ROCKLAND, Maine — The Five Town School District implemented its first remote snow day Wednesday, Feb. 13.
In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Superintendent Maria Libby announced that Camden schools would take part in the first-ever remote school day for Maine public schools. Libby asked that everyone commit to giving it their best shot, explaining the program would only work if the entire student body took part.
"It is at once exciting and serious to be part of something that could change the way Maine approaches snow days in the future," Libby rallied in her post. "Let’s pull together as a community around this new idea and show the rest of the state that it can be done successfully."
The Five Town School District passed the remote school day program late last year, and it went into effect December 1. Administrators decided that two snow days this school year would be remote school days, when students are required to complete school work and teachers are required to be available via email from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"Our best learning, I would say, isn't always happening late June/early July," Camden-Rockland Elementary School Principal Chris Walker-Spencer said in November. "It gives us an opportunity to have some continuity in what we're learning, rather than just tacking a day on at the end."
Administrators say remote school days present opportunity for "student-centered learning" where students can choose a topic they're interested in learning about and study it. Elementary school students use the time to complete a project to present to their class, and middle and high school students work on assignments on their devices and check in with teachers throughout the day.