Jessica Singh

Junior Jessica Singh completes a class assignment from home. On Feb. 5 all Hybrid A students participated in virtual learning from home due to a snow day.

On Feb. 5, PV students were notified of a snow day, but this would be unlike any other they had experienced. Hybrid A students would be required to come to class online, with cameras on and attendance taken.

Earlier in the school year, parents were notified if the district exceeded two snow days whichever hybrid was scheduled to go school would be expected to participate in virtual learning. PV superintendent, Brian Strusz had been discussing potentials for virtual learning and the district took its first go at it on Feb. 5.

Mandatory for Hybrid A students, but optional for Hybrid B and online students, classes started at 10:10 a.m. A schedule was then followed that kept space for lunch and 8th period. Students were expected to keep their cameras on during class so attendance could be taken.

PVHS teacher, Nikki Pitcher commented on her experience teaching students in this format. “I think it was good for students to check in with their teachers. We didn’t get much content learned, but I was able to answer some questions and go through a couple of problems with each group, so I think that was useful time spent,” she said.

Junior Aayusha Adhikari agrees with Pitcher’s statement. “I actually liked the virtual snow day because all of the teachers were actually interacting with the students, and even if it was only through the screen, I felt engaged,” she stated.

Unlike the typical in-person class, virtual learning was used as a time for students to have discussions and clear up confusions from the past days. While students were at home, teachers were given the option to come into the classroom and teach. Some teachers chose to continue teaching new topics, others used it as a time to get everyone up to speed.

Even though the days of sledding and sleeping in are gone, this new format of virtual learning allows the district to prevent extending the school year further into the summer. In previous years, once the designated snow days were filled, school days would be added on at the end of the year. This became difficult because summer plans would begin and school would still be in session.

Pitcher believes this is a great reward of virtual learning. “I would enjoy a snow day here and there, but I think it was a good compromise to stop them where we did so that we can get out of school at the end of that first week of June,” she said.

Adhikari, though finding benefits from virtual learning, has a different perspective. “It’ll still be sad to not have snow days because they are like a tradition, and it always provides students with an unexpected but positive break from all the stresses,” she reflected.

Though the tradition of snow days may be gone, it seems that virtual learning is a viable option for years to come.