A West Virginia school district is letting kids be kids.
Despite its students learning remotely – and thus able to log on for class without worrying about a dangerous commute – Jefferson County Schools in Charles Town, W.Va., honored the first snow day of the year on Wednesday.
In a letter to families, district Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson said the district didn’t want kids (and parents) to lose the magic of a snow day because of the unique circumstances necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It has been a year of seemingly endless loss and the stress of trying to make up for that loss,” the letter reads. “For just a moment, we can all let go off the worry of making up for the many things we missed by making sure this is one thing our kids won’t lose this year.”
The letter, dated Dec. 15 ahead of Wednesday’s snow storm, ends with a heartwarming message: “We will return to the serious and urgent business of growing up on Thursday, but for [Wednesday] … go build a snowman.”
The post on the district’s Facebook page containing the letter was shared more than 50,000 times in the 24 hours after it was posted.
Jefferson County – located in the panhandle of West Virginia near the Virginia and Maryland borders – was under a winter storm warning on Wednesday, with anywhere from six to 18 inches of snow and sleet expected in the region.
Read the full letter below or on the Jefferson County, W.Va. Schools Facebook page.