Wintertime (Snow Days?)

Winter is a joy, especially those snow days. Spending time with friends and family is something we all treasure. Also, with this year being so agonizingly painful to bear, wouldn’t be nice to have a few days off? Christmas break might give you that chance but snow days are supposed to be magical, where students are able to run outside and enjoy some physical activity, instead of sitting at the computer all day. Some students experience hours of work every day, having a break from it all would be a great time to unwind.

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Wintertime is coming up soon, and the question that is running through students’ minds is, will we have snow days this year? The answer to this question is most likely no, and students will not be able to have that luxury. Students share their own opinions attending to this matter.

The temptation will be hard to withstand with the beautiful blankets of snow on the ground, so why not give the students a few days of fun and relaxation? “I feel like snow days are a big thing to look forward to during winter,” says Josh Hurst (senior), a student of Arlington High School. The school has overloaded our brains too much. These days off provide joy and fun into a person’s world. Most want to be able to have free time with family and friends. Others may argue that Christmas break already gives them that chance.

Students can go to class with zoom, even if the weather is out of hand, which makes winter less enjoyable. Student Lillian Rasmussen (senior) says, “I know that for me getting a snow day is like a miracle and not getting those this year would be a huge blow for my motivation” It also would cause lots of students to feel that they are losing a little bit of winter love. Snow days provide that moment of experiencing the feeling of absolute happiness. Not having them will cause us to stare out our windows.

A few days off would allow for relaxation and peace with the family. If students did not have snow days, they might feel robbed. Elizabeth Marsh (junior) says, “I just think that although snow days are a small thing, I think they have a great value and would be appreciated.” This adds to the concept of school being less enjoyable, so why take it away when it is something that is treasured? Education is important, but doing something fun is a way of distracting ourselves from all the stress. 

Others might get peeved or upset at the idea of no time off. Students may get tired of the endless days of school. “I do enjoy hanging out with my friends in the snow… I would certainly be disappointed” Says Hurst. Wintertime is a chance to let loose and be free to experience something magical. Having a few days off would not hurt; it may even be helpful to the students who are struggling and have lots of anxiety over what is going on. 

With the weather change, the internet might not be that smooth during this seasonal time. It would make zoom less reliable and shakier. Student Rasmussen says teachers, “will make assignments…but ultimately most students will put off any” During the winter, students want to be able to have free time. With handing out homework, teachers will become agitated with students turning in late work. Email messages will stack up, but that would make things more complicated. Teachers would have tons of emails in their inbox from students asking about the assignment and vice versa (lots from teachers explaining the assignment when they already did so).

The teachers that already have internet problems go to school. A snow day would benefit these people. “I think it does not necessarily hurt anyone to take a day off for the safety of these teachers and the well-being of the student body,” Marsh says. These breaks would be bonuses towards both parties, student and teacher unless teachers found a way to deal with this problem. Although students and staff have a way to communicate with each other through zoom activities, the school should allow some days off for relaxation, from frustration, and for some quality family time.