MARANACOOK AREA SCHOOLS/RSU #38
REMOTE LEARNING DAYS OVERVIEW
We believe that learning can take place anytime and anywhere. Remote Learning Days will allow our academic schedule to continue uninterrupted, which is vital to both short-term and long-term learning and success. These days will also enable us to take advantage of our investment in technology and will help students develop skills in independence and time management.
Goal: To implement an alternative instructional process that is flexible yet meets the standard for structured learning time so that school days missed for inclement weather can be counted towards the required days of instruction for the calendar year. This requires several objectives and an understanding that this may look different at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND PROCEDURES
1. GENERAL PLAN FOR REMOTE LEARNING DAYS
Remote Learning Days are designed to reduce the impact and disruption to the school calendar and programs due to inclement weather.
These days will only be called on a day we would normally have called off school due to snow. If we can have school, we still will!
A Remote Learning Day is a day that students and teachers stay home but it is a school day. Students and teachers are expected to work that day so we can reduce our lost days and not have to make them up at the end of the year or on a Saturday in the spring.
We will only have a Remote Learning Day if we expect to have power during the snow event.
Any Remote Learning Day will be stated clearly via the district’s automated notification by the Superintendent.
2. GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR Remote Learning DAYS – APPLICABLE TO ALL SCHOOLS
From 9:00 am - 3:00 pm teachers, school counselors, nurses, interventionists, and librarians will be available for students and families to contact virtually, as needed.
Student needs related to established additional school supports (ELL, 504, IEP) will have their work modified based upon their needs. This will happen prior to the Remote Learning Days and may include additional time and resources for these students upon their return to school.
If a student does not complete their work within the allotted time, then that student is considered absent for that day and the procedures for makeup work would be followed.
For students participating in an online learning environment (6-12th grade), if a home is without power, students must communicate with their teachers once that power is restored. Assigned work will be due at a reasonable time as determined by the school’s policies.
SCHOOL SPECIFIC INFORMATION
1. ELEMENTARY REMOTE LEARNING DAYS PROCEDURES
The district’s elementary schools will distribute “Blizzard Bags” as the instructional model for Remote Learning Days. Assignments in the Blizzard Bag have been carefully selected by teachers so that they can be completed independently by students, often following routines of assignments that students complete independently in school.
“Blizzard Bags” will include activities in Reading, Writing, and Math. Students will also complete an activity related to Art, Music, or PE if they had that activity scheduled on that day.
Teachers will need to prepare “Blizzard Bags” ahead of time. Special Educators will assist general classroom teachers in preparing these bags for students on their caseload.
Students will receive their “Blizzard Bag” prior to the Remote Learning Day.
Parents/guardians will complete, sign and return the checklist with the “Blizzard Bag.”
All students are expected to complete the assignments independently putting forth their personal best effort (parents may read directions to students if needed).
Completion of the “Blizzard Bag” is required for all K-5 students if we have a Remote Learning Day.
2. MARANACOOK COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL REMOTE LEARNING DAY PROCEDURES
At the MS, instruction will be provided by your child’s team and UA/FL teachers. Assignments may focus on the current theme, enrich current learning or review previous skills and standards. The assignments may be in Google Classroom or on a paper handout. Teachers will be available via email or Google Classroom to answer questions and support students with their work. Students will have access to download or print out materials before the Remote Learning Days if they do not have internet access or borrow a Kajeet Mobile Hotspot from the media center.
Students will complete work for their regularly scheduled classes for the Remote School Day. For example, if the Remote Learning Day is a Black Day, students will need to complete work for their Black Day classes.
Completed assignments for each class are to be submitted by the next scheduled session of that class. If students cannot access the online material they need to check in with their teachers by or during the next scheduled class.
3. MARANACOOK COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL REMOTE LEARNING DAY PROCEDURES
Working remotely helps students develop skills in independence and time management, both of which are necessary for post-secondary success. Teachers will create and post lessons on their Google Classroom pages to promote student retention of current curriculum topics. Lessons are designed to take approximately 1 class period to complete, with regard to activities, resources, and assignments. Students will have access to download or print out materials before the Remote Learning Days if they do not have internet access or borrow a Kajeet Mobile Hotspot from the media center.
• Maranacook High School teachers will upload lessons and assignments to Google Classroom by 9:00 am on the day of a Remote Learning Days and will monitor their Google classes to ensure students are working on assignments.
• Students are expected to submit Remote Learning Days assignments on or before the next same colored day (i.e. if the Remote Learning Days falls on a Black Day then the assignments would be due on or before the following Black Day). If students cannot access the online material they need to check in with their teachers by or during the next scheduled class.
TECH SUPPORT
Maranacook Area Schools/RSU #38 technology staff will offer limited support for hardware, software and account-related issues on Remote Learning Days. Students/staff should email their questions or problems totechsupport@maranacook.com.
BREAKFAST/LUNCH
We will be offering the option of a bag breakfast and lunch that could be picked up the day before a Remote Learning Day. It would be available to anyone who would like one.
SUBSTITUTES
We will not have substitute teachers on Remote Learning Days. Teachers in K-5 should not have to worry about this as they will have pre-planned Blizzard Bags. Teachers in 6 – 12 will have to pre-plan an “Emergency Remote Learning Day” lesson for their classes that can be distributed in case of a teacher absence on a Remote Learning Day.