February 8, 2018
Let’s be real with one another. It’s wintertime, and I know most of us dread coming to school and long for either a two-hour delay or school cancellation announcement, but guess what gets on my nerves? When all of you complain about how bad the weather is when it really isn’t that bad. Trust me when I say that, because I’m the girl who lived in Canada. I actually have experienced crappy and cold weather – for most of my life. So basically, you won’t die, and it could be worse.
I think some of you over-exaggerate how bad the weather is and use it as an excuse or justification that you deserve a delay or cancellation. First of all, you’re blessed to even be able to have them. For most of my life, until I came to Knoch, I had never had a delay due to weather conditions. I was still expected to go to school despite it being -40oC (which by the way is -40oF). Imagine that temperature with wind and snow. You’re right, it’s not fun at all. I’ve only had two cancellations, once in grade 2 and once in grade 5, due to not only horrible weather conditions but the fact that there was a legit snow blizzard.
A lot of you talk about how it’s such a big struggle to get to school. In Toronto, most students, unless they live close and can walk to school (which is not fun either), would take the public transportation (TTC). Now, imagine horrible weather conditions and rush hour. It’s the absolute worst. It was so cold last winter that all the lines the streetcars are attached to froze. It was frozen to the point that the streetcars barely moved, like it was moving slower than someone walking at a normal speed. A ride home that usually takes about ten minutes took almost three hours.
Basically, suck it up buttercup. I understand wanting to stay in our warm and comfy beds and wanting to sleep in. However, that doesn’t mean you can use the excuse of bad weather to get a delay or cancellation. It’s annoying when you do that. There are a lot of people who put in effort and time into making sure that it’s actually safe and appropriate for you to be here at school.
Dr. Foley is our school district’s new superintendent. He is the man who decides whether we have a delay or cancellation. He is constantly watching the weather ahead of time so that he can take everything into account when making decisions. He also makes sure to keep in contact with everyone that is involved in the process of making the decision.
“I first contact the Transportation Director to determine the condition of the roads. The Transportation Director and I talk several times throughout the morning starting around 4:00 or 4:30 AM,” said Dr. Foley.
I can bet most of you don’t wake up that early to check the weather. So, you don’t really have a reason to complain when they’re willing to go out of their way to ensure our safety.
Dr. Foley said, “The Transportation Director is up early in the morning and is driving specific bus routes to determine whether or not buses can get in and out of bus stops, complete turnarounds, and other challenges for drivers.”
Now, I know a lot of you drivers use the excuse of bad driving conditions. I’m not saying they’re the greatest, but they are reasonable enough to be used. If you don’t feel that way, there are buses you can get on.
“The Director of Facilities here at the school will tell me about the difficulty in getting snow removed to start the day,” said Dr. Foley.
As you can see, many people work together to make sure that it’s safe to get to school.
Lastly, Dr. Foley said, “I also consult with superintendents from neighboring districts to get a feel for conditions surrounding our district.”
One thing a lot of you complain about is how other schools are closed. However, if you know anything about geography, you should know that the weather is not necessarily the same everywhere.
The health, safety, and welfare of the students and staff are of utmost importance and always comes first.
All I’m trying to say is that the process of allowing a two-hour delay or school cancellation to occur actually takes a lot more time and effort than we think. We often are selfishly thinking of our own wants that we don’t realize that we should be grateful for having these.
So, please stop complaining. First of all, stop using bad weather as an excuse to not be at school. Second of all, it’s just annoying and I don’t care nor do I want to hear about it. Third of all, if it’s really that cold, I hope you know there are things called winter jackets/coats, snow pants, snow boots, scarves, hats, and gloves/mittens. Oh, and you can wear underclothing. Just keep layering. Get bundled up and stay warm.
