RPS 205 Announces Alternative Snow Day Plans
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RPS 205 families and staff,
Now is the time we usually share information about snow days when we cancel school because of extreme cold or snow that makes it unsafe or impossible to attend. The Rockford School Board approved an alternative plan in December so students and staff can continue teaching and learning, regardless of bad weather or road conditions. Now an e-Learning day can replace an emergency day. Students will attend school remotely and continue learning through a remote learning day. E-Learning days will be similar to our adaptive pause in December, and similar to what our remote learners are doing now. Students will use Chromebooks and iPads to connect with their teachers and classmates.
This doesn’t necessarily mean school cancellations or snow days are gone forever. E-Learning days will be considered as an option. The goal behind this plan is to continue teaching and learning and maintain a routine for our students.
Each year, the district can use as many as five emergency days. In the past, those five days would be added to the end of the school year. If emergency days are used for e-Learning, they count toward student attendance and will not be made up.
How it will work: When we anticipate severe weather that could trigger a snow day or emergency day, students will be directed to take home electronic devices, just in case. Just as electronic devices were assigned during the adaptive pause, students in kindergarten through second grades will be assigned iPads, and students in third grade through high school will be assigned Chromebooks. Early Childhood students who don’t have an electronic device at home will be assigned an iPad.
Notification: We’ll share news of an emergency e-Learning day with our families and staff as early as possible via text message, phone call, email blasts, media alerts, social media and mobile app posts and website publications.
Connecting remotely: Students must participate in at least five hours of instruction or school work, which is required by law. Teachers have already established their primary platform and communication plans with families, and teachers will use those platforms to connect on an e-Learning day. Plans will be posted as follows:
- Early Childhood & Grades K-2: Seesaw
- Grades 3-5: Seesaw or Google Classroom
- Grades 6-12: Google Classroom or Schoology
Special education: Students will have access to their case managers on emergency e-Learning days, and services will continue to be provided using Zoom, Google Meets, or other district-approved technology.
Internet service & technology: Click the Student Tech Support button on rps205.com for technology support, including Internet access, device information and learning support.
Attendance: In grades K-5, attendance will be monitored by work submitted through the Seesaw mobile application and attendance during teacher-led instruction. In grades 6-12, attendance will be monitored through teacher-led instruction.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation if and when we call an emergency e-Learning day or a snow/cold weather day. Thank you for your continued support through this unprecedented school year.
Sincerely,
Ehren Jarrett
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools
- e-Learning