MHS Remote Learning FAQ's

1. Is participation in remote learning optional?

All students are expected to participate- the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) expects that all students are "attending" school remotely (updated 4/15/20).

2. How much work will I be expected to complete every day? What is the school day?

Guidance from DESE recommends approximately half the length of a regular day- for MHS, that’s a little over 3 hours. Expect about 20 minutes of work per class, daily. In some cases, teachers may provide a project-based assignment to be completed at your own pace throughout the week.

It will be important for you to develop a strong schedule to support your learning! For the purposes of planning your routine, we recommend that you reserve the hours of 9AM to 12:45PM for school (this includes some break time). (4/15/20).

3. How will my grades, transcript, class rank, etc. be impacted?

We are using the week of March 30th to finalize decisions regarding how credit will be issued for work successfully completed during this time. Details will be released in the coming week. (posted 3/27/20)

Update: Please refer back to the Remote Learning Grading Plan for clarification regarding grades and credit (posted 4/15/20).

4. What if my Q3 grade is terrible? How can I save my grade?

If you make a good effort during Q4 you can earn quality points to boost your Q3 average. Quality points will be added up to 100% in the class (4/15/20).

5. What if I am missing work for Q3 because I was away for an excused absence?

Your teacher will work with you to provide a similar or alternate assignment. You will have until April 24th to submit the work to your teacher. Your teachers will work with you!

6. I don't understand "Pass/Fail" for Q4? Will there be a "P" or "F" on my transcript?

"Pass/Fail" denotes whether or not you did enough work to minimally pass the quarter. If you fail, you will lose some credit- if you pass, you'll earn full credit for the quarter. There will not be a "P" or "F" on your transcript. Your transcript will reflect the final average for the course and whether or not you earned full credit.

7. How should I communicate with my teacher if I have a question or need help? What if I'm having difficulty with the work load?

Follow the instructions provided by your teacher for communication and support. (posted 3/27/20)

Direct communication with your teacher regarding your workload is best- it is difficult for teachers to know how assignments are landing without feedback (4/15/20).

8. What about Prom and Senior Events?

Unfortunately, Prom, Boat Cruise, and All Night Party are cancelled. The ANP Committee is committed to provisioning for a Senior event at Alumni Field paired with Graduation rehearsal later this summer if we are allowed to gather in large groups at that time (5/11/20).

9. Are senior and underclass exams cancelled?

Yes, both senior and underclass exams are cancelled. Our goals is to focus strictly on delivery of new content until the end of the school year (4/15/20).

10. Am I required to log on at the start of 4th period every day? Will my teacher be using Google Meet?

Please look for information from individual teachers regarding whether or not a synchronous learning activity has been scheduled for your class during 4th period. Many teacher will run "office hours" to provide an additional opportunity for connection during this time (5/11/20).

11. What's going on with graduation?

We are committed to celebrating graduation! A traditional graduation ceremony is planned for later in the summer if we are able to gather in large groups at that time (date/venue TBD). On June 7th we will celebrate the Class of 2020 (more to come) and make diplomas available to those students who wish to pick them up. Seniors, work on your personal Senior Slide get it submitted by May 22nd (5/11/20)!

12. What is the last day for Seniors?

The last day for Seniors is slated for Friday, May 29th in keeping with our current school calendar. We have recommended that teachers use the week of May 26-29th for wrapping up loose ends and closing out grades for Seniors, rather than assigning additional classwork (5/11/20).

13. What's going on with MCAS?

Spring MCAS testing has been cancelled. We are waiting for more information from DESE (4/15/20).

14. Is April vacation cancelled?

Yes, April vacation has been cancelled and remote learning will continue (4/15/20).