Monday, February 05, 2007

"Cold is God's way of telling us to burn more Catholics." - Lady Whiteadder

School was closed today on account of cold.
Yes, cold.
Not snow.

The high is projected to be 8 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius for our Aussie friends), with wind chills in the negative numbers, and I suppose the school administrators didn’t want to risk frostbite or hypothermia among those children who have to wait for buses, or walk to school.

Just about every school in the county is closed.

I generally feel guilty about taking the three minutes to check my email every morning before taking the boys out to school, but it’s a damn good thing I did it this morning. Gina had emailed me how happy she was that The Boy’s school was closed. And I thought, “Hmm. How…odd. There’s hardly any snow on the ground.” But I figured I had better check, and sure enough, public schools, and therefore also Seg’s preschool: CLOSED.

My boys were fed, dressed, “Little Einstein”-ed, dosed up with medicine, lunch and backpacks packed, hats, mittens, and coats on, and were more or less on our way out the door.

I came downstairs and announced, “School is closed.” and much happiness ensued (remember that fabulous feeling, from when you were a child? And remember how disappointed your parents looked?)

All I know is that when *I* was a child, we walked to school barefoot, uphill both ways, in the cold and snow, and we LIKED it.

10 comments:

Gina said...

There's already a two-hour delay set for tomorrow, just so you know. ;-)

Joke said...

Wait.

Don't schools have heaters or something?

-J.

Amy A. said...

When it is below zero here, it means the kids have indoor recess. This makes the teachers disappointed and the kids come home squirrelly.

tut-tut said...

This weather is just not right . . .

Anonymous said...

I set my clock radio so I listen to the news before I get out of bed in the morning just in case schools are closed. If they are, I go back to sleep.

Although it was incredibly cold here today, too, schools were open.

Katy said...

I remember the joy of school being closed on account of cold. It doesn't seem to apply to scene shops.

They close it both on account of frostbite in children and getting the buses started (they are diesel) and the kids heated on their way to school. No one wants to get frozen *on* the school bus

lazy cow said...

Lucky kids! Meanwhile down here it was 38C (sorry, I have no idea what this is in F, over 100 I think?) and school went on a usual. Poor little buggers.

delta said...

We moved here (Pittsburgh) from Alaska. In Fairbanks, the kids had OUTDOOR recess until it was colder than 20 below (that was the actual temp, NOT with windchill). Otherwise, they would never have recess for about... well, most of the year! And the teachers would have all gone insane.

The kids were not ALLOWED onto the school bus unless they had snow pants, heavy arctic boots, heavy snow coats, hats and gloves on. The reasoning, other than that it was frigging cold, was precautionary. If something happened -- say the bus broke down -- they would not freeze to death in five minutes. At 20 below, you could feel (honest to god!) the hairs inside your nose freeze. When it was 30 below, if you threw a cup of coffee up into the air, it would freeze solid as soon as it came out of the cup. We had to plug our cars in overnight. And parking lots all had plugs for you to plug into when you went into a store. A lot of people left their cars running, because if they turned them off they might not start up again.

I grew up in Pburgh myself, and I was telling my sons about how when I was in 7th grade, like in 1976 or something, we had so much snow and it was soooo cold, we didn't have school for a WEEK!!! I kid you not. I think my mom was ready to commit hari kari!!! It was the same week that the groundbreaking miniseries "Roots" (remember LeVar Burton and "Kunte Kinte"????) was on, and we stayed up late all week long and watched it on TV, down in the kitchen, where it was freezing but we had access to victuals (like cheese kisses [what ever happened to them???] and wheat thins), which my sister and I went through at an ALARMING rate!!!
Just thought I would share.....

Amy said...

Two hour delay in our district too - I had no idea, thankfully the neighbor called to tell me. It must just be for the kids standing out for the bus.

kilowatthour said...

MY school wasn't closed, so I walked 8 blocks in 9 degree weather. and i did not like it one bit.