Given the past few months of uncertainty regarding the 2020-21 school year, the McLean administration held a town hall on July 7.  There, they reviewed changes for the following school year, hoping to provide the community with the necessary information to make an informed decision regarding their choice of schooling.

Students and parents must decide what form of schooling they would like to do by July 15. The two options are four days of online instruction or two days on face-to-face instruction and two days of asynchronous learning. After July 15, students will not be able to switch their form of schooling, therefore it is crucial that families inform themselves about the two types available.

The Fairfax County School Board approved moving the first day of school to Sept. 8, and the bell schedule will consist of 8 periods that are 39 minutes each. For face-to-face instructions, students with last names between A-K will go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and those with last names between L-Z will go on Wednesdays and Fridays.

In the town hall, Dr. Reilly discussed that certain classes may be unavailable for both online and face-to-face instruction, which may cause students to need to choose a new class. Given that situation, students will be contacted by their counselor to do so. AP and honors classes will likely be available for both types of learning, but it is dependent on the number of student who are enrolled in those courses.

Since there will be a limited number of classes, it will be difficult for students to switch classes at the beginning of the school year. Students who choose face-to-face schooling may still enroll in the online campus if certain classes are unavailable at McLean. The McLean administration is also unsure if academy classes will be available due to the lack of travel time because of shortened periods.

There will also be numerous safety precautions in place for face-to-face instruction. All desks will be 3 feet apart and each class will have around 12-15 students. Everyone will be required to wear a mask at all times, and a student who refuses to wear a mask will be sent home.   

For more information about returning to school, please visit the FCPS FAQ page:

https://www.fcps.edu/returntoschool/return-school-questions-and-answers