Some of my fondest childhood memories come from snow days throughout my elementary and intermediate school years. The snowball battles, sledding with my neighborhood friends, and drinking hot chocolate after a long day of playing in the snow were some of the most memorable moments of my childhood that can never be replicated. Now, thanks to eLearning Days, millions of kids today will never get to experience the magic of Snow Days.

The entire idea behind eLearning Days is that if teachers assign a base amount of essentially busy work we won’t have to make up any school days at the end of the school year. Don’t mistake me, I cherish my summer break just as deeply as snow days. But as Phineas and Ferb taught all of us, there are 104 days of summer vacation. Compare the 104 days of summer to the 3 to 5 (if we are lucky) snow days we get per school year. I think all the memories I made and the fun I had during snow days I had are 100% worth losing a few days of summer.

Some people might try to argue that eLearning Days are a “win-win” or “the best of both worlds” because our work only takes an hour and we don’t have to make up lost in-person school days at the end of May. I think that the “win-win” mindset is a common misnomer. Many of my teachers assign time-consuming or tedious assignments and inconsistent attendance requirements that make it difficult to find time to cherish the rare weather.

I’m not only passionate about this subject for myself and my friends, but I’m more so passionate about this for students who are my little brother’s age and other students who are younger than him. The magic of snow days has withered away as I have aged into high school and young adulthood, and I have my fair share of nostalgia attached to snow days. But there are still memories and great times for elementary and intermediate-aged kids to make and have.