When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, students were introduced to online school. This changed the way snow days are handled since 2020.
Although the pandemic is over and school is back in full swing, online school still exists for everyday online students and traditional students at times.
When the weather traps kids inside, and school is canceled, students do notmiss a day of learning anymore. Post Covid, students adapt to the circumstances and do flexible instruction days, which are more commonly known as FID days.
For the week of January 24 to January 31, students did schoolwork online due to the snowstorm. By completing assignments online and teachers instructing virtually, this allows students to still learn despite the weather circumstances.
“I liked sleeping in, but I did not like how long the meetings were, and there was a lot of work,” said freshman Trinity Brozik. Brozik experienced full-year online learning through Norwin Online Academy in 8th grade. “The FID days were a lot more stressful than NOA because of the scheduled times that the meetings took place.” Brozik feels one of the biggest differences with being back into in-person school is “seeing her friends and overcoming challenges,” and feels in-person learning is “way easier because the teachers explain it to us more” as opposed to asynchronous online learning at NOA.
Norwin superintendent Dr. Natalie McCracken released a District e-Blast during the FID week to students and parents:
“We are grateful for the ongoing efforts of our District and local crews throughout this week to clear and treat roads and sidewalks. Despite their dedicated work, the significant snowfall has resulted in narrow roadways, inaccessible bus routes, and lack of visibility and space at bus stops. Given these factors, combined with the record low temperatures and wind chills for the remainder of the week, the District has determined that reporting to school would put many students at potential risk.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the January 25, 2026, snowstorm dropped 11.2 inches of snow on Pittsburgh.
This snowstorm will ultimately go down in history as the 3rd largest snowstorm of the 21st century for Pittsburgh area. Additionally, it will be tied at 13th for the largest daily snowfall in Pittsburgh’s history.
Students logged on Microsoft Teams, where they joined their teacher’s online class every day. Students followed the 2-hour delay bell schedule. Teachers were able to teach remotely from home, and kids were able to learn while still in the warmth of their homes.
“Learning online was tiring and boring,” said junior Elana Nicolas. “Trying to stay awake from home and not miss classes was hard, but I definitely liked waking up later and sleeping in.”
“Online learning helped me to work at my own pace, and it left more time for me to be able to do activities I enjoy,” said freshman Abagail Sharp. Sharp was a PA Cyber student for two years in 4th and 5th grade, so it was not new. “I felt like I did learn [at PA Cyber] but the curriculum varied on how fast, and a lot of the time, the content was not optimal,” as opposed to being in the classroom.
Norwin used four FID days last week and one the previous week. The district has used its allotted five FID days for the year.
“Once a school district exhausts the maximum number of approved FID days (five), the district may further adjust the calendar, if needed, by utilizing remote learning days, Act 80 days, or by verifying that the number of instructional minutes per year meets the state minimum,” explains McCracken. “We verified that Norwin will meet the requirements based on the approved schedule.”
Norwin students will continue to learn despite the weather. New technology has allowed students and teachers to adapt to the winter chill and stay warm and learn.
