Bangor To Say Bye-Bye To Snow Days; Opt For Remote Learning Instead

I get this. But I have to admit it makes me a little sad.

As a kid, there was nothing more thrilling than hearing about an impending snow storm, getting up super early to watch the cancellations scroll across the TV or be read on the radio by your favorite morning show host and then either going right back to bed, or getting bundled up to go play outside. It seems those days are about to go by the wayside, and an entire generation is about to lose that experience.

I checked my email yesterday, and low and behold this was in the subject line of one sent out by the Bangor School Department: "Instead of snow days, BSD will use remote learning days."

The email, penned by Superintendent Betsy Webb states that the Bangor School Department will "avoid snow days whenever possible."

"Faculty and staff are prepared to do remote learning days for all students on days we used to have to call snow days. An alert will be sent either the day before or the morning when a remote learning day will be used in the event of inclement weather. Students will receive an email from their teachers first thing on the remote learning day with notification of virtual meetings and learning activities."

Again, I get it. Doing this will allow the students and staff to stay on schedule, and hopefully, barring any other unforeseen natural disasters or pandemics (please, please, please let this be it, 2020!) and not delay the end of the school year. And it does make sense, now that these resources for distance learning have been put into place. But there was something to be said for having a day off, to get out and play with friends in the snow or to catch up on sleep; to just be a worry-free kid for a minute. I can't help but feel like we're taking yet another quintessential kid experience away from our children.

In a year where there's been so much stress, worry and anxiety, it's going to be sad to not have snow days to look forward to.

The email also stated that when possible, school lunches will be made and sent home the day before a bad storm, so that students who need them can get them.