To Be A Snow Day Or Not to Be (that is the question)

When you're working in a school, there's always that slight glimmer of hope that keeps you going through the freezing and doldrum winter months, that reason why you can get up every day and face a schoolful of cooped-up kids - that glimmer of hope is simply referred to as a Snow Day. Since we're in Kindergarten, a phenomenon of psychology happens in the days leading up to the possible snow day. First, there's the first words of a winter storm, usually several days before the day in question. As the day approaches, eyes and ears are out for every possible weather report, and comparisons are made between the best case and worst case scenarios.

Then, the day before the questionable snow day, conversations abound, guessing the outcome. Now, there's people who fall into two strictly different and converse schools of thought: There are the pessimisms - these are the people who go around saying "accumulations will be less than an inch," "OUR district? We NEVER close!" or (and even more aggravating to me) "it's supposed to turn into rain." Then, there are the optimists, those who go around announcing loudly, "hey Tom, I guess I won't be seeing you tomorrow, SNOW DAY!" or "The roads will NEVER be clear for the morning busses to get through."

Whilst I like the thinking of this latter group, I also feel that they are breaking the cardinal rule of Snow-Day Wishing: NEVER EVER, under any circumstances, ASSUME that there will be a snow day! I firmly believe that the chances of a snow day are inversely correlated to the number of people who assume that there will be one! It's Murphy's Law at its simplist! Now, I'm not saying to proscribe to the pessimistic thought of the former group, but rather, be cautious. Don't go broadcasting the possibilities. Don't rub it in to your private-industry-employed friends who don't get snow days. Go to bed early, assuming there will be work in the morning. It's okay to watch the news or to look out your window, but don't let it consume you! And lastly, should you have to go to school in the morning, leave early and be extra careful on the roads.