October 26, 2020
Dear TJHSST Parents and Guardians,
Today we successfully welcomed back over 40 seniors to select senior research labs. Students and teachers were excited to see each other and we strictly adhered to all healthy protocols.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is planning to bring additional student groups back to school for in-person instruction in the near future, using a phased approach. We will continue to follow strict safety and health protocols to minimize health risks for students and staff. To learn more, visit here.
TJHSST students, along with all high school students, are scheduled to return on January 26, 2021 (tentative) for in-person instruction.
Schools will be using concurrent instruction for students who receive in-person instruction. This means teachers will be teaching students who are on campus. Simultaneously, students who are at home will log in virtually to have the instruction streamed. Here is a video that demonstrates how a concurrent classroom will look.
Based on current plans, students who elect in-person instruction will receive two days of teacher-led instruction in the school building and two days of teacher-led instruction at home. This split approach is to accommodate classroom space for social distancing. Students who elect all-virtual learning will continue to receive four days of teacher-led instruction at home.
Mondays will continue to be a full day of independent learning for students to give our teachers more time to prepare and plan the week’s lessons. Some schools are already piloting concurrent instruction. The Superintendent will report his findings on the pilot program at the November 12 School Board work session.
We will honor the choice you made in the FCPS July survey to determine the setting for instruction. If you chose in-person instruction, we will assume your student(s) will return to in-person instruction in accordance with the schedule above. If you chose all-virtual instruction, we will assume you will continue in that format.
If your circumstances have changed since the July survey, please fill out this form from FCPS by November 6, 2020. You will receive a confirmation email from FCPS after completing the form. If you are changing your decision from virtual to in-person learning, we will try our best to accommodate your request based on the availability of staff and space. This form must be filled out by Friday, November 6, 2020, or your original choice from July will stand.
We will strive to minimize the impact of the transition to concurrent instruction; however, some students may experience a change in teachers, schedule, or class assignment as we work to accommodate everyone’s preferences. Additionally, due to health concerns, not every teacher will return to the building to teach in-person. If returning to in-person learning, your student may be in a class with a teacher instructing virtually and a staff member monitoring the class. Due to privacy issues, the school will not disclose in advance which teachers will be in which setting.
Thank you for your support and cooperation as we continue on our collective journey to deliver the best instruction for all TJHSST students.
Best,
Ann N. Bonitatibus, Ed.D.
Principal, TJHSST