Snow (what snow?) Day

Last night I was supposed to sleep at my parents house, because I was babysitting near there and it would have been nice just to crash there instead of driving forty-five minutes back to my condo.  However, the weather reports weren't looking so great, so I decided to cut my losses and head back to my condo instead.  I live about five minutes from work here, and since my school board never closes its schools even if the buses are cancelled for snowy/icy conditions I knew I'd rather be close enough to go to my own school today than have to follow through with the dumb procedure where I'd be expected to go to whatever school is the closest to me if there's a "snow day".

Seriously, if your kids get a "snow day" in our school board, the policy is that if a teacher can WALK to a school, if driving is too hazardous, then they have to go to their nearest school and work there for the day in whatever role is needed.  No snow days in this board for the teachers, I'll tell you that much.

I should have known yesterday that the weather was in for a change, as I was having a bit of a pressure headache.  Joy of joys.

Anyway, so I wake up at 7 am to get ready for work today, and I look out my window.  I overlook a fairly busy road.  It's just a bit wet.

That's it.

There was maybe a little bit of snow beginning to fall.  A little bit.

I happen to click online to see what the weather reports say.  I see that "ALL BUSES ARE CANCELLED" in my school board.

Uh.  Wut? *blink, blink*


Well, I guess the weather had to have been bad enough somewhere, but where I am, well... eh.  It was fine.  We were perplexed, but the call was made so that was all she wrote.  Our primary classes were supposed to go skating today, but that was cancelled because we rely on the buses.  My students did not quite understand WHY they couldn't skate today, so it took a lot of explaining this morning.

Grade Twos: "But can't you just call another bus to come get us?!"
Ms. Key: "Uh, no.  The buses aren't BROKEN, they are CANCELLED."

Sure, it snowed for awhile this morning fairly heavily.  However, nothing that warranted a "Snow Day".  All my students were at school, the kids who usually go on the bus just got a drive.  My co-worker and I even went out for lunch today.  The roads were wet and slushy, nothing more dangerous than I've seen buses run in before.

It was a hectic day.  First thing, we had to get the kids to call their parents who were possibly going to show up at the ice rink to tie skates that morning, who might not have understood that buses being cancelled meant no skating either (and yes, MANY did not get that message and it was a good thing we made a ton of phone calls this morning) from our classroom phones.  In the afternoon, I had to get each bus kid to also call home to ensure a parent was picking them up, because no buses in the morning means no buses in the evening.  We had to do this from our classrooms because our school has 830 students, we couldn't have the office fielding all that calling home.

It was a silly day for us.  A "Snow Day" that really wasn't any more snowy than anything we've seen.  Well, I guess it was more snowy than anything we've seen THIS winter... but still.  I guess other areas in our school board were more effected?  We sure weren't.  It felt really silly around here, all that fuss for perfectly average wet, winter weather.

I am just so glad it's Friday now though, I am exhausted after a hectic day!  I just hope our skating day can be easily rescheduled, otherwise there will be hundreds of parents asking for a refund for the fee.  Talk about a headache then!