Snow day!

[Chefzhat]

My boys are thrilled! School was called off late yesterday afternoon.

Right now I'm surfing the net in bed, Rob is sleeping next to me. I guess we'll go do some errands later - let the temps come up. Right now - 8 below!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Robyn1007]

Go skiing!!! ;) :p :D

[Chefzhat]

I'll say it again . . . it's 8 below zero. :D My nose would freeze shut!!!

[badunnin]

Same here Deb - I got the call last night about 11. -16 with windchill right now, skin freezes at -25, so....

I can actually do the grading that I brought home for the weekend and just never did because I was too busy cleaning for a house guest I'm expecting in less than 2 weeks. 10 days with my Ruthie! Of course, she's English, doesn't quite know the meaning of cold, and will die. ;) Maybe a trip to Ikea today for lighting for her room....

[lindrusso]

I'll say it again . . . it's 8 below zero. :D My nose would freeze shut!!!

And that's without windchill, right? My was checking in with my friend in Indiana and they are at -8 with -24 windchill! Ack!

We are pretty darned cold too - 2/-20! No delays or closings for us though. Some of the schools are delaying - I guess to try to avoid the kiddos getting frostbite at the bus stop!

No sub calls either. Ho-hum. I have tons I could do here, but I need to get out! The cold doesn't inspire me to do so, though...........

[Robyn1007]

I'll say it again . . . it's 8 below zero. :D My nose would freeze shut!!!

Um, yeah, that's what I was in on Saturday and can you believe I was hot! :eek: Well, except for the few spots on my face that were exposed to the 60 mph wind gusts. :p Good layers are what it's all about. :D

[Chefzhat]

OMG - you're nuts!!!

Actually, I'd love to go skiing. The problem here is that I spend more time on the lifts than on the slopes. :mad: I think later in the week temps are going to moderate and we'll head back up north for more skiing. I hope.

[SandyM]

I talked to my best friend yesterday (she lives in the Buffalo suburbs) - they have the same low temps and she said they were at over 2.5 ft. of snow. And counting. :o

In two weeks I'm heading to sunny Mexico. That's about the only thing that gets me through this crud. :D

[ErinM]

I get to go to school today! Yep, in one hour's time I'll be standing at the bus stop. Right now, it's currently -16/windchill -31. I'm so excited. :eek:

[badunnin]

I get to go to school today! Yep, in one hour's time I'll be standing at the bus stop. Right now, it's currently -16/windchill -31. I'm so excited. :eek:

Are your kidlets in school? Our universities are open. You don't go to school, Erin, you go to university. ;)

[Chefzhat]

It's a rare event here, but our universities are closed here. Sorry you've got to head out into the frigid tundra, Erin.

Man Sandy, Mexico???? How nice!

[breadmama]

Our district was part of a cluster of three that was listed as open at about 6:00 this morning...while everyone around us was closed. The school's closed call came at about 6:20, when the school buses wouldn't start!!!

Lots of districts made the decision last night - not ours, apparently. It will be interesting to see if this happens again tomorrow - it looks like it will be almost as cold then, too.

So, stay home, or try to do the errands I'd planned? Hmmm...taking the kids on the errands doesn't sound like fun for any of us in this cold.

I love stay-at-home days...:)

[erinl]

It's currently -8 here without windchill and I'm about to ship off my preschooler. Two local school districts are closed, but the one that the preschool bases their closings off of is still open. I considered keeping her home anyway, but we'll just bundle up. I should go start the car now...

[badunnin]

Laurie - do those three start with T, B & B? I noticed last night that they weren't closed yet! Utica decided this morning as well. Berkley was an even later joiner apparently - on the Channel 4 website they're listed at 8:30!

Oh, how I wish I didn't have to go to mom and dad's to feed the critters....

[breadmama]

Bethany,
Yes, you are right -although by this morning, I saw Troy on the list. Perhaps if this weather is going to remain frigid we'll all get a call tonight...

A friend of mine didn't get the call and got everyone in her family up, and didn't realize until she drove in to the middle school parking lot that something was up. She was NOT amused, to say the least. I felt bad for her!

Gotta love a day off...:) (But if you're going to have one, it's best to find out before dressing and venturing outside...)

[badunnin]

Yeah tomorrow isn't going to be much warmer it looks like. High of 10 today, 12 tomorrow. That sucks about not getting the call. Last year we had a student commit suicide, and the fanout went into effect. I didn't get a call, and found out the next day when I walked into the school. I approached my class as if nothing was wrong (because, as far as I knew, nothing *was* wrong) and was stunned when I found out. The fanout is there for a reason people!

[merley]

I didn't see that our school district was closed until 6:40 AM. The high school bus comes at 6:50. They must have been one of the last ones to close. The school TV channel didn't say school was closed I saw it on the news. We always find out last minute. I don't think that they like to close.

[lindrusso]

Bethany,
Yes, you are right -although by this morning, I saw Troy on the list. Perhaps if this weather is going to remain frigid we'll all get a call tonight...

A friend of mine didn't get the call and got everyone in her family up, and didn't realize until she drove in to the middle school parking lot that something was up. She was NOT amused, to say the least. I felt bad for her!

Gotta love a day off...:) (But if you're going to have one, it's best to find out before dressing and venturing outside...)

Neither of the districts we've been in do the call. My SIL's district calls though - she said she got her call one day this year and it was at 4:30 a.m.! So much for having a lazy sleep in day. ;)

My school used to do the phone tree for delays and cancellations for the employees, though. I didn't even come in to work until 11:30, but I'd get the 5:30 call telling me we had a delay. Gee thanks, but I'll just check the TV at 7:00 on my own, thanks! :rolleyes: I think the lady on the list before me took pity on me and didn't call most of the time.

And like your friend, I've missed delay notices before. In Indiana they had fog delays which I've never heard of before! I got used to checking the TV/computer any time it was the least bit foggy or snowy or whatever. :rolleyes:

Bethany - what a terrible call to not receive! :eek:

[badunnin]

I didn't see that our school district was closed until 6:40 AM. The high school bus comes at 6:50. They must have been one of the last ones to close. The school TV channel didn't say school was closed I saw it on the news. We always find out last minute. I don't think that they like to close.

No school district likes to close, for many reasons. But I have to admit, giving parents and teachers notice is a nice courtesy.

Alysha - a call at 4:30 isn't the worst thing in the world when they are telling you to turn off your alarm and sleep until 9. ;) We don't do calls for students, just for employees. Laurie teaches as well, and I'm sure that's why she got a call.

[ErinM]

Are your kidlets in school? Our universities are open. You don't go to school, Erin, you go to university. ;)

Dang it, you're right. I do believe Madison schools are closed.

I hate being an adult...

[Robyn1007]

OMG - you're nuts!!!

Actually, I'd love to go skiing. The problem here is that I spend more time on the lifts than on the slopes. :mad: I think later in the week temps are going to moderate and we'll head back up north for more skiing. I hope.

I know, it was kind of weird. I had parent helpers complaining that their fingers and toes were cold and I was trying to unzip my pit vents in my coat. :o We went inside, I pulled my helmet off and my head was sweaty. I have an amazing pair of gloves that I will cry about when they die or I loose them and my boots were designed for women's feet which tend to get colder faster so that helps. Truly though, it's all about the layers I wear on top. It's a microfiber tank, then a long sleeve wicking base layer (I have a few to choose from depending on weather), my team softshell and then either the team outer shell or my own outer shell depending on if I'm coaching. About the only thing that gets cold is my bum but that's just the skin, there's enough insulation underneath to make up for it. ;) I do need to buy some better bottom base layers though...

Enjoy your day off everyone and stay warm!:)

[erinl]

We don't do calls for students, just for employees.
Our school district has an automated call that goes out when school is cancelled. I was pretty surprised when my neighbor told me that--I'd never heard of such a thing. DD's preschool reports to a web service, so I get an email if school is cancelled.

[lindrusso]

Alysha - a call at 4:30 isn't the worst thing in the world when they are telling you to turn off your alarm and sleep until 9. ;) We don't do calls for students, just for employees. Laurie teaches as well, and I'm sure that's why she got a call.

Except for people like me who, once rudely awakened at such an hour, would have a very hard time going back to sleep. I'd want to opt out of a system that wanted to wake me up at 4:30 to tell me something I could check at 6:30 on my own! :)

I thought maybe Laurie's district did the automated call for students too since she said her friend got a call.........

Anyway.......it's frickin' cold! My DS is so bad about wearing hats and gloves, but I insisted he put them on before going to the bus stop this morning and he didn't put up a fuss this time. :D

[breadmama]

To clarify - my friends who got the call and I are all teachers. Our parents just find out about closures by listening to the news. Or, like, me, they watch obsessively as all the counties scroll by, watching and hoping for ours to show up!:)

Well, I am sure there are some parents who don't hope for a snow day - but I'm not one of them!

Now I'm wondering about tomorrow...but I'd bet there's a concerted effort to get the school buses running today for good odds tomorrow at 6 a.m.

Whatever will be, will be.:)

[suebear37]

I think every school in the county is closed today due to the wind chill & the snow that's supposed to be coming our way. We're supposed to get about a foot between today & tomorrow. Since my kids are all out of the school system, that really doesn't affect me but I know that a lot of my friends & neighbors (teachers) are enjoying the day off!!

I was watching the Weather Channel a little earlier & they had one of their meteorologists reporting live in Pulaski, NY which is about 30 minutes north of me... those poor people got HAMMERED this weekend. They were reporting their accumulation in (multiple) feet. :eek:

DH & I always say that if the folks from the Weather Channel come to town, it's never a good thing!!:)

[MKSquared]

We're closed tomorrow, too!

Woot!

I stopped into my classroom today to pick up some MORE grading that I can get done tomorrow. The test we were to have today will have to be postponed again! I'm getting a little anxious, since I'm being evaluated in a week and a half, and all my lesson plans are going straight out the window.

[badunnin]

So far 19 schools here have closed for tomorrow, but only one district - the rest are private schools.

[badunnin]

Another day off. Laurie is off too. Once the big districts started to announce, it snowballed. Pardon the pun. ;)

[merley]

My kid has Tuesday off too. Just got an email from the school. As a parent I like snow days too.

[breadmama]

...I got the call a little while ago!

I haven't had the tv on, but I enjoyed your pun, Bethany! Snowballed, indeed.:D

Now I have another day to try to accomplish the things I didn't get done today. Thank goodness!

I appreciated the civilized nature of the call now, rather than the waiting till morning and watching scrolling districts business. At least we can all sleep in!

[helios7]

So... jealous.

24 inches of snow (granted on a Saturday night but still) last year.... back to school for NYC public schools on Monday.

I would kill for a snow day right about now. Cold day. Whatever! :)

I'll think of you all as I trudge to work in the cold, dark and early morning hours. :p

[cookin_healthy]

Oh, the woes of being an adult.... and one who didn't have the forethought to think of a career in the school system:(
It's frigid here in Ohio, no school for the grandkids... or for SILs, aunts and cousins who are teachers. But there I trudged, off to work in the subzero temps, wishing I was still in school...... It would take a major natural disaster to close down my company:(

It looks like most schools around here will be closed again tomorrow. I'll be thinking of all of you as I'm braving the cold again tomorrow:)

[lindrusso]

Well, our district was one of the holdouts today, but they are delaying for tomorrow.

It's so nice knowing before you even go to bed - that's getting the full benefits of a snow - uh, cold day. :)

Now watch someone will need a sub and they'll call at 6 a.m. anyway. :rolleyes: :)

[funnybone]

Our school district has an automated call that goes out when school is cancelled. I was pretty surprised when my neighbor told me that--I'd never heard of such a thing. DD's preschool reports to a web service, so I get an email if school is cancelled.

Our school district has that system as well, but we weren't closed today. Other districts nearby were, we heard, due to wind chill. If the schools are closed tomorrow, the call should come at 5:45 am. I have mixed feelings about closing for cold since the kids would end up driving me and each other nuts when home and cooped up. Now that they are older, they are worse than when they were younger. :rolleyes:

[jellyben]

So... jealous.

24 inches of snow (granted on a Saturday night but still) last year.... back to school for NYC public schools on Monday.

I would kill for a snow day right about now. Cold day. Whatever! :)

I'll think of you all as I trudge to work in the cold, dark and early morning hours. :p


I grew up going to NYC public schools, and they NEVER closed for snow. And isince school was open, my mama made us go, even if we were trudging through a foot of snow to spend the day in the auditorium with the handful of other suckers whose moms forced them to go to school. Ah, memories...

My kids have had eight weather-related days off this year. They have cancelled 2nd winter break and a few random days off to make them up. If I never see another speck of snow I'll be happy.

Enjoy your snow, folks!!

[Chefzhat]

********Tuesday*********

Our schools are closed today too. :eek: :confused:

I'm not sure I get it - it must be the frigid temps. It's still below zero here.

Rob is already up. We didn't think to check the closing list before we got him up for school.

[Lauren]

No snow days in the Boston area. It's cold, single digits, But I think the wind has died down from yesterday. And we don't have any snow! :eek:

Have fun with the kids today! :D

[lindrusso]

********Tuesday*********

I'm not sure I get it - it must be the frigid temps. It's still below zero here.

That's the explanation our papers gave as to why the schools around here were delaying.

Not sure why - especially since our schools didn't delay yesterday but did today and it was equally cold both days.

Maybe it's like Laurie said - the buses have a hard time starting.

Who knows?! Seems odd to me too.......they seemed to get by yesterday just fine........

[funnybone]

Ours isn't delayed or cancelled, but I checked our district site and these are the cinbsiderations given:


Is it safe for children to be out in the weather? There are no specific temperatures which automatically trigger a decision to close school. But, special consideration is taken when actual temperatures are below zero or the wind chill falls below -20 degrees.

Can children be safely transported to and from school? That is, can buses and other district vehicles start and are roads safe for travel?

Can schools be operated safely? Are buildings warm? Can parking lots be sufficiently cleared of snow? Can students and staff safely get to and from buildings?

[badunnin]

Re: closing for cold. I used to live in the north side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the southern shore of Lake Superior. They rarely ever closed school up there, for snow or for cold. But, their buses were kept in a heated garage. Diesel doesn't like cold, especially big diesel vehicles. Diesel contains a small amount of paraffin, and that's what makes it so notoriously sluggish. There are special plugs in a diesel called glow plugs, and they heat the fuel to get it flowing. Many older diesels may have faulty glow plugs that make it hard to start them.

Here (http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.asp?ID=8025) is a link to an article from an education quarterly about the special challenges of a northern district.

[lindrusso]

Here (http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.asp?ID=8025) is a link to an article from an education quarterly about the special challenges of a northern district.

I already knew I didn't want to live in a place like that, but now I'm sure. We visited Leelanau and the Old Mission Peninsulas one summer (did a winery tour) and thought they were just beautiful. But then we thought about what it would be like in winter.......... :D :eek: But if we won the lottery, we could purchase one of those homes as our summer "cottage". ;)

[badunnin]

I already knew I didn't want to live in a place like that, but now I'm sure. We visited Leelanau and the Old Mission Peninsulas one summer (did a winery tour) and thought they were just beautiful. But then we thought about what it would be like in winter.......... :D :eek: But if we won the lottery, we could purchase one of those homes as our summer "cottage". ;)

Oh, and Leelanau has it easy compared to Houghton! My last year up there we had over 350" of snow over the winter. ;) Houghton is about 4.5 (I looked it up!) hours north of Green Bay.

[merley]

Our school emailed and said not only could they not get the busses going yesterday morning, but many bus drivers had problems with their personal vehicles getting to the bus garage so early. With bus problems you wouldn't want to leave a young kid waiting at the bus stop. (with sub zero temps).

My DD who doesn't take the bus is happily sleeping.

Do you think we can go for 3 cold days?

[lindrusso]

I was reading in the paper that one of the other concerns is the kids who walk to school.

When I worked in the schools, I saw MANY kids coming that weren't properly dressed for the average winter weather, much less this kind of weather. Girls coming on snowy days in heels and a skirt (this was a K-5 elementary school). :rolleyes: That school ALWAYS went out for recess unless it was below 10, so I don't know what these girls were planning to do at recess in the snow in their skirts.

Some kids chose not to wear proper clothing (like my son - the stinker) but some simply didn't even OWN the proper clothing.

Guess it's often a matter of better safe than sorry.........

I like delays. Closings, not so much - I don't like having to make up days at the end of the year.........

[linsleyd]

Alysha, if you don't like cancellations you live in the perfect spot! They never cancel schools up there, at least in the Williamsport district!

[lindrusso]

Alysha, if you don't like cancellations you live in the perfect spot! They never cancel schools up there, at least in the Williamsport district!

Woohoo! :D ;)

I kind of like them - it's fun to get an unexpected day off, but then I hate making them up in June when you just want to be done with school already! So, I'd just rather not have them.

Plus, around here, most of the make-up days are centered around what would be our Easter/Spring break. Too many snow days and that break pretty much goes away. The kids - not to mention teachers and school admins - desperately need that break after going from the beginning of January through April with only a day off here or there.

[leebee]

I already knew I didn't want to live in a place like that, but now I'm sure. We visited Leelanau and the Old Mission Peninsulas one summer (did a winery tour) and thought they were just beautiful. But then we thought about what it would be like in winter.......... :D :eek: But if we won the lottery, we could purchase one of those homes as our summer "cottage". ;)

I lived up there! It's cold! Now I live about 35 mins southwestish of the Leelanau. Honestly, winter isn't too bad on the lee side of the peninsula. I lived in Suttons Bay, right on the water, and we rarely had a problem getting into town. Of course, I'm from the UP (and god willing will be again shortly!), so it's relative, right?

Anyway, school's on today. It's cold again, but I guess our busses started. When I was a kid, we lived close enough to the school that I could hear the busses running all night when it got cold (if it was 20 below & you couldn't hear the bus engines, you pretty well knew to pull the covers up & go back to sleep). We rarely missed school, though--everyone around us could be out, but we'd be lucky to even get a delay. In fact, years ago, they would call the busses, but "walkers" had to come. That happened a few times. Once, all the townies got snowed in school for about six hours before they could dig us out. Good times!

[Lauren]

Some kids chose not to wear proper clothing (like my son - the stinker) but some simply didn't even OWN the proper clothing.


I bought both of my boys new jackets this year ... and do you think they wear them? Nah! This am I strongly suggested they wear a jacket, instead of the usual hooded sweatshirt, to the bus stop. They're in 8th and 10th grade, so you would think they would have figured out Mom is right some times. :rolleyes:

DH drove one and I drove the other to the bus stops, but they still had to wait for the bus.
:o

[badunnin]

I bought both of my boys new jackets this year ... and do you think they wear them? Nah! This am I strongly suggested they wear a jacket, instead of the usual hooded sweatshirt, to the bus stop. They're in 8th and 10th grade, so you would think they would have figured out Mom is right some times. :rolleyes:

DH drove one and I drove the other to the bus stops, but they still had to wait for the bus.
:o

You wouldn't believe (actually, you probably would!) how many times I've found winter coats in my classroom after class, and the kid never comes to get them. These same kids show up in my room every day - you'd think they claim it! On Friday, any items get sent to the lost and found, and at the end of every semester, unclaimed items (the last few weeks of term are reserved for the next one) are sent to Goodwill. Always a number of winter coats, pairs of gloves, shoes, gym clothes....

[ErinM]

You wouldn't believe (actually, you probably would!) how many times I've found winter coats in my classroom after class, and the kid never comes to get them. These same kids show up in my room every day - you'd think they claim it! On Friday, any items get sent to the lost and found, and at the end of every semester, unclaimed items (the last few weeks of term are reserved for the next one) are sent to Goodwill. Always a number of winter coats, pairs of gloves, shoes, gym clothes....

Anything you keep for yourself? ;)

[badunnin]

Anything you keep for yourself? ;)

A few pairs of earrings, a pair of gloves... ;) No, just kidding. I've been tempted, but no.

[Lauren]

... shoes, gym clothes
I hope you put on disposable gloves to pick up these items. I know how bad my boys' gym clothes stink. I make them put the clothes directly into the washer! :eek: