Falmouth School Committee Votes To Change School Calendar

FALMOUTH, MA — The Falmouth School Committee voted Tuesday to change the school calendar.

The first day of school was changed to Sept. 21, and that first week will be remote. Superintendent Lori Duerr said this will be followed by two weeks of half days, where reduced numbers of students will attend class in person.

All students will be expected to learn remotely when not physically in school. Duerr said each school will release a detailed schedule. Students are expected to resume full daily schedules, regardless of their selected mode of learning, on Oct. 13.

The schedule change brings about a slight variation to the reopening plan the school committee approved at the beginning of the month. Under the plan, pre-kindergarten through grade 4 students would attend school fully in-person while grades 5-12 will be placed into cohorts and learn on a hybrid platform.

More details on remote learning

Duerr said students enrolled in the fully remote option will see synchronous and asynchronous instruction. This means students will have times when they need to virtually meet with their teachers and peers. Some occasions will be for direct instruction, some for clarification, and some for small group work.

"Our educators are engaged in professional learning that focuses on pedagogy for blended learning and remote learning alike, Duerr said in a letter sent to parents. "Likewise, each school is creating a daily schedule. Students engaged in the 100 percent remote learning model will have times at which they will need to be present albeit remotely for live interaction with their teachers and peers."

Duerr said teachers are also preparing playlists, which will clarify for students what the daily lesson is, what they must do to demonstrate their learning, and the choices they will have to offer that demonstration.

"Through use of a digital classroom learning management system, students will be able to work with partners or small groups in which one or more students can be in the classroom, and one or more can be learning remotely," Duerr said. "There will be a level of variation on which days and which times students will need to be live/working synchronously or asynchronously."