It’s not just adults dreading going to work thanks to yesterday’s snowfall and the snow warning that’s been issue for Monday afternoon, evening and Tuesday morning.
Some Burnaby students are demanding a snow day and they’ve started a petition to back it up.
The NOW was sent a link to a Change.org petition started on Sunday that has more than 5,700 signatures as of 10 a.m. on Monday.
I called the person who sent me the petition link – I’m keeping his name private – but he was, sadly, in class. I could hear the teacher taking attendance as he whispered to me he couldn’t talk right now.
A few minutes later, the student emailed me why he was supporting the petition.
“We started this petition as the sudden snowstorm caused many to worry as some live far away from school, such as me who has a 30 to 40-minute commute to school or my friend who lives in Langley who needs to go through a highway in order to make it to school.”
This is what the petition says:
“Dear Burnaby School District,
In light of recent events, we, the students of SD41, are petitioning to have a snow day. Due to an unexpected amount of snowfall, transportation will be an issue for students as walking and driving would be unsafe. Furthermore, Translink’s reliability under these conditions is suspect at best, further complicating matters. On top of this, the teachers may also face difficulty in terms of reaching their respective schools, as the snow creates hazardous driving conditions, especially earlier in the morning. We understand that the timing may be strained, however, we believe that it would serve the best interests for all if we were to have a snow day.
Sincerely,
The concerned students and parents of SD41.”
When I was a kid, we didn’t have these kinds of tools to ask for a snow day. We just got on our knees and hoped.
You have to at least appreciate the students for their ingenuity.
You can see the petition here.
*The Burnaby School District has responded to this story by sending the NOW a copy of its policy for school closures.
“All schools will remain OPEN, unless there is heavy snowfall, damage or other circumstances – such as a power outage – that make it impossible to operate safely. The District will do its best to communicate school or district-wide closures on our website by 6:30 am. However, please keep in mind that there may be situations where this is not possible – again, such as a power outage.”
The policy also says, “Our priority is always the safety of students and staff; student safety is a responsibility we share with families.”
You can read the full policy here.
*UPDATE: Students got their wish as classes on Tuesday were cancelled due to overnight snowfall.
