Students prepared to start their second semester at RBHS Jan. 6, but a twist of winter weather made doing so not possible.
With life-threatening temperatures and a snowfall causing the roads to be icy and uneasy to navigate, Columbia Public Schools cancelled classes Jan. 6-7.
Record breaking wind chills that hadn’t been seen in years hit Columbia and its residents. Concerns of frost-bite and hypothermia made it evident that school being in session, or ever going outside, wouldn’t necessarily be probable.  For many the extended winter break made it possible to get more done and have a longer time to relax. People could sled, hang out with friends, and enjoy not being in school for two additional days.
Students took advantage of their snow days by doing whatever it was they needed or just wanted to do. Having two more days than planned was a nice touch to the break. Having more time off of school was a bonus for many students and helped to start the semester off on a cheerful note.
“It was really nice having the snow days. I got to hang out, relax, and sled with my family and just catch up on my sleep some more,” sophomore Sydney Maly said. “I worked out a little bit because I have dance coming up, so I had more time to just work on getting back in shape and back in the groove of things. The snow days gave me more time to ease back into second semester.”
For those who spent the break out of town or were busy, starting the week on Wednesday as opposed to Monday was beneficial. Instead of starting the semester with a five day week, students and teachers were granted a three day one. It gave students time to meet up with friends and have a couple of days to rest before getting back in the swing of things.
“I was very excited to have snow days because I’d just gotten back from a trip,” junior Libby Stauffer said. “I got to have extra time to relax at home and see my friends before going back to school.”
Having snow days didn’t only affect RBHS students; it had an impact on teachers as well. While most were probably prepared to start their lesson plans on the 6^th as anticipated and were maybe ready to get back to teaching, the two days off were ultimately appreciated.
“I watched a lot of Netflix,” RBHS art teacher Carrie Stephenson said. “I got some stuff done that I needed to that I didn’t really get a chance to do over break. I fixed some grades and enjoyed the days off.”
 By Molly Mehle
What did you do during the extra time off?