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How is the 50 percent model being implemented?
In the 50 percent model students who opt for in-person learning attend school two-days a week in-person either Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday. Those opting to be virtual attend completely remotely. Those students currently attending in-person four days a week in the first quarter will continue to do so. PWCS is using a phased-in return to buildings to allow for better implementation of safety and health mitigation strategies while factoring in the large size of our Division, available technology assets, and the complexity of student schedules and student transportation.
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*Do public and private schools fall under gathering limit in Governor Northam's Executive Order 67?
The gathering limit does not apply to “educational instructional settings.” This includes classrooms, buses, cafeterias and recess held on school grounds. The presence of 25 individuals for “performing functions of their employment” does not fall under the gathering limit either.
Per Executive Order 67, “a “gathering” includes, but is not limited to, parties, celebrations, or other social events, whether they occur indoors or outdoors.” Therefore, gatherings under this definition on school grounds are prohibited.
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Will students have the same daily time schedules under the 50 percent model?
No. All students attending in-person or virtual will have different times for classes in the hybrid model. The sequence of classes may stay the same, but the times will be adjusted to match the necessity of in-person learning (such as lunch schedules and bus times).
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Will high school start times change under the 50 percent model?
Yes, all high schools now have an approximate 7:30 a.m. start for all students (as opposed to some classes starting as late as 10 a.m. in virtual-only model) now that in-person learning has resumed for grades 9 through 12. Bus routing requirements necessitate the earlier start.
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What will a week look like for 50 percent model?
In School
Monday – Virtual day, asynchronous at-home learning for students using Canvas. Teacher planning/professional development, office hours, additional individual/small group learning support, and counseling support available and/or provided as appropriate.
Tuesday - House* A attends school in-person, identified vulnerable students attend school in-person.
Wednesday - House B attends school in-person, identified vulnerable students attend school in-person.
Thursday - House A attends school in-person, identified vulnerable students attend school in-person.
Friday - House B attends school in-person, identified vulnerable students attend school in-person.
*Students are assigned to a “House" that determines the days they will attend in-person/virtually. House A attends in person T/Th. House B attends in person W/F. VO is the designation for Virtual Only students.
At Home
Monday – Virtual day, asynchronous at-home learning for students using Canvas. Teacher planning/professional development, office hours, additional individual/small group learning support, and counseling support available and/or provided as appropriate.
Tuesday – House B learns synchronously with in-person students via live streaming of instruction, All virtual students learn synchronously with and/or without in-person students as appropriate to the teacher/class assignment.
Wednesday - House A learns synchronously with in-person students via live streaming of instruction, All virtual students learn synchronously with and/or without in-person students as appropriate to the teacher/class assignment.
Thursday - House B learns synchronously with in-person students via live streaming of instruction, All virtual students learn synchronously with and/or without in-person students as appropriate to the teacher/class assignment.
Friday - House A learns synchronously with in-person students via live streaming of instruction, All virtual students learn synchronously with and/or without in-person students as appropriate to the teacher/class assignment.
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How do parents go about choosing hybrid or all-virtual option for their students?
Parents were provided an opportunity to review preferences in ParentVUE and updated their selection of virtual or in-person for their student, or students. If a parent/guardian did not complete the form, the student was defaulted to attending in-person for planning purposes.
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Will high school athletics still take place this school year? Will students who select 100 percent virtual be able to participate in athletics and/or clubs and activities?
PWCS is participating in high school sports season as permitted by the Virginia High School League. As of March 1, a limited number of spectators will be able to attend outdoor sporting events. We will continue offering on-demand live streaming of games via a contracted service for a small fee.
We recognize the importance of extracurricular activities not only to physical health, but to social, mental, and emotional well-being as well. PWCS will continue to closely monitor the local health data and may postpone or suspend all or some activities during periods of substantial COVID-19 transmission in the community or schools.
All sports will have a condensed season. Students are still eligible for sports or after-school clubs and activities if participating virtually. Transportation to the school for athletics or activities will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian and/or the student. Students should check their school websites for tryout information, including health and safety requirements necessary for participation.
Season Schedule
- Winter Sports - December 7 start for basketball and cheer -December 14 start for gymnastics, indoor track, swim/dive, wrestling;(First Contest Date-December 28)
- Fall Sports - February 15- May 1 (First Contest Date – March 1)
Cheer, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, volleyball
- Spring Sports- April 12 - June 26 (First Contest Date – April 26)
Baseball, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field
More information will be provided about Middle School activities and athletics as soon as available
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Will spectators be allowed at high school sporting events?
PWCS must abide by the Governor’s Executive Order 72 :
- Indoor spectators are limited to 25 persons.
- Outdoor gatherings are restricted to 250 total spectators.
Other key points related to the increase of spectators allowed at our high school outdoor facilities.
- Senior families, who have either a contest participant or performer (student athletes, cheerleaders, dance teams, and pep bands), will be prioritized for spectator seat allocations at their home games.
- Rotation of seat allotments may be used to provide every family an opportunity to attend as spectators at some point during the season.
- To further assist families, we will continue to provide the NFHS Pixellot system to allow for remote viewing of events, (subscription fees apply).
- PWCS High Schools have agreed to give all seat allocations to home teams at their venues. Visiting teams will not be allotted seats for away games.
- Brentsville High School’s membership in the 3B Region, Northwest District creates a unique set of circumstances that will require them to work with their district partners, in the spirit of the principles outlined here and will communicate with their families about the plans for seats allocations.
- All spectators will be required to follow PWCS health protocols developed in alignment to the Governor’s Executive Order 72 and in collaboration with the Prince William County Health District. The Governor’s Executive Order 72 states that “spectators must wear face coverings at all times and ten feet of physical distance must be maintained between spectators who are not Family members, as defined in section II, subsection D, paragraph 2.
- As indicated in this Executive Order 72, face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth at all times.
We will be offering on-demand live streaming of games via a contracted service for a small fee. Read more about on-demand viewing.
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If I chose for my student to be virtual only, can I opt for in-person at any time?
Parents or guardians of students currently attending as “virtual-only” students, who wish to have to their student(s) attend in-person for the fourth quarter, that begins April 6, may do so by contacting their student(s) school through Friday, March 12. Please note that due to required health mitigations, transportation, and other logistical considerations, your student’s schedule and teacher assignments could change to accommodate the in-person attendance. Additionally, depending upon available classroom space, some students may be less than six feet apart with additional health mitigations, as approved by the Virginia Department of Health.
Students may choose to switch to “virtual-only” at any time by notifying your school. However, after March 12, any student changing from “in-person” to “virtual-only,” will not be able to change back to in-person (with limited exception for a required learning need), due to the challenges of scheduling, health mitigation space requirements, and other considerations.
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Why can't every student who chooses to opt-out of in-person instruction just be assigned to a teacher who is only working from home?
Class scheduling, staffing, and funding are done school-by-school. Due to teacher class-load requirements under Virginia law remaining in effect, even for those teachers only teaching from home, as well the complexity involved in ensuring students receive the classes they need (700 across all levels), scheduling is done at the school-level. Additionally, there are likely to be "mismatches" where the number of students choosing to opt into 100 percent virtual will not align to the teachers that are working virtual. It is unlikely, especially at high school, that the seven classes required for a student not attending in-person would align to seven teachers that are only teaching from home. As such, all students will need to be assigned to classes from their base schools and schools will work to match distance-learning-only students to teachers working only from home to the extent practicable, and then assign distance-learning-only students to in-person teachers where needed, with the potential for a virtual co-teacher supporting distance-learning-only students at multiple schools for added support.
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Will my students have the same teachers as when we were virtual only?
It is possible that a student may be assigned different teacher(s) depending on the choice of in-person or virtual and staffing needs at the school (see answer above).
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Will classes be recorded and then put into Canvas to view at a later time?
Lessons may be recorded and uploaded to canvas. It will vary. The combined in-person/distance learning model includes recorded content from Canvas. The virtual-only option, by definition, includes less face-to-face time than in-person models. This is similar to other online learning opportunities such as Virtual Virginia and the PWCS Virtual High School.
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When/ how often/under what circumstances will the school schedule/model be re-evaluated/ changed throughout the 2020-21 school year?
As needed, depending on the conditions that exist such as Virginia’s phase of reopening and any updated health information.
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Does live “streaming” for virtual students (in-person not in school and all virtual) in the 50 percent model mean that students will be asked to passively watch videos of teacher(s) instructing in-person students?
No, our use of the term live “streaming” is only to indicate that the Division will be able to have concurrent instruction with virtual and in-person students by utilizing the recently funded increase in bandwidth to transmit video and audio from every classroom for virtual students at home as appropriate. Our instructional model looks to maintain the use of Zoom for virtual students at home and the ability for students to receive live virtual instruction and have live interaction daily with their teacher(s), to be able to ask questions, and have dialogue about their learning in real time during each class.
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Is there a name for the instructional model involving both virtual and in-person students learning simultaneously?
Yes, this model is called concurrent learning/teaching.
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Are there other school divisions successfully implementing concurrent learning/teaching?
Yes, other school divisions in Virginia, in other states, as well as schools in other countries are currently implementing a model of concurrent learning/teaching. In fact, we have sent several school and Division leaders to see this model in action in two other school divisions in Virginia.
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Have teachers received professional development to support the successful implementation of this model?
Yes, PWCS is providing all teachers and school administrators training regarding the management and implementation of this model including concurrent teaching. Additionally, teachers will be offered ongoing professional learning opportunities as well as onsite support.
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Have all teachers been provided the equipment to implement this model?
Yes, see Technology section in FAQ.
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Will teachers and students have to stop using the technology they have been while all virtual?
No, teachers and students will continue to use Canvas and Zoom as a part of the concurrent learning/teaching model. Maintaining these central elements will enable PWCS to quickly change models should the pandemic health conditions change.
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Will in-person students work on computers all day with little to no direct instruction from the teacher(s)?
No, while in-person students will utilize technology and Canvas during the school day, our teachers will provide direct whole group, small group, and individual instruction as appropriate to the learning needs of the students and the curriculum content.
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Will virtual students be asked to be on Zoom for 6.5 hours every day in the 50 percent model?
No, while virtual students will utilize Zoom to receive daily live virtual instruction and interaction with their teacher(s). They will continue to utilize Canvas asynchronously to access other recorded content and complete assignments.
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Will virtual students continue to get learning breaks during the day?
Yes, virtual students will continue to get learning breaks each day.