Today was a Snow Day. In our Board, when buses are cancelled, schools and administrative buildings are closed. We don’t pivot online. We don’t offer asynchronous learning options. We have a good, old-fashioned Snow Day.

While I had a little work to do today — especially knowing that I’m at the Board Office for a meeting tomorrow and not in the school — I was also able to take some time to read a good book, take my dog on a million walks, and do some shovelling.

Maybe one of the best things that happened today was a special moment before lunch. My mom was around and taught me how to make matzah balls. I’ve seen my mom and my grandma make matzah balls many times in the past, but I’ve never made them before. My mom had some chicken soup on the stove, and she was going to add some homemade matzah balls to it. She took me through how to make them super fluffy: including the importance of letting the mixture sit in the fridge for 20 minutes, washing my hands in cold water first, and making them nice and small. While she might have been able to write down the recipe or point me to a video to watch on how to make them, there was something incredibly special about spending this time together and learning beside her.

My grandma passed away many years ago now, and after a couple of strokes, she was no longer able to fly from Nova Scotia to visit in her final years. But one of the last times she came, she taught me how to make apple pie. She showed me how to work with the yeast, how to role out the crust, and what spices to add to the apples. I have many memories of my grandmother, but this opportunity to bake with her is one that I will always remember. I think that cooking with my mom today was just as special.

I share these stories because every time that there’s a Snow Day, I know that there’s always some concern about the learning that might be lost with us not being at school. There is often a discussion on social media about giving or not giving home learning suggestions. And I will admit, that when I was a classroom teacher, I always sent out Snow Day ideas. Families didn’t have to do them, but I shared them. Today’s matzah ball making memory reminded me that a Snow Day can be for a different kind of learning. A new experience. A new opportunity. Today, I learned to make matzah balls. What did you learn today? I hope that all of you had at least one moment today that was just as special, unexpected, and wonderful as mine!

Aviva