The coronavirus pandemic has caused school districts to reimagine how curriculum is delivered — remotely in many instances — and now it’s even affected snow days.
While more than a foot of snow is forecasted for much of the North Shore Wednesday night into Thursday, superintendents in some school districts, such as Lynn, Peabody, Revere, Salem and Saugus have opted to abandon the traditional snow day and continue with remote instruction on Thursday.
Superintendents choosing to continue with remote instruction on snow days this school year have cited the importance of providing “continuity in instruction,” especially since learning has already been significantly interrupted.
“The global pandemic has impacted our students and families in many ways,” Peabody Superintendent Josh Vadala wrote in a letter to families. “Two areas of concern within our schools has been the loss of learning and the impact on the mental health of our students.
“As a result, we have decided to engage in remote learning on inclement weather days this year. Given the fragmented nature of learning environments over the past ten months, the continuity of instruction is extremely important for students.”
However, several other school districts decided to close on Thursday, including Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, and Swampscott, with superintendents in Marblehead and Swampscott expressing their hesitation with taking away the excitement of a snow day from students.
“The kids have had so much taken away from them,” said Swampscott Superintendent Pamela Angelakis. “Let them go out and play. Let it be a good old-fashioned snow day.”
“A good-old fashioned snow day might just be what the doctor ordered,” added Marblehead Superintendent Dr. John Buckey. “It is still a childhood joy.”
In Peabody, Vadala said schedules will be altered on snow days to allow families time in the morning to clear snow, which will be followed by structured learning time.
In addition to the standard lunch break, students will be allowed a period of unstructured time, which will give them a chance to go outside or enjoy indoor activities, before the day concludes with more structured learning time, Vadala said.
Lynn Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has given districts the option this school year to cancel classes on days that inclement weather forces the closure of school buildings, or continue with remote learning instead.
Lynn Public Schools has chosen the latter, Tutwiler said.
“Accordingly, with the impending storm Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon of this week, all classes will continue as planned remotely,” Tutwiler wrote in a letter to families.
Not all parents in Lynn were pleased with the decision, some of whom cited concerns that centered around the potential for power outages that could be brought on by a heavy snow event, which would make remote learning impossible for affected students.
In addition, parents were concerned about snow continuing well into the school day, according to a Lynn school official.
Potential power outages was one of the reasons Angelakis cited for deciding to cancel classes in Swampscott on Thursday.
“If it really is a nor’easter and the power lines go down during the day, I don’t want to be struggling to figure out what kids will be doing,” said Angelakis.
In Swampscott, the decision to cancel school or continue with remote learning during inclement weather will be made on a “storm-to-storm basis,” said Angelakis, which would depend on the severity of the forecasted weather.
“If the snow is light and fluffy and there’s no potential for power outages, sure, we can do a remote day,” said Angelakis.
In Marblehead, Buckey said school will be canceled for future snow events, a decision he said he came to after consultation with the district’s Reopening Committee.
“My experience is that snow days are often accompanied by power outages which would disrupt remote teaching and learning for our staff and students,” said Buckey. “We built the school calendar with the allotted five snow days, and if we use them all, the tentative last day of school would be June 21, 2021.
“I also believe that with the stress we are all experiencing, a snow day would be beneficial for students and staff alike. It’s a simple joy that we can still have, even mid-pandemic.”
On Dec. 16, the Nahant School Committee voted unanimously to continue the practice of canceling school when conditions prevent safe travel.
In a letter posted on the school’s website Wednesday, Nahant Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi warned parents that due to the impending storm, they should expect both in-person and remote instruction to be canceled.
“For many years, school staff, children, and families have enjoyed the first snow of the season, which often creates a special opportunity to participate in activities which endure in our memories and often in pictures,” Pierantozzi said. “This year has been a challenging one that has brought an increase in stress levels and has required many changes in our daily lives.
“My hope is that if and when we have a ‘snow day,’ we can all have an experience that is an enjoyable change in routine.”
However, superintendents in districts that opted to continue with remote learning felt that allowing for a traditional snow day would do more harm than good, in terms of further interruptions to student education.
A statement posted on the Salem school district website reads that pivoting to remote learning in the event of a school closure during a snow emergency “ensures that student learning will not be interrupted and the school year will not have to be extended to make up for lost days.”
“It is arguably more important to provide our students with access to their teachers, support staff and classmates,” added Vadala. “The pandemic has left many of our students feeling isolated and alone. Engaging in a remote learning day will ensure they have access to teachers, counselors and peers throughout the day.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Saugus Superintendent David DeRuosi had declined to announce whether the district would cancel its classes, but tentative plans were for classes to continue remotely.
