachers when he says that snow days are a much needed break!
Life today is continuously modernizing, and so much of our lives revolve around technology. Why take away an annual tradition in schools just because Zoom has become accessible? No one needs to be sitting behind a screen all day when they can be playing in the snow. Not to mention, we are using screens enough! Our society deserves these rare breaks so we can relax, unwind, and have fun, so I think I speak for everyone when I say snow days should absolutely remain in schools. We must come together as a community to ensure our longstanding tradition of snow days stays in place forever! Snow days, we say yay!