School closed 1/20/22

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calm down people! Your kids will be fine. They are learning that life is unpredictable and that is a good lesson. Encourage them to curl up on the couch with a good book for at least a couple hours.

I agree. As much as it frustrates me since it's just raining, the forecast did call for accumulating snow right when the buses would be out running, kids walking and driving to school. The school systems can only rely on what the forecasters are calling for, and one kid in an accident is front page news.

Snow days are built into the calendar, and if they don't use them, they're out earlier in the summer. So they're going to be off one way or the other.

Even at the worst version of the forecast, it was only 1-2 inches of accumulation with all of it melting before the end of the school day. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but I think MCPS is definitely looking for excuses to close.

As for the first PP who says we should tell the kids to curl up on the couch with a good book... they are 6 and 8, not 68! This buys us like an hour! It's not easy for DH and me to juggle these snow days, and the school's aftercare is at a different school today, so we weren't comfortable doing a drop in somewhere else. I don't mind scrambling when there is a need, but I think MCPS threw in the towel early on purpose and shifted the burden to the parents.

You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist, you just have to be moderately observant to know the bolded is true. Most of these “weather” closures are unnecessary, except that they throw a bone to the various constituencies who want schools closed right now. MCPS is completely comfortable dumping any and all burdens on parents. These closures are no different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calm down people! Your kids will be fine. They are learning that life is unpredictable and that is a good lesson. Encourage them to curl up on the couch with a good book for at least a couple hours.

I agree. As much as it frustrates me since it's just raining, the forecast did call for accumulating snow right when the buses would be out running, kids walking and driving to school. The school systems can only rely on what the forecasters are calling for, and one kid in an accident is front page news.

Snow days are built into the calendar, and if they don't use them, they're out earlier in the summer. So they're going to be off one way or the other.

Even at the worst version of the forecast, it was only 1-2 inches of accumulation with all of it melting before the end of the school day. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but I think MCPS is definitely looking for excuses to close.

As for the first PP who says we should tell the kids to curl up on the couch with a good book... they are 6 and 8, not 68! This buys us like an hour! It's not easy for DH and me to juggle these snow days, and the school's aftercare is at a different school today, so we weren't comfortable doing a drop in somewhere else. I don't mind scrambling when there is a need, but I think MCPS threw in the towel early on purpose and shifted the burden to the parents.

Life ain’t easy pumpkin. Chill out a little. 6 and 8 year old kids should not need constant entertainment. Let them read for a couple hours. Watch tv for a couple hours. Play for a couple hours. You will survive and so will they

DP.. you must be a sahp or a troll.

When there were school closures prevcovid, and I was wfh, it was still tough to manage kids and try to get work done.

6 and 8 yr olds still need supervision, especially getting them to turn off the electronics and do something else. That something else could mean make a mess, fight, etc.. I tell my kids to not bother me when I'm in meetings (and I have a lot of them) unless there is a lot of blood or a broken bone. That means a lot of unsupervised time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

[Anonymous]

Well, mets are disappointed across the region. Late last night, we already had signs that it might not snow that much, but there weren't enough models in agreement that a switch in guidance could be made.


Translating weather into mathematical models is not always easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

Thank you! I’m going to do the same - this is ridiculous, and while we had snow days pre-COVID I too believe snow days like today is pandering to those wanting virtual bc of COVID. I also do not understand why MoCo - which used to be one of the best school districts in the country, does not have today as virtual like PG and Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Change of plans - school is back on (with a 2-hour delay)!

Are you a Kindergarten parent? Early elementary parent? Do you really think MCPS would call for a day off school then an hour later switch it to a 2 hour delay? You don't realize that text was sent out by mistake?

I'm glad one of my HS DD's teacher emailed her students and said she will still hold a test for them today from 1-2.

This is also why I'm okay with MCPS calling snow days/delays at 5 am instead of the night before.

WTF? How is the teacher allowed to do that?

That sounds more like an opportunity. Some kids need the last assessments that were planned to improve their grades. Holding the test today allows some to not have multiple things in other classes all happening tomorrow.

Yep - the teacher even says in her email "In an effort to help you from having a lot of tests tomorrow, you will have the opportunity today to take it."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

Thank you! I’m going to do the same - this is ridiculous, and while we had snow days pre-COVID I too believe snow days like today is pandering to those wanting virtual bc of COVID. I also do not understand why MoCo - which used to be one of the best school districts in the country, does not have today as virtual like PG and Fairfax.

How are you gonna make a snow day political ? Decisions were based off of weather forecasters not COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calm down people! Your kids will be fine. They are learning that life is unpredictable and that is a good lesson. Encourage them to curl up on the couch with a good book for at least a couple hours.

I agree. As much as it frustrates me since it's just raining, the forecast did call for accumulating snow right when the buses would be out running, kids walking and driving to school. The school systems can only rely on what the forecasters are calling for, and one kid in an accident is front page news.

Snow days are built into the calendar, and if they don't use them, they're out earlier in the summer. So they're going to be off one way or the other.

Even at the worst version of the forecast, it was only 1-2 inches of accumulation with all of it melting before the end of the school day. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but I think MCPS is definitely looking for excuses to close.

As for the first PP who says we should tell the kids to curl up on the couch with a good book... they are 6 and 8, not 68! This buys us like an hour! It's not easy for DH and me to juggle these snow days, and the school's aftercare is at a different school today, so we weren't comfortable doing a drop in somewhere else. I don't mind scrambling when there is a need, but I think MCPS threw in the towel early on purpose and shifted the burden to the parents.

I don't spend that much time complaining about weather calls since they are so unpredictable, and I have plenty of bigger gripes with MCPS. But this one was BS. The original forecast today was at most mild-moderate, and CWG was already downgrading their predictions this morning... right at the time MCPS upped the delay to full closure. And now we only have rain (and not even much of that). Agree something smells fishy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calm down people! Your kids will be fine. They are learning that life is unpredictable and that is a good lesson. Encourage them to curl up on the couch with a good book for at least a couple hours.

I agree. As much as it frustrates me since it's just raining, the forecast did call for accumulating snow right when the buses would be out running, kids walking and driving to school. The school systems can only rely on what the forecasters are calling for, and one kid in an accident is front page news.

Snow days are built into the calendar, and if they don't use them, they're out earlier in the summer. So they're going to be off one way or the other.

Even at the worst version of the forecast, it was only 1-2 inches of accumulation with all of it melting before the end of the school day. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but I think MCPS is definitely looking for excuses to close.

As for the first PP who says we should tell the kids to curl up on the couch with a good book... they are 6 and 8, not 68! This buys us like an hour! It's not easy for DH and me to juggle these snow days, and the school's aftercare is at a different school today, so we weren't comfortable doing a drop in somewhere else. I don't mind scrambling when there is a need, but I think MCPS threw in the towel early on purpose and shifted the burden to the parents.

Yeah, I’ve totally accepted that anything more than a couple inches shuts this area down. But I do think we should be able to handle 1-2 inches, even if the timing is such that the roads get a bit messy. This isn’t Alabama guys. And the 1-2 inches wasn’t even guaranteed.

But obviously if MCPS is going to close whenever there is a chance if 1-2 inches, they need to bake more snow days into the calendar. They were likely pulled into a false sense of security with the previous lackluster winters.

[Anonymous]

Closed due to rain. More proof that MCPS is eff'd up. We need to break up MCPS into 3 or 4 smaller districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

Or how about 1/24? Monday is off too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

Or how about 1/24? Monday is off too

Or spring break and summer. No days off bc I’m mad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calm down people! Your kids will be fine. They are learning that life is unpredictable and that is a good lesson. Encourage them to curl up on the couch with a good book for at least a couple hours.

I agree. As much as it frustrates me since it's just raining, the forecast did call for accumulating snow right when the buses would be out running, kids walking and driving to school. The school systems can only rely on what the forecasters are calling for, and one kid in an accident is front page news.

Snow days are built into the calendar, and if they don't use them, they're out earlier in the summer. So they're going to be off one way or the other.

Even at the worst version of the forecast, it was only 1-2 inches of accumulation with all of it melting before the end of the school day. I'm not usually a conspiracy person, but I think MCPS is definitely looking for excuses to close.

As for the first PP who says we should tell the kids to curl up on the couch with a good book... they are 6 and 8, not 68! This buys us like an hour! It's not easy for DH and me to juggle these snow days, and the school's aftercare is at a different school today, so we weren't comfortable doing a drop in somewhere else. I don't mind scrambling when there is a need, but I think MCPS threw in the towel early on purpose and shifted the burden to the parents.

That’s not true. It was never going to melt, since the temperature will continue to drop into Friday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think they will start considering having school on 2/1 now?

They should not count on a waiver, and it doesn´t help HS students at all to tack on a day at the end of June.

I think they would say it's too late to make that change now, but they should have considered it at the last board meeting when we already had two known days to make up (now we have three).

I agree they will say it’s too late, although it really isn’t. I also suspect they privately weighed whether to use it to make up a day and got pushback bc it’s Lunar New Year. At the board meeting for next year there was discussion of whether a day off was needed for Lunar New Year next year even though next year it is observed on a weekend day. They determined a day off was not needed in that case, but I bet there were stakeholder discussions about this year.

I wrote to the Board this morning asking them to consider using 2/1 as a makeup day.

And staying open at all is pandering to the likes of you. So quit griping.

Thank you! I’m going to do the same - this is ridiculous, and while we had snow days pre-COVID I too believe snow days like today is pandering to those wanting virtual bc of COVID. I also do not understand why MoCo - which used to be one of the best school districts in the country, does not have today as virtual like PG and Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so how come private schools can open on time? Please explain to me.

You do not understand the logistics of managing one or two campuses versus the logistics of managing 200 campuses?

And that’s why her kids need private school with more individualized attention on the thought process...

NP. She never said she was a private school parent, but good effort on that critical thinking 👍

And I never said her kids were in private, only that they clearly need it. Good job on reading comprehension!