FAQ's

Is there an option to "opt-out" of ASD this year, and return next year without having to re-apply?

Any parent can choose to unenroll their student at any time; however, all students who are unenrolled from ASD, must reapply in order to return the following school year. There is not "opt out" option for the school year.

Can a student remain in remote learning for the entire school year?

While in the Limited and Intermediate Hybrid models, families can choose the 100% remote learning option. In a full return, families will work with administration on a case by case basis. Students and families with medically high risk situations will be accommodated.

Can a student decide to return to remote learning?

Yes, individual families can make the decision to pull back to remote learning in the limited and intermediate hybrid models. In a full return, families will work with administration on a case by case basis.

What if I have technical problems connecting during remote learning?

If you are experiencing difficulties with accessing your Zoom classroom, email techhelp@asdnh.org.

Reaching out to your classroom teacher to keep them informed is important. If you are able to send an email once you regain connectivity, the teacher will note that with your absence.

When will the school move to an Intermediate Hybrid phase?

Decisions regarding transition between Fully Remote, Limited Hybrid, Intermediate Hybrid (25 & 50), and Full Return Models will be based upon an evaluation of data within four major focus areas:

● Developments in COVID-19 pandemic, mindful of our location within the state and the geographic diversity of our students

● Demonstration of successful on-site activities/classes

● Evaluation of real-time, continuous feedback from all constituents

● Feasibility within the budget to provide adequate health/safety measures as well as overall long-term impact on the sustainability of the school and quality of the academic program

Measures/Metrics by Criteria:

Developments in COVID-19 pandemic, mindful of our location within the state and the geographic diversity of our students

● Consistent trajectory of COVID-19 cases reported per day in Nashua within a 7-day period

● Consistent trajectory of the percent positive curve of COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire within a 7-day period

● Consistent trajectory of COVID-19 cases reported per day and/or a consistent trajectory in the percent positive curve of COVID-19 tests in Massachusetts within a 10-day period

● An outbreak associated with a local school

Demonstration of successful on-site activities/classes

● Percentage of adherence to COVID-19 safety measures including: mask-wearing, social distancing, and home screening

● Number of incidents creating a high-risk environment (i.e. student coming to school exhibiting symptoms consistent with those of COVID-19, failure to comply with quarantine recommendations)

● Number of other significant disruptions related to COVID-19 that impact the school’s focus on teaching and learning

Evaluation of real-time, continuous feedback from all constituents

● Feedback indicating strong majority preference for particular model

● Feedback indicating quality of learning/students’ abilities to meet competencies/attain mastery

● Number of students remaining in remote learning

● Reduction in overall student enrollment

Feasibility within the budget to provide adequate health/safety measures as well as overall long-term impact on the sustainability of the school and quality of the academic program

● Ability to maintain adequate staffing to support preferred model within 2020-2021 budget

● Ability to fund facility changes to support health/safety guidelines without significantly limiting the school’s ability to make progress toward long term goals and financial sustainability

What about after school clubs?

Clubs are a vital part of the ASD school community and they will continue to be during this school year. At this time, all clubs should be planning to meet virtually. ASD will continue to reevaluate the possibility of offering on-site clubs on a case-by-case basis.

What is a "flipped classroom"?

As you know, the current situation has led us to adopt a proven teaching pedagogy that provides us with flexibility as we navigate the uncertainty and possibly changing learning environment through this coming school year. The main focus of this pedagogy is that of the flipped classroom. This model will allow our teachers to provide a rigorous and consistent classroom experience, regardless of whether their students are on-site or learning remotely, as well as provides for the flexibility needed for transitions in and out of the school building.

So what does a “flipped classroom” look like? In a traditional model, the content is delivered by the teacher in the classroom and the students work on problems, while at home, away from the teacher. In the flipped classroom, the instruction and “homework” are, well, flipped. The content is delivered at home through short videos, reading assignments, animated powerpoints, and a variety of other methods. Class time then becomes much more interactive and individualized. Students apply the skills by working on problems, holding debates, discussing the reading, writing essays, conducting labs, all with the help and guidance of the teacher. Rather than work on the “hard stuff” while at home, isolated, they complete their work in the presence of their teacher, allowing them to get answers, advice, and support immediately.

There are major advantages to flipping our classrooms. The first, and most important is that the academic content becomes accessible outside of the normal classroom periods. Students can stop, pause, play, and replay the video content as needed. This allows students to review that content as often as necessary, or allows them to access it easily if they have had to miss class for some reason.

Second, as they go through the content, they can write down questions, and bring those questions into the classroom. These can even be submitted ahead of time, giving the teacher an opportunity to focus on the specific questions for that particular class (and maybe making it easier for shy students to speak up).

The students of today are familiar with accessing content online. They are already using their phones, computers, and other devices to support their learning. Although this new approach to their coursework will likely feel unfamiliar at first, it will feel natural very soon.

The links below provide some additional insights into the flipped classroom.

• The Flipped Classroom Model

• What A Flipped Classroom Looks Like

• The Top 10 Questions Parents Have About The Flipped Classroom - And Their Answers

How much time will students need to spend watching the learning videos/modules?

These short videos will vary in length depending on the depth of the content and the teacher's style. There is not a set length for the videos, but students typically have 3 academic courses on each ODD/EVEN day.

Will students be assigned additional homework beyond the teaching videos?

Depending on the class and the teacher, there are times when the learning videos will be short in length and teachers will need to assign other reading, writing, and project work to be done outside of the Zoom class period.

Why do classes start at 8:15 for 6th grade, but 9:00 for the rest of the school in the Limited Hybrid Phase?

The Limited school day begins at 9:00 a.m. for the students in grades 7-12 because there is much research that states that middle and high school students benefit significantly from later start times.

CDC Article

Is attendance at Advisory mandatory?

Yes. The advisory program is part of ASD's curriculum and instructional time. As with any class, attendance will be taken, and absences need parental notification.

How will students be split into cohorts?

Cohorts will be divided with the following factors in mind: siblings, town of residence, reducing the number of students on a particular bus route, and balancing grade-level/classroom numbers.

Will siblings be kept in the same cohort?

Siblings will be kept in the same cohorts.

If it is safe, will members of the cohorts ever be shuffled? Can I change my cohort?

The intention of cohorts is to minimize exposure for students, teachers, and staff across the school environment by limiting exposure within the student body. At this time there is no plan to shuffle the student cohorts. Requests for changes to cohort will be considered on a very limited, case-by-case basis in situations of demonstrated need.

What happens on Wednesdays?

There will be a variety of small group on-site activities scheduled for Wednesdays. Students will be contacted and asked to register for the assigned group activities. There will also be a required Virtual Advisory for all students on Wednesdays at 10AM. Teachers will hold Virtual Office Hours and Virtual Extra Help on Wednesdays. During the Limit Hybrid model, there will be no regularly scheduled classes on Wednesdays.

What will happen if someone at the school tests positive for COVID-19 in the Intermediate phases?

It is the responsibility of the local health department to contact the person confirmed with COVID-19, inform direct contacts of their possible exposure, and give instructions to those involved with the confirmed case, including family members and other household members regarding self-quarantine and exclusions. ASD will comply with all requests from the Department of Health and Human Services while continuing to be FERPA compliant.

*If an exposure was determined to have occurred at school:

1. ASD Administration would receive communication from Contact Tracing to assist with determining close contacts in the school environment.

2. ASD staff would need to identify close contacts to the individual. NH defines close contact as within 6’ of someone with confirmed COVID-19 for greater than 10 minutes.

3. Those persons identified would be notified by the local health department to be provided with guidance.

4. A line list would have to be provided to the local Health Department for notification and quarantine instructions.

5. The Director will communicate any necessary information about closures of physical building or movement between models.

When will the building be deep-cleaned/disinfected?

Wednesdays and Weekends are scheduled for deep cleanings. This could change with guidance from the CDC and may be increased or decreased depending on instructional time in the physical building.

How will the college planning process be different from previous years?

The ASD Counseling office will continue to work individually with students and families to support their college search and application experience. We will also be holding remote advisory meetings to keep our seniors updated on application details and changes. The guidance department will be hosting college admission representatives remotely through Zoom while we are still in the hybrid model. We are monitoring the standardized testing changes and availability and will continue to update families as the fall progresses.