Snow, but no Snow Day

[nanila]

Remember how I was being salty about our lack of "significant" snow? Well, it all arrived at once last night. We got hammered. The picture is my view as I stepped off what would transpire was the final service to arrive at my home station last night. All the trains were cancelled today.

However, the children were furious this morning because despite the high school and the other middle school in the area being closed, their school was...open. And, cruel parents that we are, we made them attend. A third to half of their classes were missing, some of whom we know live within walking distance of the school. (Our children don't.)

I'm not sure how long we can expect to be in the doghouse, but I suspect it's going to take more than a packet of Haribo to get them to forgive us.

Comments

[corvidology]

If you're not in the parent doghouse at least part of the time, are you doing the job right?

[nanila]

It's a good question. Does never being in the parent doghouse imply neglect?

[cmcmck]

When I was teaching we never closed schools due to weather!

We took a hammering here too- 10cm overnight.

[nanila]

I don't remember being allowed to stay home from school because of snow. Hurricanes, on the other hand...!

[soemand]

Our daycare has yet to close regardless of any storms. But I foresee your situation in the future with our little one.

+1 for the haribo bribes 🤣

[nanila]

Some educational establishments are very determined, it seems!

Haribo bribes are soooo efffective, haha.

[qian]

Poor kiddos, how maddening! We were told the night before that T's school was closing, and J's nursery hadn't opened as of 9:30 am (usually it opens at 7:45) because they didn't have enough staff. They said some staff had had to abandon their cars when commuting home the night before!

[nanila]

When we were trying to ascertain if there would be enough first-aiders able to come to work on Friday for my department to open, one person said they'd had to walk home (about three miles) at 10 PM, and there were abandoned cars all over the roads!

[nicki]

You will be reminded of this forever.

When we were living in Europe (40 yrs ago) our school, which was the American division of an International school, did not have Thanksgiving off. The first 2 years, my parents sent us to school anyway and I was one of only 2 students in my class that day. My brother and I still give them a hard time about it.

[nanila]

Haha, I think you're right! It's still being alluded to regularly.

Of all the US-specific holidays, Thanksgiving is the one I miss most. I'm happy the family is at least willing to celebrate it at the weekend.

[angrboda]

We were just talking at work yesterday about snow closures when we were children and how we remembered them, because for sure it happened for me more than once. Not every year, but definitely more than once. I distinctly remember my parents turning the radio over to a local station so we could listen for those messages. The conclusion we reached was to do with whether or not bus routes going there were closed and how many teachers were able to come in. Sometimes it would be school for the children who managed to get there, other times I definitely also remember there weren't enough teachers to do that, and it was more a 'we will look after your children if they come, but we're not teaching today' sort of thing.

[marymac]

If it started snowing during the day we would get sent home in stages as the rural route bus drivers will call the school services early if they think there's any risk they can't get children home. There was one day where we'd only just started second class and the Banbridge folks were pulled out and sent home because it was lying on the A1 and they were afraid the rural kids would be stranded.

They've got a lot better in NI about just closing the night before, thankfully. I think 2010 scarred the Education Authority for life.

[angrboda]

My school wasn't in a super-rural area, but a lot of the children came on the bus from the next village out, and before getting to that one the bus had been through a lot of farmland already. So they were often forced to give up quite quickly if there was drifting.

[nanila]

Both kids came home saying, "We didn't learn anything today, there weren't enough teachers!" So they felt that was adding insult to injury, lol.

[annofowlshire]

Mr and I were reminscing about snow days yesterday (although we didn't get any lasting snow) XD I still get a "snow day" thrill in my 40s XD

[nanila]

Unplanned days off for everyone are always a treat!

[omnipotent]

I am cold looking at this picture.

And you will hear about the school transgression forever, so best prepare yourself now :p

[nanila]

It was freeeeeeezing. And damp. My least favourite combination.

Oh I know, we're still hearing about it!

[silveradept]

Ah, treachery! You have once again become parents, rather than something else, I am sure.

This will pass, although it will likely be part of the stories that get told about you for eternity.

[nanila]

It was terrible treachery, and worst of all, as they told us, they didn't learn anything because there weren't enough teachers in school.

[silveradept]

Oh, no. So wasted time and treachery both. They could have done so much more and more fun things than being in school.

[davidgillon]

It's much easier to close schools nowadays because the communications are better. Back when I was in primary - and there was a difficult slope on the way that made bus access difficult in snow - we didn't have a phone, and lots of other families would be in the same situation (ironically we finally got a phone so my father could be called out in weather emergencies). So cancelling school had to be done early enough for it to go out on the local news at breakfast time at the latest, and closing the school during the day raised the distinct possibility of there being no parent home to let the kid in.

While nowadays the school secretary just pings a message out to everyone's phone and notification happens almost immediately.

[nanila]

It's so strange being reminded how much our lives have been changed by the giant leaps in communications tech!