Naquag News & Happenings! 4/15

Good Afternoon Naquag Families,

Your Naquag family sends greetings and best wishes to you and yours; hoping that everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine today!

The WRSD School Committee met last night to discuss the upcoming April vacation and the District's Remote Learning Plan.

- April Vacation: Next week was scheduled for April vacation (4/21 - 4/4). April vacation has been cancelled and the District will continue remote learning.

MONDAY, APRIL 20 is Patriots' Day (MA state holiday). The District will be closed in observance of Patriots' Day.

This change will result in the school year ending on Friday, June 12.

- WRSD Remote Learning Plan: I encourage you to review this document and the K - 2 plans for remote learning.

In our K - 2 setting, our students regularly complete:

Daily: 30 minutes of Math and 30 minutes of ELA

Weekly: Related Arts (Art, Music, PE) 30 minutes per subject

Weekly: Self-Directed Learning 60 minutes

PLEASE NOTE: These are upper limits for time. Students may spend "up to" this amount of time.

The general guidelines for length of a remote learning day for our K - 2 students is not to exceed 90 minutes (1.5 hours) in total per day, covering a total of 5 days in any week.

Our specific grade teams are currently working on new learning plans following these guidelines. These will be shared soon! Please continue using the 4/13 - 4/17 choice boards for right now.

- News from Rutland Library:

Do you miss reading to Rocky? Well, he misses you! Rocky would love to get a letter from you! You could even include a drawing or a story that you wrote. Send your mail to: Rutland Free Library 280 Main St. Rutland, MA and your letter will deliver it to him. Rocky would love to hear from you and especially what you have been reading!

AND NOW.. INTRODUCING "NAQUAG'S HELLO VIDEO"! Thank you Mrs. Gough for creating this amazing video!

Please feel welcome to contact your classroom teacher or me with any questions. We're here to help!

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding; it is very much appreciated.

Superintendent McCall's 4/15/20 Email - Remote Learning Plan / No April Vacation (Monday, 4/20 is Patriots' Day - MA Holiday)

Dear Wachusett Families and Staff:

I hope you are doing well and your family remains healthy and safe. Last night, the WRSDC held a Special Meeting to discuss April vacation and the WRSD Remote Learning Plan. After reviewing the teacher and parent April Vacation Survey data, the School Committee, with District administration and teacher support, voted to cancel April vacation and conduct remote learning April 21 - 24 (the District will be closed on April 20th, in observance of the Patriots Day holiday). This change will result in the school year ending on Friday, June 12th. The last day of school for Mountview Middle School will be Monday, June 15th.

The Committee also voted to approve the WRSD Remote Learning Plan which will begin this week. Teachers will notify students and families as they transition to this new phase in remote education. This comprehensive plan provides a sense of continuity for our students, parents/guardians, and staff during this unprecedented and extraordinary time. Next week, I will survey staff and families about their experiences with remote learning in order for us to gain insight into how the process is working in real time.

The full WRSD Remote Learning Plan can be found at: wrsd.net/remotelearning

To accompany the remote learning plan, please review the document linked below which outlines information pertaining to participation in online learning.

WRSD Online Learning Disclaimer

As we progress through these unprecedented times, we understand that we are all functioning in environments that do not align perfectly with our typical expectations associated with day to day living. Family life has been turned upside down and our capacity to assist families is key to supporting this process moving forward. We will continue to assess our support of the WRSD community and how we can be flexible and accommodating for families and students.

In closing, I want to thank our staff, students, families, and community members for supporting the Wachusett community through this time of flux and change. We are all learning together through this process and your continued patience and understanding is very much appreciated.

Thank you and stay safe,

Darryll McCall, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Wachusett Regional School District