Old Man Winter seems to have a strong grip on Southeast Missouri, but area schoolchildren are delighted he's still around.

With more than 20 inches of snow since November, some school districts have had to cancel classes almost once a week. And last week was no exception: Schools were out for snow days on Monday and plenty had expected to be out Thursday because of weather forecasts that called for more snowfall.

So what do parents, students, teachers and administrators do on those frequent days off?

Susan McClanahan gets to spend snow days at home with her children, Ross and Lexie. McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center and when inclement weather strikes, the center closes.

"We've been together and had fun," she said.

Usually their day is spent baking or cooking. They've played board games or made crafts.

Making special arrangements for child care isn't a problem, McClanahan said. "It's not something that I have to worry about, but for those who aren't that fortunate, it is a big concern," she said.

McClanahan serves as the Cape Girardeau school district's parent-teacher organization president. Other parents she's talked with haven't been as lucky as she -- they scramble trying to find a sitter or relative to watch the kids.

Notre Dame high school students Reece Thompson and Chris Eddleman are old enough to survive a snow day without parents.

The two spent much of their days off sledding in Thompson's yard

And when they got too cold, they went inside to play video games.

"I did get caught up on some long-term projects" for school, Thompson said. "But mostly we played video games."

Samantha McLemore, 6, gets to stay home with her dad John on snow days while mom, Vicki, heads to work at a Cape Girardeau accounting firm.

John McLemore has a home-based business and he and Samantha hang out in his office or she stays inside to watch television when school is canceled.

"I'm a lucky mom," Vicki McLemore said.

Samantha likes snow days but does get a little bored when two or three come in a row, her mother said. On Thursday, Samantha was a little aggravated to learn she had to go to school because all the weather forecasts called for snow on Wednesday night. "Her dad told her she wouldn't have school because of the weather."

Some parents are making contingency plans for school breaks and summer holidays because so much snow has fallen and schools have canceled. Some districts are even forfeiting their Easter and spring breaks in order to make up the days missed.

In Cape Girardeau, the schools will dismiss for the summer on June 10. Jackson gets out May 29. Scott City dismisses May 22.

The late dismissal interferes with summer camp plans for Clay and Todd Obergoenner. Clay has plans to attend a Christian camp in early June that overlaps with the last three days of school at Central Junior High.

"Sure he's enjoyed the days off but he knows you can't make them all up," said his mother, Mary.

Of course no one could have predicted the number of snow days but with only two months off during the summer, schedules are tight, she said.

Obergoenner said she knows its tough for the school district because students and families already had summer plans before the calendar was extended. "It's just a madhouse trying to fit it all in," she said.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126