Snow Day? No Way!

When you work at a boarding school you forget what some families go through when a Winter Storm alert starts scrolling through the news stations. For some students it is a joy because school may be canceled. For parents, it can be a logistical nightmare. I met with a family this week that was looking at potential schools for their child. As I learned more about the student, I wanted to know the story of what led them to visit R-MA. Today, I was surprised to learn that Winter Storm Jonas helped us recruit this family.

Like many others, this family was a transplant from a much more snow-ridden state.  A state that has no choice but to keep school open with a foot of snow, because if they didn’t they would be out of school from December to February.  There are many factors that go into a school closing and I certainly wouldn’t want the job of being the one who decides to open or close, but to a parent a week off of school can cost a student dearly. Not just in missed work, but in the momentum and focus that is needed to get them back on track when those school doors open again.  But there is an answer to this.

Some people don’t think about it, but boarding schools rarely close. Why would we? Most of the students live right in the dorms and honestly most of the teachers live in campus housing too and are just a walk away. Classes go on as usual and that means that students don’t lose their focus and don’t forget crucial material. Though it’s hard for students to think of their public school friends who are sledding down hills while they are sitting in classes, they make up for it on June 1^st when our school year is over and they are still in classes for two to three more weeks!

So I want to thank you, Winter Storm Jonas, for bringing this wonderful family to our door today. And for those of you out there who are dreading the next snowpocalypse, add no snow days to one of the many truly remarkable reasons that R-MA is a great place for your child to consider!