Sledding? Hot chocolate? Snowball fights?
Snow days are a staple of our childhoods. A day off of school with no responsibilities other than to have fun with your friends. Every student can find joy in that. Despite the wishes of students and staff, snow days face the threat of extinction with the emergence of virtual learning.
Virginia Del. Daniel Marshall III (R) recently proposed a new bill to the Virginia House that would require all Virginnia schools to hold virtual school days whenever snow cancels in-person education.
It is undetermined on whether this legislation will have the support to pass into law, as referral of the legislation to a specific committee is still yet to be determined. The timeline for the bill’s voting period will be released upon selection of a specific comittee.
Currently, snow days are still allowed under Virginia law, and that state has made it optional for school districts to replace snow days with virtual learning days.
Obviously, this legislation is unpopular amongst students. Snow days are some of students’ most unexpected but happiest days of the year, and the threat of taking them away does not come kindly.
“Snow days are awesome. The unexpected notification in the morning that school is canceled and the run to the window to look outside, that feeling is really, really cool,” junior Zach Plank said. “I hope snow days are here to stay, my ideal way of spending them is playing with my brothers, sleeping in, and playing video games- not virtual classes.”
Prior to virtual learning, there were a designated number of snow days allowed before FCPS would add on additional school days to the end of the calendar, taking the school year deeper into June.
Since virtual learning has proved to be an efficient learning tool, FCPS has opted for five authentic snow days with no learning requirements. Following the five day period, students must attend virtual classes for every snow day to follow.
“I like the current system, it enables us to have some snow days and fun, and I think that five snow days allowed is a healthy balance between fun with friends and schoolwork,” senior Andrew Nields said.
Moving forward, even if this current legislation proposal fails to gain support, there will be a continued effort from local government officials and school board members to make snow days irrelevant. Some feel that snow days create an unstable learning path, and that gaps in instruction are not beneficial to students’ learning ability.
“So much of our learning isnt face-to-face instruction anyway, I have the resources to learn on our own on snow days if we feel it is necessary or if I think I need to catch up on assignments,” junior Nicole Perez said. Other than that, I think snow days provide well-deserved excitement for both students and teachers.
So far in the 2022-23 school calendar, we have had no snow days and one two-hour delay. As we reach more snow days and delays, enjoy them, as the next snow day could also be the last.