Unaceptable taking a "snow day" when schools are open

[Creambun2]

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!

beep

The irony of patronising valentins in your last post. Thankyou for making me actually laugh out loud.

What did the school ask you to do then if not general help? You arnt a teacher or a TA so what did they ask you to do?

Our nearest school closed today, we don't really have much snow, but its very icy and they are up a small hill, on a housing estate with parked cars and the council don't grit the road or path so it's just not safe.

The other 2 schools in town are on the flat and main road so it is only the school path/playground that needs gritting they can stay open.

Also just because you can get your DC to school by treking through the snow or driving your suitable car, doesn't mean everyone can. I walked to work today, using a path that many of the DC from our housing estate walk every day, it was fine this morning with fresh snow, by the time I came back home again it was a freezing sheet of ice, I fell on one of the steps where there isn't a hand rail and really struggled on the slope below them. I was wearing high grip boots and treading carefully. I wouldn't have like to make the trip with a baby in a buggy or sling, in fact I wouldn't have been able to.

Frieda - well done, finally a post you understood!! Yay! Perhaps by using her own language, Valentina will understand how she comes across too (but I won't hold my breath).

I'm not going to say anything outing. But I started off helping with reading lessons and classroom stuff when I was young, then as a teenager/young adult spent a fair bit of time at the school in the staff room and being asked what I thought about lesson plans etc. As an adult in my professional life I've organised a lot of pro bono programmes and events with deprived schools because education wasn't something i wanted to do, but something I really value and wanted to try and help with. this is against a family background where conversations about school/educational policies etc were and are always a constant source of discussion because so many family members were/are teachers. So for Valentina to bumble on about tacking "Christmas trees to blackboards" just shows my point - she thinks she knows best; she's patronising; she thinks being a stay at home mum makes her know best - and that's why I say great for her, but personally I find her a fab reminder to keep remembering that nobody knows everything/best about everything.

Oh and I said quite clearly above that there will be circumstances when you need to take up issues - e.g. if your child has additional needs or is sick or being bullied and you think the school isn't listening. Hopefully not often, but who knows.

But that's a totally different thing to this thread, where the posts that I rolled my eyes at were the "ah, I know best about being a mum, give them a snow day, who cares about school" type.

The instant responses from a couple of posters then reinforced my views on that!!

Off for dinner now, have a nice evening all.

Ta ta. I hope Mummy gives you a gold star for all your fabby work today.

Peeriebreeks you clearly arent in the red weather area in Scotland then if your schools are open. I am. And our council have already sent out texts that they are all shut tomorrow to.

Hear hear @tinkywinky2018

Bimbler - well, as I said clearly upthread that she's dead, that's unlikely. But thanks for showing yet again what a nasty person you are, not that you need to!!

A nasty person for not reading every word of your posts? Do grow up!

beep, it's patently obvious that I know better for my children than you do,so why not just drop the bollocks?

beep do you think that the only form of valid education comes from school and 100% attendance?
For me personally, the only way to grow into a well rounded adult is to live a rich and full life. To me this includes making memories with my loved ones where I can.
In my area I haven't seen snow like this in years. I genuinely think that taking this rare opportunity to enjoy this weather is a good and possitive experience. I am all for parents not taking their children in on an occasion like this. All of that and the safety issue. Yes some physically could get in if they tried, but we've been told 'no unnecessary travel' so there is clearly a higher risk being out in the car. With the sudden white outs, flurries, other nervous drivers, I personally would consider going to school an unnecessary journey in these circumstances.

I'm a teacher.

I started off helping with reading lessons and classroom stuff when I was young, then as a teenager/young adult spent a fair bit of time at the school in the staff room and being asked what I thought about lesson plans etc. As an adult in my professional life I've organised a lot of pro bono programmes and events with deprived schools because education wasn't something i wanted to do, but something I really value and wanted to try and help with. this is against a family background where conversations about school/educational policies etc were and are always a constant source of discussion because so many family members were/are teachers. So for Valentina to bumble on about tacking "Christmas trees to blackboards" just shows my point - she thinks she knows best; she's patronising; she thinks being a stay at home mum makes her know best - and that's why I say great for her, but personally I find her a fab reminder to keep remembering that nobody knows everything/best about everything.

So in other words, you're not at all qualified to tell all the parents and teachers on this thread they're wrong?

Ps if you're embarrassed about the decorating maybe don't mention as evidence of your educational background?

Oh dear

Just to add something else to this debate.

If four of your children's school/college is shut for the second day, but one child's school is open, do you send them to school, or let them have another day off because their 4 siblings are all off?

I dont have a school aged child yet but be snow daying it all the way. I dont know why that is disrespectful to other families or teachers. I hope my child has a healthy attitude of what is and isn't important about school...especially as she'll be assessed after 4 weeks of being in reception due to our insane government.

We have 2 Cm now.

La have cancelled school transport for tomorrow as original forecast was heavy snow afternoon and amber warning. They won't deliver if they cannot garuntee collection.

So ds will be one of those children and I will be one of those parents who are off when other children are at school. Ds doesn't attend either local school who currently aren't shut - nor will he be attending his own school which currently also remains open until lunchtime.

Think it'll be a moot point now anyway as snow started an hour ago!

Sorry - should say school transport is cancelled today! (They told us yesterday when today was tomorrow 🤦🏼‍♀️)

Currently (could change) the school is open if my work day they don't need me in, I won't be sending my son. Because it's a half hour walk in the cold. He has SEN so a whole school in one room for break and lunch would be horrific

@Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar
What do you mean about not believing my school opened only for emergency childcare? Maybe I can explain:

It's an independent school so doesn't have a catchment. Children come in from rural areas, some up to 25 miles away. Some children can walk. Some staff can walk. The staff who could walk did. There was a dinner lady, secretary, student teacher and a couple of teachers to look after the children who came in because their parents have essential jobs eg doctors in A&E

And we've had 10 inches of snow and we are a rural county. The main roads were blocked due to crashes HGVs at 7am so only pupils and staff who could walk could go. One dedicated teacher walked 3.5 miles in the snow. Believe me, @Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar it was emergency. All the other schools were completely closed so we were providing more than most.

my children’s school was the only school open in the borough and it is a bit unfair as I can’t have a 20 miniute drive to my children’s school in this weather so I took them off school

I live almost two miles from my DC’s school and don’t drive. Yesterday their school decided to open despite there being approx four inches of snow on the ground and the fact it was still coming down. It was a mistake on their part, all the other local schools closed. I didn’t send my DC in on account of not fancying walking that far in a snow storm and taxis weren’t running or were booked up.

They cancelled the after school clubs and parents evening and closed the school today and tomorrow so, turns out I was right to keep them off .

It's really hard for working mums when schools close as well. You either loose pay if you don't go to work or have to burden friends and family with childcare.

My DDs school was open yesterday and today. Little village school, so many people could get their children in by foot or sled and they did. Some of us live in the middle of nowhere, I got my DD in yesterday but today was a different story could barely get out of the drive, as for the long lane that has 4 houses on it, no way it was passable due to drifts. I wimped out at that point as I couldn't face the country lanes that I needed to use. DD did a full day on SATS stuff, didn't even want to go out and build a snowman! It's all down to the individual, to decide if it sensible to attempt the school run

Snow: relatively rare in UK and great fun!

School: particularly dire in UK and not exactly missing much on a snow day, compared with the joy, fun and learning from playing in the snow!