Two Down and None to Go: Snow Days Done by November 1!

Well here we are in clean-up mode after the storm of the century. Who would have believed that we would have more than a foot of snow during October? Prior to this weekend, the longest time I had lost electricity while living here in Madison was an hour. Forty eight hours without power was certainly not something that anyone was prepared for or could have even predicted. Between, Hurricane Irene, the earthquake and this nor'easter, I believe Mother Nature has gone crazy!

First I would like to thank all those who worked so diligently around the clock, trying to care for all the residents and restore power. The Nixle updates were an outstanding way to keep us informed of the situation. I was also grateful that Halloween was postponed till Friday. The thought of walking my children around the neighborhood in the cold darkness was not something I was looking forward to.

In order to keep the children safe, Dr. Rossi made the decision to close the schools on both Monday and Tuesday. I'm sure my children weren't the only ones who were excited about an unplanned four-day weekend. But it leaves me wondering, if this weather pattern continues, how many days will we be making up in June? I also wonder if a February break is truly necessary. Yes, perhaps people have already scheduled their ski trips. Maybe, the idea of leaving the cold weather for a winter vacation in Florida is not something people want to give up. I've been in the school long enough to know that many parents pull their kids out of school for family vacations regardless. Since it is so early, should the Board of Ed consider possibly shortening the winter break? I, for one, would rather have my children in school during the winter months than going through the end of June. Since there is no air conditioning in the schools, how much are they really learning at that time of year anyway?

So what's your opinion? Should the BOE reconsider the possibility of shortening the winter break; or should we just cross our fingers and hope that this winter will be mild and we won't need to close the schools during the upcoming months? Should they be pro-active and examine the options early, or just wait and see? Share your thoughts in the comments below.