The forecast is grim for New York City school kids.
On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that, no matter how many inches of the white stuff drop during Sunday’s looming storm, there will be no snow day to start the week.
“I know to the disappointment of any student that’s watching this right now, Monday is either going to be a remote learning day or it’s going to be an in-person school day,” Mamdani said on NY1.
“It’s not going to be a traditional snow day. That is a determination we’ve made.”
Booooooo …
Give these kids a damn break.
Remote learning — a horrifically ineffective holdover from the Covid lockdown era — has essentially wiped out the glorious snow day, a rite of passage for so many American kids, including right here in the Northeast.
But just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.
To be fair, this killjoy policy didn’t start with Mamdani. In December of 2020, former Mayor Bill de Blasio essentially declared “no more snow days” as a storm was about to bear down on the Big Apple.
The Department of Education under ex Mayor Eric Adams continued with the bad wintry-weather edict, much to the dismay of parents. During a 2024 listening tour for then schools chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Queens mother Keely Valk aptly described remote learning as “pointless.“
But considering how our new mayor hosted an adult scavenger hunt for the amusement of our city’s permanent Peter Pan class during his campaign, one would think he’d endorse a little free play for the demographic that truly needs it: school kids.
How many more infringements on childhood will we accept?
Kids these days are increasingly over-scheduled with activities and overstimulated from being glued to zombifying screens, which experts tell us over and over are bad for them.
And now they are expected to sit all day and look at yet another screen. --->READ MORE HERE
Ahead of winter storm, experts say outdoor play regulates nervous system and improves mood
Ahead of a significant winter storm forecast to impact much of the country throughout the weekend, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced there will not be traditional snow days for kids.
The storm is expected to reach the city on Sunday and continue into Monday, bringing as much as 8 to 12 inches of snow and frigid temperatures.
At a weather briefing press conference Friday, Mamdani said the final decision between in-person and remote learning will be announced by Sunday at noon.
"I have to apologize to the students that were hoping for a different answer for a traditional snow day," he said. "That will not be the case."
Following Mamdani’s controversial announcement, doctors weighed in on the decision, pointing out that snow days can be beneficial for kids.
"From a mental health standpoint, the old-school, unplugged snow day is actually very healthy for kids," Jonathan Alpert, a New York City and Washington, D.C.-based psychotherapist and author, told Fox News Digital. "Sometimes the healthiest message we can send kids is simple: ‘Today, go outside and have fun.’"
Snow days shouldn’t be seen as "lost time," Alpert added. They help regulate the nervous system, improve mood and allow kids to return to school more focused and refreshed.
The time spent outdoors being physically active can also be beneficial, he noted.
"An occasional snow day gives kids something they rarely get now: old-fashioned outdoor fun," he said. "Sledding, snowballs, building forts … no screens, no Zoom links, no pressure to stay productive."
"Children don’t need more screen time," he added. "They need movement, fresh air, unstructured play and permission to unplug." ---READ MORE HERE
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