Exactly what are people celebrating? There’s No snow!

It’s ridiculous you are defending closing. I am an essential worker with 2 children and l went in person to work today. Why can’t people work virtually again in snow? We all need to have back up childcare arrangements as working parents. Except for FCPS and Loudoun, everyone else is open for virtual learning. The kids are so behind right now and unnecessary loss of instructional time is the last thing we need now.

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love this post on AEM:

"Yes!!! Finally, we got a snow day!!! ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN AND STAFF, Thank You APS. #mentalhealthday"

I don't even know where to begin with how frustrated this statement makes me. #mentalhealthday???

How much more time off do people need? Our kids are NOT learning as is. Now a snow day when there's no snow, and everyone was supposed to learn and teach virtually?

I think it's a silly statement but I will say that distance learning is odd in that while kids aren't learning much, those hours and hours of sitting in front of a screen are taxing on their mental health and a day off will probably have positive mental health benefits. My third grader is just so spent at the end of the day, far more than during normal school years, that he isn't interested in a lot of the mentally challenging things he was interested in lat year, like electronics and coding and educational YouTube videos. And yet he is learning far less.

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love this post on AEM:

"Yes!!! Finally, we got a snow day!!! ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN AND STAFF, Thank You APS. #mentalhealthday"

I don't even know where to begin with how frustrated this statement makes me. #mentalhealthday???

How much more time off do people need? Our kids are NOT learning as is. Now a snow day when there's no snow, and everyone was supposed to learn and teach virtually?

Anything to promote an appreciation and justification for being paid not to work...

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated by all the messaging that kids should enjoy this day with their families and that kids and teachers deserve a day off. It is extremely tone-deaf for working families where the parents do not get a day off.


(Not to mention the day off this Monday for President's day, or the day and a half off kids have next week due to conferences). I can't exactly tell my employer I need the day off today. (And I can't find a kids camp, or group playdate as I would do in normal circumstances). Instead, yet another day of too much junk-food screen time for my kids, which is the last thing they need at this point in the pandemic.

Amen. Once again, everyone else's interests come at the expense of working women, who are expected to smile while eating shit with a spoon because that's what good women do.

Gotta love this post on AEM:

"Yes!!! Finally, we got a snow day!!! ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN AND STAFF, Thank You APS. #mentalhealthday"

I don't even know where to begin with how frustrated this statement makes me. #mentalhealthday???

How much more time off do people need? Our kids are NOT learning as is. Now a snow day when there's no snow, and everyone was supposed to learn and teach virtually?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When they made the call at 5AM we were supposed to get 3-5” of snow. I’m sure they thought it would be nice for kids to be kids for 5 minutes and make a snowman in the snow instead of sitting in front of a computer again all day. Turns out this is mainly a sleet storm, so the DC weather but then in the ass. I believe their intentions were good though. And lord knows my high schooler could use a mental health day today.

My middle schooler still has a bunch of assignments due today and tomorrow, so he won't get a real day off anyway.

Those of us with early elementary kids do not have assignments. And there is plenty of time during a normal day to go outside and make a snowman factored into a typical day. Lunacy.

I suspect that there weren’t enough subs to cover for the teachers who have to call out because their own daycares/childcare providers are closed for today. The sub shortage in APS is a real problem and will continue to be once hybrid opens. I think Duran made the right call. The parents who are complaining on here are the same parents who complain about how worthless and subpar DL is. And they are the same people who will be complaining about how inconvenient the mitigation protocols for hybrid are. And they are the same people who will complain that hybrid is unsatisfactory and their children aren’t learning. Snow days are always hard for working parents. Bring a working parent is a tough job… particularly during a global pandemic.

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Anonymous wrote:Hope your kids enjoy their day off

With no snow. Ice, sleet yes, but no snow. Fun times to play outside.

Ice is WORSE . It’s way more dangerous for school employees to go in on ice.

Way more dangerous to get to your computer?? I get closing buildings. That makes sense. DL? Too icy between your kitchen and office???

Do you understand that if schools are considered open for the day, nutrition staff HAS to report. Why? Because meals HAVE to be provided on a sxhool day. Custodians HAVE to report. Admin HAS to report. Any federally mandated schedules tests like ACCESS/WIDA HAVE to happen? No of course you don’t because the world revolves around you and hating teachers.

The buildings were already closed for the day, so no those people weren't reporting. I really DGAF but canceling DL is beyond ridiculous.

My kid is a senior and we're beyond done with APS but I feel for the people who have to work and have little kids.

Don't "feel" for us. Having to monitor distance learning today would have been MUCH more difficult, because my 4 year old is also home today. Without class today, I can put on Disney+ or let them go outside anytime it works for me etc. It will be a bit of an aimless day, but we'll manage.

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Anonymous wrote:Somebody can be curious about why they went from closing just buildings to closing buildings and classes and still be excited about the kids having a break. (I’m somebody)

My kids have had a break for 11 months with no schooling from Mid March -September, and the bare minimum this year. There is absolutely no reason why they can’t do virtual learning.

A) That hasn't been my experience at all. School is tough for my kids, both emotionally and intellectually. B) You don't know that there is absolutely no reason why they can't do virtual learning without an explanation from the district. It could be legit, it could not.

The district gave a reason. They said they updated the status due to the weather forecast and OPM closure and full closure of other districts and they noted they are concerned with power outages.

That's good. Where did they say this? And how did the weather forecast change?

Omg . You NEED to get a life or learn how to look stuff up for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:Some of the the responses in this thread remind me of something I read pre-COVID about children being so over scheduled in extracurricular activities-they never had the opportunity to learn how to entertain themselves when days like today arise.

My kids are entertaining themselves. They are just very loud about it lol.

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Anonymous wrote:Somebody can be curious about why they went from closing just buildings to closing buildings and classes and still be excited about the kids having a break. (I’m somebody)

My kids have had a break for 11 months with no schooling from Mid March -September, and the bare minimum this year. There is absolutely no reason why they can’t do virtual learning.

A) That hasn't been my experience at all. School is tough for my kids, both emotionally and intellectually. B) You don't know that there is absolutely no reason why they can't do virtual learning without an explanation from the district. It could be legit, it could not.

The district gave a reason. They said they updated the status due to the weather forecast and OPM closure and full closure of other districts and they noted they are concerned with power outages.

That's good. Where did they say this? And how did the weather forecast change?

It is on their FB page in the comments. Sorry I would link but I can't access FB from this computer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody can be curious about why they went from closing just buildings to closing buildings and classes and still be excited about the kids having a break. (I’m somebody)

My kids have had a break for 11 months with no schooling from Mid March -September, and the bare minimum this year. There is absolutely no reason why they can’t do virtual learning.

A) That hasn't been my experience at all. School is tough for my kids, both emotionally and intellectually. B) You don't know that there is absolutely no reason why they can't do virtual learning without an explanation from the district. It could be legit, it could not.

The district gave a reason. They said they updated the status due to the weather forecast and OPM closure and full closure of other districts and they noted they are concerned with power outages.

That's good. Where did they say this? And how did the weather forecast change?

Some of the the responses in this thread remind me of something I read pre-COVID about children being so over scheduled in extracurricular activities-they never had the opportunity to learn how to entertain themselves when days like today arise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somebody can be curious about why they went from closing just buildings to closing buildings and classes and still be excited about the kids having a break. (I’m somebody)

My kids have had a break for 11 months with no schooling from Mid March -September, and the bare minimum this year. There is absolutely no reason why they can’t do virtual learning.

A) That hasn't been my experience at all. School is tough for my kids, both emotionally and intellectually. B) You don't know that there is absolutely no reason why they can't do virtual learning without an explanation from the district. It could be legit, it could not.

The district gave a reason. They said they updated the status due to the weather forecast and OPM closure and full closure of other districts and they noted they are concerned with power outages.