A few weeks ago, we published an article announcing Fieldston’s first snow day in nearly two years. Little did we know that, just one month later, we would be celebrating yet another day off.
Unlike last time, when we had to wait until early in the morning to learn whether or not we would have the day off, this snow day was announced a full day in advance, with extreme weather forecasts leaving school administrations across the city with no choice but to shut down. The early announcement gave students the opportunity to relax, reset and take a well-deserved night off from the stress of schoolwork. Alex Bromfield (Form V) took advantage of the snow day as early as Monday evening, “chilling at home” and spending time with family. On Tuesday morning, however, that break would come back to bite him, as he “woke up and thought, ‘I should probably be doing work right now.’”
There is no better feeling than waking up in the morning, turning your head to a window, and seeing snow barrel down from the sky, leaving the streets covered in white. That is exactly what Fieldston students were treated to yesterday morning, so let’s take a look at how they spent their day off.
A recurring pattern, quite unfortunately, amongst students across all four grades is that they spent their snow day working. Saskia Sommer (Form IV) said, “When news of a snow day reached my inbox, I was over the moon. My mind aglow with idealistic plans for sledding and making snow angels, I was ready for a proper indulgence into the East Coast storm I so enthusiastically prepared for. Then, as it often tends to, my Intensive Chemistry class brought me back to reality.” Sommer would spend the rest of her day studying, as would many other students. Rachel Stulman (Form V) echoed a similarly relatable experience. “Unfortunately, I’ve been inside all day either working or procrastinating,” she said. “But I wish I did something more fun.”
Thankfully, a good number of students also took the time to enjoy their day off, taking walks in Central Park, making snow angels or even sledding. Skye Wu (Form VI) said, “I woke up incredibly early, considering I binged ‘The Crown’ until 2 AM the night before and walked my dog in the park with a friend. We then got some coffee and matcha at a local bakery and headed back to my apartment to watch Gossip Girl.” Joey Ravikoff (Form VI) had a particularly well-balanced day, catching up on schoolwork and college work, while also making time for some fun (see his wonderful snowman pictured below).
Addy Gorton (Form VI) shared perhaps the funniest snow day story of all: “I woke up to — shockingly — see snow outside my window (always surprised when a Fieldston snow day actually coincides with real snow). I went for a walk, then headed to a friend’s house to get some work done. Unwilling to join her in her soul cycle class later, I headed over to another friend’s house. After chatting and laying around, I discovered she was also going to soul cycle — what in the world! Still uninterested in putting my body through that hell, I headed home to have dinner with the fam and probably play a board game or two.” Just like Addy’s friends, many used the snow day to get some exercise, including Nathan Rozoff (Form V) and myself, who went on a jog and bike ride in the park, respectively.
For Felix Ren (Form V), a Riverdale resident, the snowfall was almost too heavy to step outside, and he noted that he made the dreadful mistake of going out with sneakers on. This was a common blunder — just ask Lily Saal (Form V), who got her feet wet on her way to her friend’s house for the same reason. Ren added that he observed crowds of people clamoring to flower shops and grocery stores, looking for Valentine’s Day gifts. Indeed, for many students, this snow day provided a great opportunity to celebrate the holiday with loved ones; for example, Saal shared, “When I got to my friend’s house, we watched ‘Valentine’s Day’ and ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’.”
Based on Fieldston students’ wide variety of experiences yesterday, this snow day could not have come at a better time. The time between snow days has gone from 700 days to just one month, so who’s to say we won’t have another one soon?
