School & District Management

Five Snow Day Announcements That Broke the Internet (Almost)

By Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Evie Blad — January 26, 2026 2 min read
Three different screenshots of videos from superintendents' creative announcements for a school snow day. Clockwise from left: Montgomery County Public Schools via YouTube, Terry J. Dade via X, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School via Facebook
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For superintendents, announcing a snow day isn’t just a logistical chore. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate humor and creativity to eager students waiting for the invitation to sleep in.

In some cases, it’s even a chance to show off musical talent (or to expose a lack of it).

Long gone are the days of kids sitting in front of the television during a winter storm, watching a slow scroll of closures at the bottom of the newscast, waiting for their district’s name to show up so they can break out the cocoa and sleds the next day. Today’s students refresh social media instead (and their parents get automatic notifications).

See Also

Rosie Henson, from left, Charlotte Hall and Jaya Demni play around in the snow near Schifferstadt Museum in Frederick, Md.,on Monday, Jan. 6. 2025.
Rosie Henson, from left, Charlotte Hall and Jaya Demni play around in the snow near Schifferstadt Museum in Frederick, Md.,on Jan. 6. 2025.
Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP
School & District Management Are Snow Days Making a Comeback?
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 9, 2025
•
4 min read

Many superintendents have taken advantage of the shift in format in recent years, eschewing staid written announcements in favor of music videos, parodies of popular movies, and elaborate sketches recorded with students in anticipation of those first falling flakes.

After a winter storm pummeled much of the United States over the weekend, district leaders from Texas to Maine had their moment in the snow day spotlight.

Here are five of our favorite announcements.

1. A movie trailer complete with (bad) rapping

In this movie trailer spoof, Montgomery County, Md., Superintendent Thomas Taylor dons a long coat and a fedora and raps his way through a parody of “Still D.R.E.”

2. Country comparisons: ‘This is T-shirt weather!’

Alpine, Texas, Superintendent Michelle Rinehart joked about making the call for a Monday snow day while experiencing what would be considered “T-shirt weather” in Canada, where she was born and raised.

3. A Britney Spears parody

Decked out in a Britney Spears shirt, Terry Dade, superintendent in Falls Church, Va., made a snow day announcement to the tune of the singer’s smash 1998 hit “Baby One More Time.”

4. An over-the-top infomercial

But wait, there’s more! In Hamilton, Mich., Superintendent Brad Lusk spoofed a 90s infomercial to call off classes and encourage kids to enjoy a day of rest, sledding, and hot chocolate.

5. ‘Maye-Day': Some good-natured sports humor

In Rochester, Mass., district leaders made a good-natured jab at the struggling Kansas City Chiefs (who missed out on the NFL playoffs this season) in their snow day announcement, and joked about whether to make the call before or after the New England Patriots’ playoff game on Sunday. (They posted the video well before game time and the Patriots’ win over the Denver Broncos, which earned them a spot in the Super Bowl. Despite the timing, the district leaders projected almost prophetic confidence about a Patriots win.)

Watch the video on Facebook here.

Maya Riser-Kositsky, Librarian and Data Specialist contributed to this article.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Profession Webinar
Evaluation Beyond the Checkbox: Turning Ratings Into Teacher Growth
Ratings alone don’t help teachers improve. Join us Nov. 10 to hear what happens after the evaluation: feedback, follow-up, and growth.
Content provided by Frontline Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
The Assessment Trust Crisis: How to Measure Learning in the Age of AI
AI is reshaping learning. Is assessment keeping up? Join this webinar to explore how to measure student thinking, not just right answers.
Content provided by Instructure
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Student Trends to Counselor Action: Turning Insight Into Impact
Find out what is changing in how students approach planning for life after graduation and how schools can help.
Content provided by PowerSchool

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management No Education Background? Some Say That Helps School Boards
People of all professional backgrounds can add value to school boards.
1 min read
Image of a venn diagram that shows a school board must have members that can study education interests but must also be award of wider community interests as well.
Laura Baker/Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Why I Challenged 60 Ed. Leaders to Endure a Student’s Fragmented School Day
One question changed how I think about my school’s master schedule.
Eric R. Mace
•
5 min read
A student figure meanders around a fragmented school day.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Spotlight Planning Smarter School Environments: From Budgets and Accessibility to Technology and Design
See how schools are connecting physical spaces, digital tools, accessibility, and smarter planning to shape learning environments.
School & District Management Spotlight The New Enrollment Landscape: How Demographics, School Choice, and Competition Are Reshaping District Strategy
Explore strategies district leaders are using to adapt, rebuild trust, and make high-impact decisions.