Instruction for Northern Lights Community School students will continue this winter even on days when winter weather makes travel difficult. The State of Minnesota has approved up to five “e-learning days” for schools annually. E-learning days allow students to continue learning and also reduce the chance that schools will have to make up days at the end of the school year due to snow days.

When severe weather occurs and NLCS determines that travel to school is unsafe, families will be notified that students should remain at home and continue instruction via e-learning. The decision to move to e-learning will be announced by 6 p.m. the night before or no later than 5:30 a.m. on the day of an e-learning day. Information will be shared via local news media, the NLCS homepage, NLCS social media, and emails, robocalls and texts to families. Please ensure that your family’s contact information is updated by contacting the school office. 

When E-learning Days Will Be Called

When severe weather occurs, the number one factor for calling off in-person learning for the day will be the safe transportation of students to and from school. If the bus drivers/company feel it is too dangerous to drive, we will call for an e-learning day. There may be days that seem too severe to drive in your opinion that we do not call off because the drivers have checked the roads and believe they are clear enough to get the buses where they need to go. Parents/guardians always have the right to keep their student(s) home if they believe it is not safe. They just need to call the office and indicate their student will not be attending that day because they feel it is not safe for their student to ride the bus in the current weather conditions.

Important Preparation For Families and Students

Technology is a key component of e-learning, so please take steps to ensure your student has both a device and internet connection.

Having access to an internet connected device is the most important part of having a successful e-learning day. NLCS will do what we can to make sure students bring home their Chromebooks the day before bad weather is predicted in the event an e-learning day is needed.

There may be times when an unpredicted storm hits overnight and we didn’t have a chance to send Chromebooks home. In that case, students may have to access classes using their personal phones or home computers.

The other half of the e-learning day success equation is access to the internet.  Internet service at your home should be available for your student. If your home is not currently connected to the internet, please consider:

• The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), a low-cost program to help households pay for internet service and get a discount on a device.

• Contacting us about alternative internet options such as a hotspot. NLCS has limited hotspot availability, so other options should be explored first.

Expectations For E-learning

E-learning will include time when teachers are online and available to students (synchronous) as well as time when students are learning on their own using assigned materials (asynchronous). Teachers will communicate to students and families their class start- and end-times, when staff will be available to students, and information about additional e-learning activities or enrichment. Student lessons will be posted on online platforms by the start of each e-learning day and e-learning schedules will be displayed on the school website.

Students engaging in e-learning will have access to appropriate educational materials and receive daily interaction with their licensed teachers. The school will provide learning in a format that can be equitably accessed by all students. Students will also have access to all relevant services and supports. Each teacher will determine the most appropriate way to communicate and provide instruction for each student, which may include some/all of the following:

• Online resources such as Edgenuity and/or Google suite

• Textbooks and/or paper packets

• Phone calls and/or text messaging

• Live Zoom sessions

NLCS teachers may provide instruction in two different methods: asynchronous learning and synchronous learning. Asynchronous learning does not require teachers and students to be online at the same time. Synchronous learning is real-time engagements in which students participate with teachers and other students at an established time. For either of these to happen successfully, access to an online device and internet access is crucial. In the event we are not able to coordinate internet access for a student, your child will receive alternative means for participating in learning.

Student Expectations

• Students will need to be self-disciplined.

• Students should make a schedule for the day to show their parents/guardians what they will be doing.

• Students are responsible for checking their email, Google classroom notifications, etc. for assignments and due dates.

• Students are expected to contact each teacher (via the method indicated by the teacher) for each scheduled class to be counted present for attendance that day.

• When using live programs such as Zoom, students need to be aware that the session may be recorded and they should be respectful, use appropriate language, and try to locate themselves somewhere in the house other than in bed or in the bathroom.

Teacher Expectations

• Anticipate time requirements – recognizing that students learn at different rates, especially when working independently.

• Provide a timely plan for students to finish work assigned.

• Be available through their school email, phone, or Zoom during the entirety of the e-learning day.

• Plan for self-directed, independent learning with specific consideration to age and individual learning needs.

• Customize learning opportunities, especially in troubleshooting student challenges.

• Communicate with other teachers and support staff to ensure common expectations and communications.

Food Resources

NLCS will not be delivering food to homes on e-learning days. Please let us know if you are in need of some food stores to keep on hand and we will get you connected with the 2nd Harvest Food Shelf.