Beginning this winter, our Middle School and Upper Schools will launch “Virtual School Days.” This term refers to a day when school is cancelled due to inclement weather or other emergency. As in the past, students and parents/guardians will be notified of school closings through a phone call, text, and/or email using our automated messaging system. Announcements will also be posted to the school’s website and local television stations.
New this year, on days when school must be closed, students will participate in learning opportunities from home. Using this approach will alleviate the need for students to make up days during scheduled breaks or to attend additional school days at the end of the school year. It will also allow the learning to continue forward during weather or emergency interruptions.
Here are a few details:
- The Middle School and Upper School community will receive an email on the morning of the canceled day (or evening if the announcement is made the night before) stating that assignments will be posted on myMA to keep students engaged and learning.
- Assignments will be posted to myMA before 10am on the canceled day.
- All courses that were scheduled to meet as part of the COMENIUS schedule letter day, may assign homework. Courses that were not scheduled to meet on the cancelled day, may not assign additional work.
- Assignments may include, but are not limited to reading, writing, researching, completing a worksheet/lab, blogging, completing a review activity or playing an online game tied to the curriculum.
- Teachers will be available by email and responding to questions from students during regular school hours (8:00 - 3:00).
- Students in the Middle School may use their iPads including apps, online textbooks or etexts, myMA, Google Classroom and Notability to do their work. Students in the Upper School may use their Macbook Airs, online textbooks or etexts, and myMA to do their work. If a Virtual School Day occurs, students will login to their school gmail account and/or myMA account and complete the learning tasks assigned by their teachers for each of their classes.
- For students who do not have Internet access on inclement weather or other emergency days, assignments may be submitted for full credit up to three days after the canceled day.