Virtual learning may make snow days a thing of the past

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In an era where virtual learning has become more and more commonplace, students now have the ability to do their classwork at home on laptops or tablets, regardless of the weather, meaning snow days might become a thing of the past. 

“With the introduction of e-learning days and our ability to provide continued learning through e-learning, snow days are somewhat a thing of the past," said Sarah Hickle, the Assistant Superintendent of School City of Mishawaka. 

Meaning that circumstances that would have normally caused a snow day-- from messy roads to cold temperatures-- will not affect the education of students. School districts in Michiana, like the South Bend Community School Corporation and the School City of Mishawaka have already made this a reality, scheduling e-learning days instead of snow days. 

While some students may be disappointed that class will be in session in spite of the bad weather, according to superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings, these e-learning days will help students continue their education, all while keeping them safe. 

“Our main priority is to keep students safe and ensure that they’re learning and when there’s bad weather or we see a forecast for bad weather, there’s a team that starts working very early in the morning at 3:00am. Folk are out driving roads to make sure we’re making the best decision," said Dr. Cummings. "We’re also very focused on making sure we begin making calls to media at 5:00am, so parents and students have ample time to know.”

Dr. Cummings also added that having these e-learning days would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of their teaching staff.