stafford county, VA school district is insane

[skeletor121]

I just moved to Fredericksburg, VA in Stafford County this past August. We moved from Homer, AK. I grew up in Mass. It may be my background of living where snow happens, but the school district here let the kids out 1 hour early yesterday due to snow and are opening up 2 hours late today. I don't understand this. There is no snow on the roads (snow plows didn't even go out to plow) and I can still see the grass underneath the little bit of snow there is on it. Has anyone else experienced this before?

Granted, it was the first snow of the season, but my wife didn't even need to break out the snow shovel for this. We had snow up to my waist in Homer (I'm 5'8"), but the kids never got a snow day or delayed start/early release day due to snow.

I was looking forward to watching a movie and falling asleep while my wife is out at work (she works as a home health care assistant for a couple from 0900-1200), but that is shot. I am not complaining about hanging out with my children, I love all three a lot and am glad to have time with them while I am recovering. The problem is doing things for them. I can barely get around and try to get stuff for myself, nevermind for someone else. I hope our 10 year old can reach everything they need while they are here since I can't get up on a chair to reach anything.

I can't wait to get back up to AK where people can drive in the snow and don't get freaked out about a snow shower where it pretty much all melts since it was above 32 most of the day.

Guess I blew the 5 line rule, but needed to vent somewhere, since the kids don't want to hear about it.

[Satori]

Lol, try living in Southern Arizona when it snows a little. We get two inches and they close the whole Army post where I work. Free day off!

[dinoman]

Finally! Somebody else that thinks its silly how those eastern schools work! There was somebody las winter that posted in the lounge here that they had two hour delays because the wind chill dropped to 10 below. 10 below! They don't even delay school here when the actual temp gets to 30 below!

In the last 20 years I can probably count on my hands the number of times school has been delayed or canceled due to snow here. More often than not, we can be snowed in after a big storm and school goes on as normal.

[Satori]

Originally posted by dinoman
Finally! Somebody else that thinks its silly how those eastern schools work! There was somebody las winter that posted in the lounge here that they had two hour delays because the wind chill dropped to 10 below. 10 below! They don't even delay school here when the actual temp gets to 30 below!

In the last 20 years I can probably count on my hands the number of times school has been delayed or canceled due to snow here. More often than not, we can be snowed in after a big storm and school goes on as normal.

It sucked being a town kid in a rural SD town. When it snowed a lot, busses would either run late or not at all, but all us town kids still had to be there.

[BigSkyBart]

I have to agree it sounds silly to me too.
I guess it's based on what the weather norms are & what the school districts are prepared to deal with.
The only time I can remember the local school being closed in the last 20 or so years was when the main boiler had a major malfunction & the temps were in the minus 25 range, pushing minus 50 with the windchill.
no heat = no school
other than that, the young skulls full of mush are expected to attend & learn every day

[dinoman]

Around here in big storms they just announce on the radio which rural buses won't be running but the ones they can still get out still run. Like us though, there are plenty of kids around here that have to go several miles to the bus stop (its 5 miles to the bus stop here). So a lot of the time even if the buses run can't get to them!

[Sloth]

I'm in the same boat!
I grew up in Michigan. We had one or two snow days in my days in junior high and high school.

I moved to Ohio and they have a two hour delay just about every single day. It snowed yesterday and there are still schools closed. Most of the roads are dry. I don't understand how kids here get an education.

[Fat Man]

It all depends if the snow plows can keep up. If the plows are behind the power curve they'll call a snow day. They then tack a day on the end of the school year to make up for it.

Where I grew up they didn't have snow days. I do remember a few days when school was canceled because of flooding. We also had recesses canceled because of air quality.

[kevy_kev1]

Skeletor a little something to remind you of home.. a couple shots of eagles on the Spit.

[crp]

My kids had a snow day on Tuesday. We had snow and ice. I went to work. Driving wasn't too bad, just had to go slow. We got about 6 inches.

[dinoman]

Originally posted by Fat Man
It all depends if the snow plows can keep up. If the plows are behind the power curve they'll call a snow day. They then tack a day on the end of the school year to make up for it.

Its always entertaining to listen to the plow crews here during a big storm. We have a scanner and they're always going around and around with the school districts. During bad storms the plow crews like the schools to at least let the rural kids out early while the plows are going good and can keep some of the roads open for the buses. The schools like to let their advice go in one ear and out the other and keep the rural kids at school until its too late. Makes for lots of upset parents , then you get to hear all the parents who's kids got stuck in town call into the radio station here Friday morning for open line and rip the school admins to shreds .

[dwd5813]

I would love to see people down here drive in the snow. Well, the ones that actually live here that is. They can't keep from hitting each other as it is, snow would = bumper cars!

[skeletor121]

kevy_kev1: Thanks for the pics. When were you there? Can't wait to head back up there to fish for Halibut and Kodiak for Salmon. I loved living in Homer and hope to go back there someday, probably when I get out of the CG.

I understand about the snow plows getting behind, but they weren't even out. Snow never accumulated on the streets and they were dry this morning when I got up around 0700. My wife was driving to work this morning and said there was no snow or ice on any of the roads she was on (she drives by the school to work). They jumped the gun on calling a delay when there wasn't a reason to do it. Seems like they are super paranoid about snow here.

[skeletor121]

dwd: I went to college in New London, CT and we had a bunch of folks from FL there. Some had never seen snow before, much less drive in it. There were a few accidents when they were allowed to drive the morale vans or when we were allowed to have cars there our senior year.

[GSMguy]

Skeletor, you will be amazed how bad the drivers there are in the snow, my Girlfriend went to chancellor high school, and her brother goes to spotsylvania high where do your kids go?

plan on way more snow days in VA than in MA, in VA they are never ready for the snow, good luck commuting wherever you work on 95 when it is snowing its really bad, one time in a snow storm it took me 7 hours to drive from fredericksburg VA to frederick maryland.

[skeletor121]

Here is a pic of what we found in our front yard last winter. When my wife comes home I will try to find a picture of the glaciers across the bay taken from our porch.

[skeletor121]

My kids are all still in Elementary school (Rocky Run Elementary). I work in DC and am in a van pool. I will probably telecommute if there is a lot of snow so I don't have to get stuck in the van that long. I am lucky, I get to sit around home for 2 weeks to recover from surgery. I won't have to deal with this for a little while.

[GSMguy]

Originally posted by skeletor121
My kids are all still in Elementary school (Rocky Run Elementary). I work in DC and am in a van pool. I will probably telecommute if there is a lot of snow so I don't have to get stuck in the van that long. I am lucky, I get to sit around home for 2 weeks to recover from surgery. I won't have to deal with this for a little while.

The Girlfriends dad was at the pentagon before he retired now he is in alexandria, but he lives 30 minutes out of town now near lake anna so he has to drive 30 minutes in to town before he gets on 95.

have you been to any LFS yet?

[MarinaP]

Originally posted by skeletor121
I just moved to Fredericksburg, VA in Stafford County this past August. We moved from Homer, AK. I grew up in Mass. It may be my background of living where snow happens, but the school district here let the kids out 1 hour early yesterday due to snow and are opening up 2 hours late today. I don't understand this.

Simple - some kids have to walk to school. If there is any ice/snow on the ground, schools in VA will be closed. I cannot comprehend this policy. I am from Moscow, and walked to school many, many times when it was -30 outside

[skeletor121]

There aren't any close to here except Petco and Petsmart (been to both to see prices on dry goods). I have been up to Super Pets (Centreville?), Wally's Aquariums (Fairfax?) and one other north of here. I have also traveled down to Richmond and checked out Atlantis Aquariums (liked this one a lot, just for saltwater, they don't carry freshwater), Azalea's Aquariums (talked to the owner, pretty cool guy who seemed to know his stuff, liked this one for FW), and one other that I don't remember the name of right now. I will probably be going back to Atlantis once I get the big tank setup. May go FOWLR or possibly a planted discuss tank and change the 50 into a saltwater tank. Not sure yet though.

[dwd5813]

what part of MA did you grow up in skeletor? I grew up a few minutes north of Springfield.

[BigSkyBart]

Originally posted by crp
We got about 6 inches.

[GSMguy]

Maru pets in fredericksburg and atlantis in Richmond

atlantis is a really great store if you are setting up your 150 as a reef.'

and in Northern VA blue ribbon koi has good salt stuff

[GSMguy]

I was trying to edit not quote, me=dumb

[skeletor121]

dwd: I grew up in Marlboro, About 20 minutes east of Worcester

gsm: I haven't heard of Maru Pets yet. I guess I have something to do when the wife gets home.