Unpredictable weather this winter has led to multiple snow days, both expected and unexpected, for the Seabury community. It has been a topic of debate among students and faculty whether these snow days were much needed or a little too much, with Head of School Don Schawang even making a speech in Morning Meeting questioning whether they were truly appreciated by students.
In general, students seem to enjoy the unexpected chance to relax and unwind for a day. Junior Zephyr O’Hara explains, “I love snow days … It just gives you more time to get stuff done, and it’s just a breath of stress-free air.”
Sixth grader Rand Ababneh shares O’Hara’s sentiment, saying that she likes snow days “because it’s nice to just have a break when you’re supposed to be at school.”
However, some students are more conflicted about whether they would really prefer a snow day to attending classes. Freshman Izzy Gonzalez notes, “coming to school makes me feel more productive. Like, I need to be doing something, and when I’m at home, all I can think about is what I need to be doing … I can’t say that I like [snow days], and I can’t say that I don’t like them.”
Whether they are partial to them or not, students make sure to get the most they can out of their days off, though they partake in a variety of activities to do so. Eighth grader Mateo Sherwood’s favorite snow day activity is “going out with my friends and making money [shoveling driveways].”
Ababneh also likes to spend time outside. She recalls, “My favorite snow day memory is me and my sister waking up ready to go to school and my mom telling us we get to play in the snow, so [we] played in the snow the whole day.”
Some students, however, prefer to stay warm indoors to make the most of their vacation. Gonzalez explains that she likes to “make hot chocolate and sit and watch movies and hang out with … friends.”
Schawang attests that snow days are not relaxing just for students but can be for faculty members as well. He shares, “I work at my dining room table, and my view of the backyard is beautiful. It just feels good.” When he is not working, Schawang’s favorite snow day activity is to “build a fire … and read.”
Regarding what constitutes a reasonable school closure, Sherwood says, “I don’t think it’s about the cold, but if the roads are icy and there’s a lot of snow, and a lot of people who live far away [can’t come], then I definitely think we should cancel school.”
Schawang agrees, explaining, “It’s the timing more than the precipitation … [We should close if] it’s enough that it makes traveling dangerous … I go with the public schools if it’s snow or ice, but if I have any doubt about that I will check it out myself because we almost never cancel for cold.”
