Let It Snow. Let It Snow. Let Us Learn!

If you live in New England, there's one thing you can count on in the winter-- SNOW.  It's seasonal, it's beautiful...but it can be disruptive to our normal activities. We New Englanders pride ourselves on our ability to navigate around it so there is the least amount of disruption to our daily routines.   At World Academy, we subscribe to the notion that just because snow falls and busses can’t make it to school, that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop.  In fact, we subscribe to the notion that we can help make it seamless!! 

A recent study, by David E. Marcotte and Benjamin Hansen from the University of Maryland, proved a direct correlation between the amount of time lost in the classroom and lower test scores.  Time spent in the classroom is the most effective metric for improving student performance according to the study. If you think about it, the business world does not grant "snow days" to employees when snowflakes fall.  We feel it's important to begin teaching this lesson to children at an early age.  By doing so, we're helping to prepare them for the challenges they will face in their professional careers.

Just 5-10 years ago, we wouldn't be having these conversations.  But today, online technology allows us to turn snow days into a "work from home" learning experience for students.  When inclement weather is predicted, our teachers create a “blizzard folder” for students to take home the day before.  The folders contain activities that reinforce the current lessons at home and teachers are available online from 8:30am to 3:00pm to answer any questions and provide feedback for students.  Students look forward to their "blizzard bags", as they are affectionately known at school, because they have a genuine passion for learning. They also know that work completed in the winter means work won’t need to be extended into the summer!

We foster this love for learning through a culture that promotes hard work, commitment, collaboration and cooperation.   Every student, parent and teacher is committed to these priorities here and we could not be more proud and appreciative of them for embracing this spirit!