With our first snow in two years in the forecast for this coming weekend and the beginning of winter just starting, it’s left some wondering, what’s the plan for snow days this year.
According to this year’s BCPS school year calendar, “If more than three (3) emergency closures occur and/or there are a significant number of delayed openings and/or early dismissals used, the school calendar also may be adjusted appropriately to meet the minimum required student days and hours.” With unknown adjustments to the calendar if we use more than 3 snow days, we’re left wondering will that be a longer school year extended past June 14, less days off for spring break, or some have heard we may go virtual after three snow days.
People often have different opinions and feelings on snow days and how we should make them up.
When speaking to teachers , going virtual to make up for snow days is preferred rather than the idea of adding days after June 14. However, for just one day, many question how much work students would complete for a random virtual work day.
Kenwood’s librarian Mrs Schmidt , worries, “I’m afraid students’ grades could suffer because the work that will be assigned to the students during these virtual days may not be completed.” But she would personally rather do virtual snow days rather than adjust the school calendar past June 14.
As for students, whether they would log in and do the work it, it varies on what they think. Kenwood junior Kayla S shares, “If my grade is good and I’m not concerned about a small missing assignment, I may not sign in virtually. But if it’s a class I really need a grade for then I may.”
Kenwood junior Abrianah agrees it’d depend on several factors whether she’d participate in a virtual snow day. “It kind of depends on the teacher. At this point in the year I know which ones would let me make up a missed virtual assignment and which ones would not, so for those teachers I’d have to do my work on the snow day,” she shares.
Kenwood English and Journalism teacher Mrs Glenn is concerned students wouldn’t do the work. “I recently heard on the radio though how inactive people of all ages are becoming since the virtual days of the pandemic, so I think I’d make my assignment something like playing and taking a selfie in the snow and then reflecting on how being outside with fresh air and snow and being active helps them mentally.”
Like several other teachers though Glenn would rather go virtual or add days at the end of the school year. “Anything but taking away days we have off in the middle of the year because teachers and families make travel plans based on the school calendar.”
It’s a tough call on how to balance what is right for students to get the amount of hours and days they need for their education if we fear virtual will not be utilized but adding to school days beyond the calendar created a year ago creates problems for people.
But before we get too concerned about what we’ll do to make up snow days we actually have to have snow which we haven’t seen here in Baltimore for quite some time. We get three traditional snow days before we even have to worry about making up snow days virtually or later in the school year.
If we just happened to see enough snow these next two months to create snow days, what is your desired solution to making up the missed school days?
