As students shuffled out of classrooms on Friday, Jan. 23, it wasn’t just their first semester grades weighing on their mind. The possibility of snow days was very much on the horizon. As Montgomery County reeled from the impact of the storm, MCPS made the decision to cancel school for six days, from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, with snowfall totals reaching 11 inches in parts of the region, according to WBalTV.
The decision did not come as a surprise to many due to the hazardous conditions present in many local communities. “I wasn’t surprised because of the combination of accumulation, the sleet turning to ice, and it’s been well below freezing for so long that it’s difficult to clear the paths for drivers and walkers,” law and government teacher Jonathan Taylor said.
Some students and staff appreciated the respite from their duties at school. “I’m happy that they did that, because I think it gave people time to like rest and relax,” junior Daniel Oluyomi said. “Obviously, I just came off of a pretty tough semester, so I think it’s good that [MCPS] was able to give students time to relax.”
The 10-day break—just three days shorter than winter break a few weeks prior—was also another chance for some to spend time with family and friends. “I went snowboarding multiple times, played with grandchildren in the snow, went ice skating on the pond behind our house,” physics teacher Jon Goetz said. “I went and heard some live music, went to New York City, and also saw a play.”
Teachers also used the unexpected break to recharge. Biology teacher Katherine Hatchard said she spent much of the time at home. “I hung out with my dogs and shoveled lots of ice,” Ms. Hatchard said. “I curled up and watched quite a bit of Netflix, and I also did some DIY.”
Though many students enjoyed the unscheduled winter break, some felt that it was a bit too long for comfort. “Definitely it gets boring after a while,” freshman Nada Fouda said. “At first I was like, yay, this is peak life. But, it got boring and I kind of wanted to go back.”
However, the snow also meant a cleanup job for people to deal with. Junior Andrew Johnson spent the break helping around his neighborhood. “I had to do a lot of shoveling for me and my neighbors, but I also hung out with my friends and played football in the snow,” Johnson said.
According to MoCo Closures, small areas in nearby counties like Fairfax County implemented virtual school this past Monday. However, staff and students hoping for a similar implementation in Montgomery County were disappointed. “We don’t all have access to the same materials,” English teacher Susan Leckie said. “And you know, the county cannot provision a Chromebook for every single student.” As a result, the county continued its streak of school closures.
“They recognize that it [isn’t] an equitable situation to have some people be able to attend classes virtually and others not, so I thought that was a good call,” Leckie said. “[And] for competent and capable educators, we know how to get students caught up to the best of our ability.”
