The recent snow days in Fluvanna made the week of Dec. 8 resemble an early start to winter break, right before the real one actually begins. The recent and unexpected pause to the school week gave students time away from classes and sleeping in, but with these snow days being so close to finals and exams, it creates mixed emotions for school administrators and staff, who are trying to balance tight schedules. “Many years ago, we gave tests in January and had a terrible time with snow days. We choose to test in December now rather than in January because we have a greater chance of having snow days in January. That did not work out very well this year, but we have made the best of it by fine-tuning our schedule to include review,” said our testing coordinator Angela Blevins.
Parents received calls and emails early in the morning, or the night before school, on Dec. 5, 8, 9, and 10 to alert students not to come to school due to the weather. Even though this meant that exams were pushed back only one day, the snow days led to reduced preparation for students and staff alike. Teachers are having to squeeze review lessons in, with sometimes shorter class periods due to the schedule change for finals. Teachers may need to adjust their plans to ensure all required materials are covered before the end of the term. For teachers, one of the biggest hurdles of a snow day is the unpredictability.
“I really do like snow and snow days, but it can have a great impact on student success. When we have so many snow days right before the SOL tests and exams, students have missed crucial review periods to help them prepare,” said Blevins.
Students have reported some mixed emotions, some seeing it as a potential to get a brief break or even to catch up on work before the end of the semester. “I think they can be kind of annoying because I’m always worried we will have to make them up,” said Senior Sean Southall. While some students are worried they’ll have to make these snow days up, some just don’t wanna miss out on their learning time. “Snow days tend to be stressful because I feel like I’m missing out on time to learn,” said Junior Mary Alyce.
With some students not enjoying snow days as much, others really enjoy it. “I always love snow days because I get to sleep in,” said Senior Ava Mullenax. “I enjoy them because they feel like a break from school,” said Senior Megan Pounsberry.
As these winter conditions possibly continue, these snow days create additional time away from school, help catch up on studying, but also disrupt schedules, making it more challenging to stay on track. Remaining informed and prepared is most important during these conditions.
