No More Snow Days

School is closed tomorrow – Wednesday – because of the impending storm. In anticipation, middle school director George Swain spoke to the students at lunch about how to make best use of the day. (It included plenty of time for play and being outdoors if that is possible.)

And this is from the letter he wrote to parents:

Dear Middle School Families,

Welcome to the New Year! We have had our first snow day and anticipate that we may have a few more before winter is through with us.

Since technology is so thoroughly enmeshed in our program, we have taken steps to ensure that inclement weather not get in the way of important learning. As such, we have told students that they should check their school email accounts and each class’s Google site by 10:00 a.m. in the event of a school cancellation to see what assignments may have been designed for them to do before returning to school.

Teachers will not design assignments simply to keep their students busy (everyone enjoys a little fun in the snow) but rather to continue the momentum of the work being undertaken this winter.

Students should assume that existing plans are not affected by inclement weather (scheduled deadlines and test dates remain in place) unless their teacher announces otherwise. Advisors will, of course, remind students to pack up supplies before heading home in the event that a snow day is likely (as is the case today).

If you were ever curious about how snow closure decisions are made, you may want to read Josie’s recent blog entry on the subject where she credits one of our middle school students with alerting her to the intriguing Snow Day Calculator. The school posts snow delay and closure information on the website as well as through local radio stations.

Thanks George.

And be safe, be happy and enjoy the day everyone.

Think of a snow day as a gift of time for play,  independent work and keeping connected in the ways that make sense for the work you want to do.