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Original poster

Unaceptable taking a "snow day" when schools are open

409 replies

Creambun2 · 28/02/2018 11:28

It really annoys me that the vast majority of schools are open in my area, yet many, many children have been taken out of school by parents "to enjoy the snow". Talk about lack of respect for the staff and other pupils who bother to turn up. We only have a couple of cm of snow!

OP posts:
ThisLittleKitty · 28/02/2018 11:29

I thought the same. I took the kids down to school even though we have a very long walk down. Yet on the way back I seen loads of kids out playing in the snow!

Original poster
Creambun2 · 28/02/2018 11:32

In my local coffee now a family with four school age kids has turned up. All dressed in ski helmets, suits and snow goggles. Hmm

OP posts:
tinkywinky2018 · 28/02/2018 11:34

Oh fgs, there is more to life than school, especially for small children. What difference does it make to you at all?

JacquesHammer · 28/02/2018 11:34

DD's school is open, however it is up on the moors and they have advised only to come in if you'd already started the journey..

We only have a couple of cm of snow

We had 8 inches by breakfast time and it is still coming down.

Original poster
Creambun2 · 28/02/2018 11:35

jacques which is why I clarified the conditions in my locality. Hmm

OP posts:
Kursk · 28/02/2018 11:37

The US system (which is set up for snow) if there is less than 4-6 inches then everything will be open.

If the school call a snow day that day is added to the end of the summer term (shorter summer holiday)

MaidenMotherCrone · 28/02/2018 11:38

Oh fgs, there is more to life than school, especially for small children. What difference does it make to you at all?

This!

Whydomypubeslooklikeanest · 28/02/2018 11:38

It isn't disrespectful at all.

You make choices about whats important for your kid, others will choose what's important for theirs.

One day of fun instead of being at school isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

MaisyPops · 28/02/2018 11:38

We had that yesterday. We delayed registration by half an hour to factor in school busses and general traffic (staff had to register when we got on site). Notice out saying school was open.

Being at a good school with generally supportive parents, attendance was reasonable but almost all my poor attenders in classes were missing along with a few whl just took the day and live close to school (walking distance).

We are closed today because more has come down overnight and we didn't want to have a waiting game as despite delayed registration, some staff were getting is significantly late do with more snow we wouldn't have been able to guarantee cover this morning if staff got stuck.

beepthemeep · 28/02/2018 11:40

And the kids can't play in the snow at breaktime and lunchtime at school because.....???

seedsofchocolate · 28/02/2018 11:42

'lack of respect'. Bet you are a hoot in RL.

Let the kids have some fun. It isn't like it's a regular occurrence.

PumpkinPie2016 · 28/02/2018 11:43

I teach in a secondary school and sometimes, kids and staff can't get there for a variety of reasons - public transport/cars that are not good in snow etc. Most parents use their judgement based on their circumstances.

I got into work yesterday as did most staff and pupils so we were open.

Today, the snow is much worse here - I actually got to the school but I have a four wheel drive which has snow tyres on! Many staff live a distance away and couldn't get off their streets! As a result, the decision was made to close the school before the day started so I had to troop back home again!

I'm glad we shut as it's been coming down all morning and is really bad now!

FoofFighter · 28/02/2018 11:44

My childcare setting is open, we however have not gone in. It's a 40 minute walk on a good day, all downhill. (then of course uphill all the way home) We do not have a car like most of the other families.

We have maybe 2cm snow so far, but due a heavy dumping this afternoon apparently, plus we are in Scotland where we are on an Amber warning, with possibility of it going to red according to the press. It's also supposed to be in the minuses.

I'm not letting DC stay at home for fun, but for safety reasons.

Strictly1 · 28/02/2018 11:45

They can play in the snow at school!

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 28/02/2018 11:48

tinky the point is that it breeds an attitudd of school doesnt matter, you can't just take a day off work because its snowing.

jacques thats slightly different though isnt it, ptesumably to those who had already started the journey it was just as dangerous to turn round and go home and theres staff enough to cover. I think in that situation parents have made a resonable assement of how safely they can get to school and how likely it is to ve able to get home again.

When i was at school my high school was dependent on school coaches, ie the majority of the 600 kids caught one of the 23 school buses, and lived anything from 3 to 10 miles away. Once we were sent home at lunch time because the coach company phoned and said they couldnt gaurentee coaches on certian routes if the snow settled any more so the head decided to send those routes home while the local children had to stay and finish the school day. This also allowed the staff that lived further away to be able to leave early so they could get home early.

Some times its safer to open part of the school or close it to certian pupils.

But op is talking about schools where the whole school is open and its reasonably safe go travel in

MissSueFlay · 28/02/2018 11:49

DDs primary school had an 'optional snow day', so you could go in but if you didn't, it wouldn't count against your attendance. DD went in, some in her class who live significantly closer to the school have chosen not to... I figured that with less than 1 inch of snow and all the buses etc running (west London suburb) it would be silly not to go in today, particularly when it could actually be worse tomorrow and Friday.
I don't think it makes much difference to their education at this stage (Yr1), but I do think it shows the attitude of some of the parents which will, in turn, be picked up by the children.

Original poster
Creambun2 · 28/02/2018 11:50

The same selfish, entitled parents who do this are then expecting the teacher to re-do stuff so their child can catch up!

OP posts:
isittheholidaysyet · 28/02/2018 11:53

And the kids can't play in the snow at breaktime and lunchtime at school because.....???

I don't know?
I think they say because of health and safety.
I would feel a lot less guilty sending my children in to school if I knew they'd be allowed to play in the snow with their mates at break time.

This the first really snow we have had in 7 years, my youngest has never really seen snow.

Eltonjohnssyrup · 28/02/2018 11:53

How do you know they can’t get to their school? Or that they can risk not being able to get back? Mine is in because we live around the corner. But if I had to rely on public transport he would’ve had to stay home even though open.

PerspicaciaTick · 28/02/2018 11:54

DS has gone into school, it is close enough to walk and he will have fun.
DD has not gone in, even though the school is open, as her journey is an hour by public transport. The problem is less getting to school and more if she gets stranded somewhere between school and home tonight. So for her safety she is staying home.

lolaflores · 28/02/2018 11:54

Creambun2 ...calm down love. Please.
Little bit shouty now.
All be over in a bit and I am sure the entire system will withstand this event. Even the selfish entitled ones who seem to be hell bent on winding you up will pass out of your life to go annoy someone else with a hair trigger grump setting

gillybeanz · 28/02/2018 11:56

I used to keep mine off if there was snow, one day won't harm them and they should have lots of different experiences.
I don't know what they'd miss in a day that would need catching up Confused
When you take off lunch hour, 2 other breaks, assemblies, teachers fire fighting. They won't miss much Grin

LilaoftheGreenwood · 28/02/2018 11:56

tinky the point is that it breeds an attitudd of school doesnt matter, you can't just take a day off work because its snowing.

Depends on the individual case of course, but I reckon a bit more of this attitude generally would make for a happier world. It's not a good idea to encourage routine laziness, but neither is it a good idea to encourage worker bee dronishness regardless of what else is going on in your life. Our whole society is ridiculously skewed towards turning up and "putting in the hours", with demonstrably negligible effects on productivity and terrible effects on mental health etc. If that's something younger generations might in time come to question, good.

autumncolour · 28/02/2018 11:56

They can't play in the snow at DC's school. We have only had one day of snow but the children were not allowed to play on the playground in case someone slipped....and not allowed to throw snow balls under any circumstances. Bah humbug.

TaggieOHara · 28/02/2018 11:56

When we couldn't make it to school (rural location; large catchment), school 'helpfully' emailed year 8 DS1 enough work to keep him going for the day. So he spent the day writing essays, doing project work etc and I worked on some weak maths areas with DS2. We did make it out at lunch time for some sledging though Smile

Incidentally, The advice we got from the school was: school will remain open because most teachers are local, but neither staff nor pupils should take any risks coming in.

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