RALEIGH — February 10, 1996 - 4:41 p.m.

All that ice and snow in January and February created extended holidays for school children, but now it's time to pay the piper.

This was the first Saturday some Triangle children reported to school to make up for lost time.

At Milton Elementary in Granville County, students and teachers spent half the day making up one of 12 days missed so far this year.

Student Skylar Davis says she didn't really mind going to school on Saturday.

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"I like best about it cause we can learn more and so when we grow up and our children ask us a question we can tell them", she said.

It's not likely that all the snow days can be made up on weekends since, by law, students can only go to school five days in a row. But, many families are happy all the snow days won't eat into summer.

Meanwhile, it was also make-up day for the Durham Public Schools' Magnet Fair Saturday. At the Durham Civic Center, several schools promoted their magnet programs to prospective students and their parents.

The magnet concept gives students the chance to focus more on their career aspirations and special talents, while parents get to choose the school that they feel is best for their child.

Competition for space in the magnet program is limited, however. One attending parent described it as a lottery.

April first is the deadline for applications from students interested in the magnet programs for the 1996 - 1997 school year