FCCPS Eyes Phased Return For All Elementary Students

FALLS CHURCH, VA — As the school year approaches, new information is being revealed about how Falls Church City Public Schools will reopen. For the school district's two elementary schools, there will be space to accommodate all students with social distancing, Superintendent Peter Noonan says.

"We have done an analysis of all of the available space in each of the buildings and, with creativity and flexibility, we can bring back all of our students and maintain 6’ of social distance. Therefore, we plan to do a phased reopening of the two elementary schools in an effort to bring back 100% of our students," Noonan wrote in a Friday reopening update.

The phased reopening means the school year won't start out with all students in the buildings every day. Instead, Mt. Daniel School and Thomas Jefferson Elementary will open on Aug. 24 with in-person instruction on alternating days. Staff will work with students in small groups to develop routines, teaching social distancing and hygiene protections, and engaging students in the "new normal" of the pandemic.

If the plan goes smoothly through late September and Falls Church is still under phase three of the Forward Virginia reopening plan, FCCPS could start to bring all students back.

"We will not do it until we believe it is safe for our students, staff, and faculty," Noonan wrote.

An analysis of the space in Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and George Mason High School found reopening to all students with social distancing is not possible in those buildings. Noonan hopes to provide more information this week.

On June 26, Noonan announced the hybrid learning reopening plan for FCCPS with in-person instruction on alternating days and virtual learning. Half of students would be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the other half would be taught on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Mondays would be set aside for teacher workdays, intervention, and small group instruction. Public health strategies will include requesting students come to school with a face covering. When at home, students could participate in activities like synchronous and self-directed asynchronous learning activities, group projects, teacher-directed activities, school counseling lessons and morning meetings.

Families can also opt to receive virtual-only education through the statewide online program Virtual Virginia. These choices align with the hybrid learning plans chosen by neighboring districts such as Fairfax County Public Schools and Arlington County Public Schools.

As of Friday, a survey of families showed 90.2 percent will return for face-to-face instruction, 7.4 percent want online-only instruction and the rest are unsure. At the time, the survey received 2,327 responses.

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