March 19, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 FLOW Area Virtual learning may eliminate snow days by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills School District is partici- pating with the New Jersey Department of Education in considering the possibility of conducting virtual learning days when the weather requires the schools to be closed. The use of virtual learning days -- days when teach- ers would conduct classes by using laptop computers to communicate with their students using laptops at home -- became a possibility when the district launched the 1 to 1 Laptop Initiative. Through this initiative, the school district provided all students with their own laptops to use in school and at home. Beverly Mackay, the regional district’s director of cur- riculum, advised recently that she has been in touch with the NJDOE since Hurricane Sandy about the prospect of conducting virtual learning days. “My first communication with Susan Sullivan, New Jersey director of technology education, was on Nov. 8, 2012, just after the hurricane, during which I requested that our district be permitted to use 21 st century learning through technology so students do not miss school due to inclement weather,” Mackay explained. On Feb. 12, 2014, Mackay again requested permission to use a virtual learning day, but her request to have an e-day on Feb. 13, when meteorologists predicted a large storm, was denied. Mackay pointed out that the Pascack Valley/Hills School District recently conducted a virtual learning day even though it was not approved, and now the NJDOE is putting together a committee to develop guidelines to begin the work to change the policy and the code at the state level. “Since Hurricane Sandy, the RIH School District has continually been working at setting high standards for our teachers and students in our 21st century classrooms,” Mackay said. “Our Ramapo Indian Hills School District is thrilled that the state is finally moving toward the real- ization that virtual learning days may help us to reduce the number of snow days that closes the schools.” Evo Popoff, the NJDOE chief innovation officer, recently sent an invitation to Mackay and about 17 offi- cials in other schools in the state to visit Trenton on March 12 to assist in that effort. Chamber offers three scholarships The Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce will award three scholarships to high school seniors who are planning to further their education. Two awards of $1,000 each will be awarded to Wyckoff residents. The third scholarship, in the amount of $2,000, will be awarded to a dependent child of a Wyckoff Chamber member or a child of an employee of a Wyckoff Cham- ber member, regardless of residency. Applications are available at local high school guidance offices or may be downloaded from www.wyckoffchamber.com. Applica- tions may be mailed to: Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce President Jay Vidockler, Wyckoff Chamber of Com- merce, P.O. Box 2, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Attention: 2014 Scholarship. The application deadline is April 17. For more information, call (201) 468-1999 or contact Bob Meneve at bob@menevegroup.com. In the invitations, Popoff asked those officials to take part in a project at the NJDOE headquarters in Trenton, or a nearby location, to explore the potential use of vir- tual learning days instead of using snow days or other emergency closing days. “New Jersey school officials have grappled with an inordinate amount of snow and cold weather this winter, which has inevitably led to questions from both districts and the public about the possible use of virtual learning days to reduce the number of snow days that a district takes,” Popoff stated in her invitation. “As you are aware, the language in New Jersey law presents challenges to a district’s ability to use days learning either in lieu of snow days or to make up snow days,” Popoff continued. “These legal challenges are not necessarily insurmountable, but if there is to be a change in state law, it will be necessary to develop a proposal that encompasses not only necessary changes in statute and regulations, but one that also takes into account issues of instructional equity and rigor. “We believe it is an important initiative to explore and we also believe it is best done in collaboration with local school officials who have already considered virtual learning as an alternative to snow days.”