Snow days were once a day when students and teachers got a breather. The days when you could sleep in, play in the snow, watch movies, or catch up on school work, are now gone, thanks to Zoom.

The years that school was on Zoom were really hard on students. The lack of motivation and distractions at home didn’t let students focus. Online learning isn’t a good way for students to learn. Having the ability to see friends, talk to friends, and get in-person help from teachers are all things that help students succeed in school.

Zoom is now used so students and teachers won’t fall behind during the semester, and as fortunate as we are to have the technology, do schools need to use Zoom on snow days? Connecting to school from home is great, but some students might not be able to connect at home. Some might not have access to connect or some students might have to help out with siblings who have also stayed home from snow days, making connecting to school hard. According to the Illinois state law, it requires public schools to plan an 186-day calendar with 176 days of student instruction and 5 days set aside for emergencies. 

“Snow days free students from a seven-hour school day allowing them to get rest. In an age in which student anxiety runs high and success often looks like taking multiple AP classes, extracurricular activities, and more, having a snow day offers students time to sleep in and catch up on assignments. Not to mention, online learning is not as effective as in person-classes,” an article from The Post said.

Junior Eliza Svetov that online learning doesn’t allow her to focus with too many distractions at home. 

“I learn much better in person because on Zoom there are many more distractions like things going on at home or in the space around you, but if you are at school you are more tempted to pay attention when the teacher is right in front of you,” Svetov said. 

Snow days aren’t just days where students can stay home and do nothing. Snow days act as a mental health day, as a work day, but most importantly where everyone can get some rest.