Every winter for decades, students of all ages have gone to sleep anxiously awaiting good news from the weatherman the next morning.

A few times each year, they would awake to find a blanket of fresh snow, and would run to the television or radio and wait to hear their school’s name called. Perhaps conditions required only a two-hour delay, a brief respite from the tests and homework awaiting them.

On those few rare occasions each year, however, the weather outside would indeed be frightful enough to warrant a cancellation. Children would rejoice and make their way outside to have snowball battles with their friends or sled down the biggest hill in town. Others perhaps preferred a more lowkey day off, curling up and watching “The Price Is Right” and savoring a break from the classroom.

For several years, students in the Seneca Valley School District have not been able to partake in these winter rites of passage. The district was part of a pilot program focused on implementing flexible instructional days — stay-at-home work days to be used either instead of or in addition to regular snow days.

When snow would fall, students would complete pre-made assignments via online portals, and the days would count toward the state mandated 180 instructional days for the school year.

This week, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 440 into law, allowing districts statewide the option of using the concept of flexible instructional days.

The nostalgic among us could perhaps see the elimination of full-fledged snow days as a negative. Those unplanned days off can surely make for some unforgettable memories, and letting kids be kids is never a bad thing.

However, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

It goes without saying, but days off later in life don’t come free. Many students will go on to college, where campuses rarely — if ever — close due to bad weather. Even in that event, online assignments and discussion can be completed remotely, with students on the hook for that day’s work.

When they enter the workforce, there are few occasions when a place of business or an office will close for a snowstorm. In those rare occasions, the missed work will be waiting on the next business day.

Flexible instructional days serve as a means of easing students into the “real world” by teaching them to be responsible for their work. It challenges them to not only complete tasks on their own but to be prepared to ask questions if they don’t understand a concept.

The program also still leaves time for old-fashioned fun. Under the Seneca Valley program, students are given 10 days to complete the work. This allows for students to still enjoy the day off while teaching them to budget their time between work and play.

We hope more districts take advantage of flexible instructional days. We also hope parents and students both see the value the program offers — while also finding time to get outside and throw a snowball or two during the next winter storm.