Snow Day Chaos - the Lament is over!

What a difference two weeks makes.

On January 13th I wrote a blog about how my students were lamenting the lack of Snow Days this year (Check it out at: http://bit.ly/SnowDayLament).  Well, the lamenting is over.  Between the snow accumulation and the squalls and the polar vortex, our buses have not run much. This past week has had enough Snow Days to last us for the rest of the year.

I've noticed lots of Social Media posts from upset parents, especially today, the last (at least I hope it's the last) in a long line of cancellations.  The roads here are mostly clear and it is not snowing, but the cold is nasty (Not Winnipeg nasty, but -36 with the windchill nasty).

The decision about bus cancellations does not have anything to do with the school board or teachers.  It's the consortium that runs all the buses that service our schools.  I understand parent's frustration with the disruption, but I also understand that the bus companies do not want to take on the legal risk that an accident, or a child getting frostbite (or worse) waiting for a bus, opens them up to.

It's frustrating for us too.  This is exam week.  Exam schedules have been cancelled, adjusted and  changed repeatedly.  We have been able to get 3/4 written, but will have to finish the last one next week.  Teachers changing schools, or retiring or going on secondments or sabbaticals with exams unwritten are also in a bit of a conundrum - how will they get that exam written, marked and marks submitted, when today is their last day of work?

My students don't write exams, but these snow days are disruptive for them as well.  I work with students with high needs.  These students need a high level of structure and routine every day.  So, when the buses are cancelled, some stay home, but some are driven to school.  I try to run as normal a day as I can, but....

We were supposed to go bowling on Monday.  We've rescheduled it repeatedly and today we finally had to give up on this trip.  Mother Nature just does not want us to go bowling right now.  This was upsetting for a lot of the kids in the program.  Some who were at school wanted us to continue with life as scheduled and demanded to go anyways (impossible with no bus).  A parent called in to let us know her child, who had stayed home, was inconsolable because he thought we would go without him and he could not be persuaded otherwise. Yesterday, one of my students had an emotional meltdown.  She was sobbing and wailing.  "Where are the other kids?"  We had a few stragglers from other classes in our room.  "Who are these kids?"  And the one that broke my heart when I heard it, "When are we going to get back to normal?"

It's frustrating for everyone. (OK, a few of my students are loving the extra days off - but it's going to be tough for them to get back into routine again once we "restart.")  As hardy Canadians and flexible educators,  we will do what we always do, and make the best of it.

In the meantime, I have a message for Mother Nature.  But I can't print it here.  I'm sure she knows.

Frustrated or loving the snow days?  Leave me a message in the comment section below.