Snow Day?! But, It's Concert Day!
Wait, what?
That’s right. It’s Concert Day! Well, it was going to be...until Winter Storm Diego decided to head our way. Now, I’m just sitting at home in my pj’s, trying to keep myself occupied and stave off cabin fever.
photo credit: WYFF4 via Chris Justus, Meteorologist
Anytime winter weather comes our way in SC, essentially everything shuts down. We just don’t have the infrastructure to handle snow, sleet, and ice, because we get it so infrequently. Last week, at the first inkling that we might have snow headed our way, I decided to be proactive instead of reactive about the situation. Starting last Monday, I came up with a game plan involving multiple backup scenarios. I went over all possibilities with my students every day last week, posted them on Google Classroom, and have been sharing info via Instagram.
What an amazing time we live in. Here was my master plan:
Always Be Prepared: My Crazy List of Backup Plans
Plan A (Original Schedule)
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Dress Rehearsal Monday after school until 5:00 p.m.
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Concert Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Plan B (If school was cancelled Monday, but we were at school Tuesday)
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Dress rehearsal during club hour Tuesday (Our school has clubs during the day once a month, so that all students can participate...isn’t that cool? I chose club hour to limit that amount of time my kids would have to miss their other classes)
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Concert Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Plan C ( If school is cancelled Monday and Tuesday)
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Dress rehearsal Wednesday after school until 4:45 p.m.
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Concert Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Plan D (If school is cancelled Monday-Wednesday)
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Dress rehearsal sometime during the day (TBD) Thursday
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Concert Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
I am now on Plan C! Hopefully, we don’t have to get to Plan D, but if we do I’ll be ready.
Above: My backyard Below: My front yard
(If you're reading this from somewhere up north, don't judge. This is legit snow for us! I commute roughly 20 minutes, and many of my students have up to 10 inches of snow in their yards.)
Even though it’s inconvenient to not have a concert as originally scheduled, life happens. There’s no use stressing about something you can’t physically change. So, you’ve just gotta work with it.
Also, snow is a BIG DEAL for my students. It’s such a special treat for them. I don’t want to ruin their snow day because they’re stressed about whether they have to get ready for a concert or not! Believe me, I get just as excited about snow days as they do! My husband says the second I get a whiff that we might be out of school for a snow day, I’m glued to my phone. Some might call that desperate. I like to think of it as well-informed.
My husband and I made this guy when we lived in our first apartment and we were out for like a week after a snowstorm hit. People on Facebook asked me if we used styrofoam instead of snow, because it looked too perfect. Steven (my husband) is an engineer, and I have no chill (ha! punny!) so it took us like an hour to make.
And you know what: So far, I’ve yet to get a panicky e-mail from any of my students or their parents. I’d like to think that’s because I let everyone in on this process from the beginning. We have all been on the same page the entire time, and I point-blank told all of my classes that I was absolutely not worried about school being cancelled….because we have a plan.
I’m going to enjoy my unplanned day off, just like I hope my kids will, beginning with this view of my cat, Napoleon, sleeping on this chair he knows he isn’t supposed to be on. (He’s too adorable to move.)
Happy snow day!