When Is Snowdays Opening Up Again
NEW BEDFORD — Although the typical unpredictable New England weather hasn't however brought the S Coast region much snowfall, school districts are already preparing for winter.
According to the DESE Commissioner of Education'southward weekly update on Oct. nineteen, the commissioner has adamant that if there are days when schools must close due to inclement weather condition or other emergency, districts may choose whether to treat those days equally a "snow day" to exist made up later on or to switch to a remote learning model that meets all regulatory requirements. These requirements include an online learning platform that tracks attendance and participation, curriculum aligned to country standards with a grading policy and communication between students and teachers.
Since then, schools have been coming together to create snowfall day protocols and plans. The primary points of debate between having traditional snowfall days and converting to a remote model include having a longer school year by tacking extra days onto the academic calendar, post-obit the same curriculum as offered in person and addressing major power outages across the city.
New Bedford and surrounding towns have begun to unveil their plans, most of which volition translate to remote learning.
More: Remote learning included in New Bedford area schoolhouse reopening plans
Dartmouth Public Schools volition be switching to a remote model instead of cancelling school due to inclement weather condition, calling it a remote learning twenty-four hours instead of snow days. Superintendent Dr. Bonny Gifford said in a prepared argument that students and staff will follow their same schedule as in-person or hybrid learning. In the event of a storm resulting in major power outages across the expanse, remote days may be cancelled.
Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech also plans to switch from its green/golden cohorts to remote learning. In a letter addressed to students and families on Nov. 23, academic principal Michael Watson and technical eduction principal Robert Watt appear two courses of action. For inclement weather, the school will switch to remote learning. All families will receive a call or email to be notified. If there are power outages, the superintendent-director may abolish school entirely for the day, calling it a "snow day" and no school or piece of work would exist required. Families will be notified and the make up twenty-four hours will be added onto the end of the schoolhouse year.
Erica Hanks, a mother of two students at Voc-Tech, said she feels snow days should exist non-existent if students are yet remote. Her children are currently enrolled in the remote learning model and said it is "quite flexible and forgiving."
"They have already lost and then much from not beingness present in the classroom," Hanks said. "They have lost experience, drive, back up, and consistency. Eliminating snow days will hopefully ensure the consistency throughout a somewhat normal schoolhouse week."
Global Learning Public Lease School currently follows a complete remote learning model and plans to continue through inclement atmospheric condition. Superintendent Stephen Furtado, Sr. said the school will continue learning remotely as normal. Teachers would prepare lessons for asynchronous learning in the instance of a power outage, but may change this plan if at that place are extreme weather condition conditions resulting in outages for days.
"I'yard not sure if in that location will ever exist another snow day again," Furtado said. "No actress days volition be tacked onto the school year. As of at present, the terminal day is June 8."
New Bedford Public Schools will designate snowfall days on a case-by-example footing, according to a statement from the role of Superintendent Thomas Anderson. Hazardous travel atmospheric condition, elapsing and the intensity of a forecasted weather condition issue will touch on the conclusion.
Acushnet, with only elementary and middle schools, will follow suit. Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey said that if there are power outages, the district will make it a snow day and brand up the day at the end of the year, however the faculty and students are prepared to learn remotely on a "snow 24-hour interval."
"We e'er try to let our schoolhouse customs know as soon as nosotros possibly can then arrangements can exist made," Bailey said.
Only similar tradition, Alma del Mar will be jubilant snow days.
According to Managing director of Development Becca Kurie, the first 3 snowfall days will be considered as such with all scholars at home enjoying the atmospheric condition. Later those three days are excused, any other days with inclement weather condition volition be remote learning days for all scholars.
More than: Pandemic exposes gaps in remote learning landscape
Fairhaven Public Schools has withal to decide on an official snow mean solar day plan. At the Nov. eighteen Schoolhouse Committee meeting, Superintendent Dr. Robert Baldwin said the commune is nevertheless in the eye of discussions near snow days, it'south nonetheless open ended. He said some schools are choosing the traditional snowfall day of hot cocoa and mittens, but information technology means students might exist in schoolhouse until June 25. Others are resorting to continuous use of remote learning.
Baldwin said upon the start of the school twelvemonth, the district gear up up 170 lessons for the entire school twelvemonth and made certain they were the same for both in-person and hybrid learning. Fairhaven follows a rotation accomplice schedule of one week on, one week off but also offers complete remote learning.
"We need to look at all of this, we're not there nevertheless," Baldwin said. "If we get a blizzard tomorrow, it'll exist a snow day, the old fashioned kind. Nosotros're talking about what a snow 24-hour interval could look like which would exist allowed to count as a day, but information technology has to be legit. If nosotros don't take a viable programme that we can become to pass through DESE, then snow days volition be snowfall days."
Chairperson Brian Munroe said from a parental perspective, he does not want to end the twelvemonth on June 28. "Nosotros but had a discussion about the number of breaks kids accept," he said. "I'thou all for continue(ing) on it as with connecitivity and remote, bold there is connectivity," he said.
Source: https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2020/12/01/new-bedford-area-disricts-plan-snow-days-during-pandemic/6468789002/
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