KCPS Virtual Inclement Weather Day Plan approved

ROCK HALL — Kent County Public Schools will now be able to offer virtual instruction days when there is inclement weather.

The school system’s Virtual Inclement Weather Day Plan has received approval from the Kent County Board of Education and the Maryland State Department of Education.
As required by the state, the plan was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Kent County Board of Education in a special meeting held Wednesday, January 19 2022. The plan is in effect for the 2021-2022 school year only.

“The Maryland State Department of Education and the Kent County Board of Education have approved a pathway for Kent County Public Schools to repurpose inclement weather days as virtual inclement weather days,” announced Dr. Karen Couch, superintendent of schools.
The Virtual Inclement Weather Plan is available to the public through the Kent County Public Schools homepage — kent.k12.md.us — under “District News.” A letter outlining the plan is being sent home with students.

A snowstorm at the start of January saw Kent County Public Schools use all four of the inclement weather days allotted in the 2021-2022 calendar in one week — “which is pretty unusual,” Dr. Couch told board members at the January 19th meeting.

Without the virtual plan, Kent County Public Schools would either need to add instructional days back into the calendar for any more inclement weather closures or seek a waiver from the state for lost days.

“This plan is specifically laid out for those days. We’re trying to mitigate the effect of adding additional days at the end of the year,” said Kent County Board of Education President Joe Goetz.

During virtual inclement weather days, teachers will offer live instruction via the Schoology app. Refresher videos will be made available on the Kent County Public Schools website for the app used during virtual instruction necessitated by COVID.

The Virtual Inclement Weather Day plan includes schedules for elementary, middle and high school students, ensuring they receive both whole and small group instruction, movement breaks and specials like art and music.

Special education and related services also will be provided on virtual inclement weather days.

“Schools will communicate the weather day plan along with any school-specific details with their staff, their students and families using a variety of strategies,” said Gina Jachimowicz, director of teaching and learning, at the January 19, 2022 meeting. “Anything school specific, any schedule adjustments, any messages would go directly through the school principal.

Devices will be provided to elementary students as needed in advance of a virtual inclement weather day. Middle and high school students already have devices to take home with them each day.

“We feel confident that with the plan we have in place, we will be ready to send home devices with our elementary students in the event that we’re able to anticipate that weather early on,” Jachimowicz told the board.

Internet hotspots also will be available for households in need of online access. A survey was previously sent to families to determine their technology needs and internet availability.

“Our counselors work very closely with the school principal in child-by-child reviewing the needs for hotspots,” Jachimowicz said.

As required, attendance will be taken for students and teachers on the virtual days.
For those students without any available internet access, paper packets will be sent home. The students will be marked present when they turn in assignments upon schools’ reopening.
Meals will not be provided on virtual inclement weather days, just as they are not offered on regular snow days.

Visit kent.k12.md.us for more information and to download a copy of the Virtual Inclement Weather Day Plan.
####
~ Kent County Public Schools