Snow Days No Longer Wishful Thinking

Hearing those two words – “snow day!” – and getting a free pass to miss school is something most kids long for in the winter months.

In fact, some children will go to the some pretty peculiar lengths to make their wish come true: some wear their pajamas inside out, others put a spoon under their pillow, and some even flush ice cubes down the toilet…anything to get a coveted “snow day.” But at this point in the winter of 2011, residents of Fairfield County – kids included – are downright snow tired.

“We have had so many snow days that my friends and I joke we need to start home-schooling the kids,” said Robin Phillips, a Fairfield mom of two. “My almost 5-year-old has had it with snow days and said to me ‘can I please go to school mom?’ A few more snow days and I will have to break out the math and reading books.”

Suffice it to say, some parents who believe in these winter rituals just may start encouraging their kids to wear their pajamas right-side out, put a fork under their pillow, and flush warm water down the toilet.

But seriously, many towns are struggling with the issue of meeting the state’s mandate of being in session for 180 days out of the year. In fact, the town of Monroe recently decided to eliminate the schools’ February vacation in an effort to follow the mandate and avoid keeping kids in school any later in the year than they already have to be.

“I have no problem with it, I think it’s a good thing,” Jen Brodtman told Patch. The Monroe resident said her kids are actually anxious to go back to school and are getting bored at home.

“The past two days these kids have been playing school for three hours at a time, they are bored being home,” Brodtman said of her two daughters, Maya, 11, and Skylar, 8. “This has been completely unprompted. They are taking turns being the teacher, doing lessons and they set up a chalkboard.”

Maya, who goes to Chalk Hill Elementary School, and Skylar who attends Monroe Elementary School, have been “snowed in” so much Brodtman said she feels they have been home more than they have been in school lately.

“We haven’t had a full week of school since before Christmas,” she told Patch.

To meet the 180-day state requirement, other towns are considering following Monroe’s lead.

Gretchen Krajcsik of Shelton, mother of four children ages 15 years to 14 months, told Patch the Shelton school system is considering plucking days away from their spring break. But she would rather the kids stay in school later in June to make up the missed time.

“I think they will be in school an extra week in June at this point…that doesn’t bother me. My boys play sports so in June we are always home and we have no vacations planned for the summer at this point,” Krajcsik told Patch. “However, I heard if we have one more snow day they will start eliminating days from April vacation. We have a trip planned so this bothers me. The kids will just have to miss school.”

Krajcsik told Patch her children have mixed feelings: some are antsy at home, and another is relishing in the time off from school.

“My oldest, Samantha (age 15) cannot wait to go back to school. She doesn’t even want a delay. She hasn’t had a full day of school in about three weeks since she was taking mid-terms. I think a lot of it has to do with seeing her friends,” Krajcsik said. “My 13-year-old Connor is bored to death being home. You can only play video games and watch TV for so long he says. He is actually sledding with Cole and the neighbors right now, in the rain, so that tells you how bad he wants to get out.”

Cole, who is Krajcsik’s fourth grader, loves snow days. “He either has the neighbors over here or he goes over their house and never gets bored. They can also sled right in our yard since we live in the woods in Shelton,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ali Papageorge Keller of Fairfield said her kids are still putting a certain piece of silverware under their pillows in the hopes of a snow day.

“Spoons under your pillow and jammies worn inside out…it always works,” Keller said.

The Bauks family in Easton are firm believers of flushing cubes down the toilet. “Liv and Adam flush ice cubes down the toilet,” mom Violette Bauks told Patch.

Stacey Bauer, Fairfield mom of two boys, said her kids follow similar traditions in hopes of a snow day.

“Both my boys put a spoon under their pillow and wear their pajamas inside out,” she said. “I think I used to just not do my homework and pray for a snow day. I didn’t know there were such rituals.”