The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) approved the use of Flexible Instruction Days (FID) as an alternate form of instruction in place of a day otherwise cancelled due to inclement weather or building emergency.  PDE will count this as a full day of school.  The District has been approved to use up to a maximum of five (5) FIDs for this school year. On a FID, students will complete learning assignments provided by the teacher at home on the day that otherwise would have been cancelled. Students will receive assignments for each subject that would have originally taken place during a regular school day.

Communication will be made to all parents and students via the district mass communications system (email, phone calls, news sources). Professional staff will be made aware through the same notification systems. Additional support to the initial communication system will come in the form of posts to the district website and district social media accounts. Teachers will also communicate with their students through their learning management system platforms (Google Classroom and Canvas).

Classroom teachers will have a link on their website, Google Classroom, or Canvas course entitled "FID" that lists the learning assignments, activities, and online resources. Parents and/or students should make teachers aware of a need for a paper-copy version of the assignment if WiFi will not be available on the FID.  A paper-copy version of the assignment will be provided to the student.

Since FID days could occur when there is a weather emergency, there is always the chance a student will not have access to power, telephone, or the internet. They may also have extenuating circumstances that would prevent them from completing work online during that day. The students will be expected to check in with their teachers during the FID by logging into the teacher's learning management system platform (Google Classroom or Canvas) for attendance purposes. Teachers may also track attendance through the use of Google Forms, approved discussion platforms, telephone, or email. If a student is unable to check in online and does not complete the assignments, a note must be provided by the parent or guardian for an excused absence, in accordance with district attendance policies.

If you are unable to sign in or otherwise notify your teachers for attendance during the FID and are marked absent, the district's absence policy goes into effect for missed work and must provide the school with an absence note from your parent/guardian. Students will have 3 days to submit work from the FID upon return to school.

Much like our blended and CORE learning models, students will be able to access the FID assignments on their teachers' Canvas or Google Classrooms sites. They will receive instruction from their teachers on how to access the materials prior to an actual FID.

If students do not have access to a computer and/or the internet to access lessons or complete activities, offline versions of the learning activities and assignments will be available prior to the FID. Students will need to submit the assignments during the FID or immediately upon return to school.

Students will be expected to complete assignments for all subjects that would have occurred during the missed day of school. The assignments can be completed electronically or submitted on paper the next day back to school.

Teachers have developed lessons and assignments that are expected to mirror time spent in class. Students working independently on an assignment will likely take less time to complete the assignment compared to working in a large group classroom environment. 

While it is difficult to plan the exact day a FID will need to be implemented, teachers can plan for activities around current units and topics. This means that FID topics will occasionally need to be updated by teachers to reflect current lessons, but can be broader-based. 

We understand that emergencies can occur during these days. FID assignments will be graded and should be completed ASAP, but you should speak with your teachers to make arrangements. Also, remember that FID assignments should be available before they are needed with paper copy options available to be sent home. Some assignments may be completed ahead of the FID.

All teachers, nurses, and specialists will be available throughout the typical school day to assist where needed through online platforms, emails, and other means. If a teacher is unable to assist due to the loss of power or internet, provisions will be made to provide you with an alternate contact. 

Yes, we will continue to add make-up days to the school calendar. While we have the option to use a FID, not every situation may be appropriate for remote instruction to the severity of the emergency. We may also have more canceled days than the FID program can support (5 FID days per year).