No school in Chicago because.......it's cold? (Deerfield, Pulaski: schools, closing)

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by Bellamouse

Um, it was 1979. It was January. A person doesn't forget their first behind the wheel experience...

Chicago Blizzard of 1979 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Look Back At 3 Of Chicago’s Worst Blizzards « CBS Chicago

Winter '78 - '79. I was at U of C and remember people cross country skiing down the streets. Classes got cancelled for at least 1 day.

[Ace Rothstein]

I think kids have had more days off over the last two years than I had my entire childhood. I graduated from HS in 1998, going to Catholic schools in the city. We were never closed unless CPS was closed. CPS almost never shut down back then.

[4122]

Originally Posted by Nodpete

I grew up in the UP of Michigan and we went to school even when it was -50 degrees. We kept our coats and gloves on but still had to go to school. Of course this was in the 40's, 50's so things were different. But that brings me to a news story that was on the Chicago TV yesterday. A mother was complaining that her kids school was quite cool so her son left his jacket on. The teacher made him take it off because, are you ready for this, IT DIDN'T MEET THE DRESS CODE ! Only in today's schools !

That's terrible! Kids should not freeze at school! I know some schools that have a no jacket rule, it's the stupidest rule ever. I understand a no hats rule, but a no jacket rule is ridiculous. I don't see how a jacket would be distracting to other kids. If a kid is cold, it disrupts their learning.

[4122]

I do believe that schools are definitely more lenient about school closings. My friend didn't have a snow day until her senior year of high school in 2008. However, I do think that it was necessary for no school today and tomorrow because it was COLD. There are kids who have to walk and wait for the bus and kids who have no choice but to walk to school. My high school bus stop was a 10 minute walk from my house which is why I rarely ever took it in high school. Today, I couldn't go anywhere because traffic was so bad everywhere and it was so slippery on the roads. If it's so bad where you can get a frost bite in 10 minutes, school should be canceled since many kids would have to be outside for at least 10 minutes.

[Midwest Revival]

Originally Posted by The Northerner

McHenry (where we live) has closed tomorrow as well, and you can probably throw in Friday, too, because it won't be much above zero then, either. So basically, my kids are getting a 3 week Christmas break because it's really cold in Chicagoland in January.

Sorry, don't mean to be such a cynic, but we were all out & about today both up here and in Chicago, and it really wasn't that bad. Now if you're walking around with no gloves or head protection in temps like these......well, obviously there's going to be at least a few of those whose parents will be quick to blame the schools rather than their numbskull (pun intended) kids, so I suppose that's who they're worried about.

Do your kids walk/ stand outside for the bus 10-15 minutes?

Im a librarian at a elementary school in the south suburbs, most of the kids walk from the surrounding neighborhoods, I don't think any parent should send their kid out in this weather

[lycos679]

https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport/sta...89526487965698

[Freefall18]

Originally Posted by Delahanty

Yes, and same here. In many neighborhoods locally, kids don't even wait at bus stops--the drivers drop them off in front of their homes.

We're turning kids into pansies in this country.

Agreed. Kids who live in troubled neighborhoods should be made to walk 5 blocks and risk getting shot, and they should be subjected to possibly getting frostbite. It builds character. Tired of these wuss kids, they need to grow a pair already.

[Freefall18]

For the sarcastic-impaired, yes that was sarcasm. Chicago has been closing schools due to extreme cold since the 1970's, so it's not just "kids these days".
http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/...ag+Cold+010815

[ChicagoMeO]

when we were growing up, the norm was to go to school near your home.. so that might mean only a block or two walk. now i went to high school and there were some kids getting bused to high school.. nowadays its everyone is going all over town to school. we went to catholic grammar school and the nuns never went on strike, only a two doors down walk to school to teach.. thats part of the problem nowadays.

[glass_of_merlot]

CPS schools are open tomorrow Friday. Makes no sense I think. According to my weather app, it will be colder tomorrow than today.