We all could use a snow day. Sure, one-third of New Jersey schools are fully remote right now, and all schools are mostly capable of switching to virtual learning at a moment’s notice.
But does that mean kids should keep plowing through their school work if a winter wonderland is accumulating outside?
Whether New Jersey gets a dusting or gets walloped with a foot of snow, kids — not to mention overworked teachers and stressed-out parents who’ve become their kid’s personal assistants — really need a day off from school. We all can agree, 2020 was absolutely exhausting and the start of 2021 hasn’t been any less stressful.
But the coronavirus pandemic is about to steal one more thing from our kids — the beloved snow day.
Some school superintendents get it.
“‘Snow days’, in my opinion, are essential for students, especially our younger ones,” Vernon Superintendent Karen D’Avino told parents when announcing a snow day well in advance of a storm in December. “Please encourage your children to play in the snow.”
Others were being a bit grinchy about it. Cherry Hill Superintendent Joseph Meloche told his students not to expect a phone call in the morning announcing school was canceled. Since they’re all remote, Meloche says there’s enough time in the day to get your schoolwork done and still get out and play.
In theory, yes — even if they give a lighter workload of offline assignments and packets of papers they can do on their own time or “asynchronous” learning, as we call it these days.
But good luck with that. Ask any parent who is home with their kids — it’s hard enough to get them to sit at the dining room table or desk and focus on schoolwork, especially if siblings, toys and electronics are there to distract them.
Does any teacher or school administrator really think kids will pay attention when the snow’s coming down?
The fact that school can be done remotely for New Jersey’s public schools might be a blessing in disguise — eventually. Districts won’t need to worry about clearing off buses, making sure the sidewalks are shoveled, and the streets are plowed.
For now — as long as New Jersey’s public health emergency persists — remote learning due to bad weather can count toward the 180 required school days, meaning no need to cut into spring break or extend the school year into the sweltering days of late June.
We might be thankful for that option later this winter when we get tired of the cold and are counting down the days until school’s out for summer — but not yet.
We’ve had a dry enough winter that we can spare a day or two right now.
These kids have already lost out on so much in 2020 — no dances or spectators at high school sports — and 2021 isn’t looking much brighter as schools continue to open and close as coronavirus cases pop up.
Whether they’re 5 or 15, kids need the joy of a day off of school, filled with snowball fights, sledding, fort building, heck, even shoveling the neighbor’s driveway for a few bucks. Give the kids — and their parents and teachers — a break.
The Chromebooks will still be there tomorrow.
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Jessica Beym may be reached at jbeym@njadvancemedia.com
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February 01, 2021 at 06:50AM
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Kids need a snow day, not another virtual day - NJ.com
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