Cinnaminson Weighs Snow Days, Calling Them ‘Gift Of Childhood’

CINNAMINSON, NJ — For children, few things in life are better than an unexpected day off from school, especially if that day off comes under a mountain of snow.

With schools employing a mix of in-person and remote learning this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the promise of a good snow day, however, is threatened by the ability to learn from home.

The first snow day of the 2020-21 school year could be days away. Although the Cinnaminson Public School District is in a full-remote learning environment, no decision has yet been made about school this week, and any decision that is made won’t be a blanket decision for the entire school year, Superintendent of Schools Stephen Cappello said on Monday.

“We will assess every weather event on an individual basis. We are experienced and prepared for remote learning, but we are not going to make any universal decisions about the permanent status of snow days,” Cappello told Patch. “This particular weather event comes at a time when the district is already in a period of remote learning. For students who are currently attending in person, a decision will be made sometime tomorrow as to their status for Wednesday and Thursday.

“With that said, a good snowfall is a great opportunity for our students to go out and play in a safe manner. Far too many chances for them to play and ‘just be a kid’ have been taken from them over the last nine months. It will be nice to see them enjoy one of the true gifts of childhood.”

The district has been in a full-remote learning environment since Nov. 30, and is scheduled to return to its hybrid learning structure Jan. 11. The decision was made after consultation with the Burlington County Department of Health, and the district reserves the right to extend the full-remote program if circumstances warrant an extension.

Three to four inches of snow is expected in the region between 6 a.m. Wednesday and noon Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds of between 35 and 50 mph are also expected. Read more here: NJ Weather: Winter Storm Watch In 12 NJ Counties; 50-MPH Winds