In response to the four snow days this year, administrators planned one online Flexible Learning Day for Monday, Feb. 18.

“A Flexible Learning Day allows students to check in with their teachers virtually and to use their Chromebooks to receive and complete assignments from home when the school building is closed,” superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele said in an email to students.

This new possibility to make up missed days of school is due to a recent law change for the state. Principal Edward Schwartz explained how this law change impacted the district’s options.

“Earlier this year the state changed how they define a school day. It used to have a certain number of minutes had to be in every day for it to count as a school day. The law changed and gave the schools more flexibility in how they structure a school day,” Schwartz said.

Chemistry teacher Michelle Sachtleben said she thinks students will benefit from the Flexible Learning Day because of all of the experience students have had with technology in the classroom.

“The great thing about all the resources we have now, such as online learning tools and videos, is that the flexibility is available to assign something timely and appropriate. I love YouTube videos. I can always find one that is well done and concise,” Sachtleben said.

Junior Olivia Yesker expressed her predictions for the assigned workload.

“I think [the Flexible Learning Day] is just going to be a waste of my time, but if it’s mainly busy work I don’t mind getting it done,” Yesker said.

English teacher Nathaniel Haywood said he plans on giving his students some reading and analysis, along with a little interactiveness; however, Haywood questions the benefits.

“I don’t know if it would be as effective as a regular school day. … I feel like it will at least be moderately successful,” Haywood said.

Senior Paxton Tomczak is expecting the Flexible Learning day to go well and said she is suspecting most of her assignments to be continuations of in-class work. 

“For myself, I’m expecting for [the Flexible Learning Day] to go smoothly and I think it will be the same for others … if everyone does what they are supposed to do,” Tomczak said.

Thiele said that student’s attendance will be taken through an online Google Form, the link will be sent out on Friday, Feb. 15 and students will have until the end of the day on Feb. 18 to record their attendance.

“We will survey staff, students and parents about the Flexible Learning Day experience to learn from it and to guide any future planning. We are not committed to repeating a Flexible Learning Day this year until we collect this feedback and refine our planning and procedures,” Thiele said.