PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dozens of schools and districts closed or opened late on Friday because the snow. Some pivoted to remote learning, as the School District of Philadelphia did. But very few students got the day off. For nostalgic adults, the beloved "snow day" feels like a thing of the past.
Justina Bruno of Fairmount says all aspects of a snow day are different from when she was a kid, including how people used to be notified of them.
"When I was growing up, you had to wake up at six in the morning, you had the radio on to make sure that you would not miss it!" she said.
Ryan Neel says hearing that school was out, as snow fell outside his window, was the best feeling in the world as a kid.
"There was nothing like seeing if that morning you got a surprise day off," he said.
"Snow days were kind of like a free day," said Sharon Moseley of Wyncote. "Now … it’s really not a free day."
That's because kids these days have the ability to continue their classes virtually on snow days, a peculiar side effect of school systems dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
"It’s a different time," says Kim Durnell of Wallingford. "It used to be that you would make hot chocolate and sit and watch the cartoons and stay in sweatpants all day."
Well … with virtual school, kids can still stay in sweatpants all day. But her point is, she has vivid memories of snow days.
Bruno says she is not a fan of the modern snow day -- for the sake of the children, of course. She says it's kind of a bummer for kids if they have to wait until after the virtual school day is over to go out and play in the snow.
"By then, the streets are plowed, and sidewalks are shoveled. Or it could start melting!"
There’s a lot to be learned from old-fashioned snow days, she said. "I learned how to build an igloo and a snowman and how to sled without hitting a tree."
The adults who spoke to KYW Newsradio seemed to lament the loss of what kids can learn by being outdoors, by playing. They said it's important to take a break from school -- virtual or in person -- to enjoy the winter weather.
"In the past, when there was a snow day, all the kids will be out grabbing a sled, enjoying the actual snow," Neel said. "And there are experiences that are had through that itself, instead of just learning on your computer."
Bruno agrees.
"If it's a snow day, they should be outside helping their parents shovel the car out and go sledding on the Art Museum steps or their closest hill," she said. "The memories of sledding last longer than some things you learn in school."
It's hard to argue with that.