MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Summer break has finally arrived for Monongalia County Public School students. Tuesday is the final day for class after the school year was extended a few extra days, mostly due to Winter Storm Jonas.
June 1-3 and June 6-7 were make up days to meet the required 180 days of instruction, but next school year, students may not have to go to class extra days in June. However, in exchange for summer break starting earlier, they’ll have to forfeit the traditional carefree snow days.
“We’re working on a program for some virtual offerings for a students if we have a number of inclement weather days,” said assistant Superintendent Donna Talerico.
Parents support the idea, Talerico said, of having “virtual learning days” when school is cancelled due to inclement weather. The online instruction would keep students connected to the learning environment and the online lesson could take the place of making up the snow day later in the year.
“We will have learning continue,” explained Talerico. “They will receive their own device, called a Chromebook. That Chromebook will allow for digital downloads. So even if there some families who don’t have access to Internet or mother nature causes us to not have electricity the work can go on from home.”
Talerico explained the idea is not a new concept, previously packets could be sent home with students to complete on snow days, but now with the new Engrade system, students can now access content online.