On Wednesday, December 18, students, staff, and parents received news that GRB was closing early and all after-school activities were cancelled.

For many students, this was a good thing, but for many teachers, this meant re-scheduling and re-planning their final few days of teaching in 2019.

The bell schedule was not adjusted, which means students were dismissed during the middle of seventh bell, at 1:30 p.m. There were no eighth bell classes, so these classes were behind a day of instruction.

For orchestra teacher Mrs. Edele, the early dismissal impacted more than just her class schedule. "It ruined my concerts. I had two performances at Volney and the high school so it was not a very enjoyable afternoon," she said.

Some elementary students were very unhappy about the early dismissal. Mrs. Edele explained, "My elementary students were so upset, some of them even came to my office crying. Yesterday was supposed to be their first concert of the year."

For some parents, this also meant added stress, as they had to figure out how they were going to get home to watch their kids or how to make sure their kids got home safely.

Everyone has now had a chance to practice an early dismissal for this school year. Time will tell if there will be more in 2020.