ALEXANDRIA, VA-Tomorrow (Jan. 8) will be an asynchronous learning day for students and a virtual workday for teachers, ACPS reported this evening in an email addressed to ACPS families and staff. The school system made this decision because some roads in the area have yet to be cleared of snow.
The full text of the announcement is below. It is signed by Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt.
Dear Alexandria City Public Schools Families and Staff,
Throughout the day, we have been monitoring road conditions, and we are aware that some roads are not completely cleared around the region. We continue to be concerned about the safety of staff and students. We also know that staff travel from around the region to and from school buildings and may be unable to travel safely to work tomorrow. As a result, all ACPS schools and offices will be closed for in-person learning and activities on January 8, 2025.
Please note that staff will participate in a virtual workday, dependent on work assignments and locations. Supervisors will confirm with staff about the work expectations.
Class times will include virtual teacher-led office hours and asynchronous instruction times. Asynchronous learning happens when students learn the same material but at different times and locations without live instruction.
Most students should have their computers or learning devices at home with them. We understand that students in grades three through five may not have Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) issued devices at home. A separate message will be sent to grades 3-5 parents/guardians through ParentSquare. Attendance will be taken through logging into Clever and Canvas. No new content will be taught and grades should not be assigned on virtual learning days.
Elementary School Students: Virtual learning at the elementary level is intended to keep students engaged academically when inclement weather prevents in-person learning. Time on task with the curriculum-based apps and computer-adaptive programs that students access routinely at school is the primary means of providing a meaningful virtual experience on snow and inclement weather days. Although there will be no delivery of new content, students will be able to devote time to completion of projects and assignments already in progress as posted on Canvas and Clever. Teachers will host office hours ranging from 30 to 60 minutes at the beginning of each day. We do not expect students to operate on a time schedule, but aim for two hours of asynchronous learning in grades PreK-1 and up to four hours in grades 2-5.
Middle School Students: Each middle school will follow its normal schedule in regard to asynchronous work completion and specific teacher office hours. The blocks of time will be asynchronous with teachers being available during each block they teach for office hours and student support during the first 45 minutes of each class. Students may access the zoom link for office hours from each teacher’s Canvas page. Elective teachers who have daily classes will be available for office hours for the first 20 minutes of each class. Advisory teachers will be available during the first 15 minutes of the advisory period to assist students with questions and organization.
High School Students: The high school will follow its normal schedule. The blocks of time will be asynchronous with teachers being available during each block they teach for office hours and student support. During these timeframes, students will work on assignments posted on Canvas. The work will be done asynchronously and the “amount” of work should not exceed the length of the traditional class period. The teacher will be available for at least 45 minutes during each period for office hours to assist students.
All essential personnel, including building engineers, custodians, maintenance shop employees and security staff must still report if safe to do so. Please contact your direct supervisor for reporting instructions.
Visit the ACPS website for the most up-to-date information.
Thank you and please stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Superintendent
Alexandria City Public Schools
