O’FALLON, Ill. – A Metro East school district gave its students and families a fun way to announce Wednesday’s snow day—via a song.
“Danger’s outside and cold is to blame! O’Fallon, we’re giving you a snow day!” the O’Fallon Teacher Band sang.
Families in O’Fallon Township High School District 203 received word Tuesday evening that the following day’s classes had been canceled.
“We were doing ‘You Give Love a Bad Name,’” Dr. Beth Shackelford, O’Fallon superintendent, said. “Which, for us, was an easy transfer. It’s fun. It’s a way for our students and us to have fun as well.”
Shackelford is part of the band along with other teachers and coaches. They were the closing act at the recent February Frolics talent show at the high school.
The group decided to change some lyrics during a rehearsal for the school talent show, giving Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” a new twist, which resulted in an avalanche of attention on social media.
“It’s kind of fun for my band students to see us doing stuff outside of our traditional roles,” Assistant Band Director Matthew Murphy said. “The joke is that every student thinks their teacher lives in their classroom at school. When you see your teacher at Wal-Mart, it’s crazy enough. When you see your teacher with a Strat in their hand, it’s a whole other thing. I think the students really get a kick out of it.”
This is the fourth emergency day used for the 2024-2025 school year, moving the last day of school for the district to May 28.