Wednesday, March 25, 2020
FCPS is pleased to announce that we have received state approval to begin to support continuity of learning while schools remain closed. As announced earlier today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland schools will be closed through Friday, April 24, with a reassessment that may extend this time.
Thanks to the hard work of so many FCPS staff, we will begin the implementation of our continuity of learning plan on Monday, March 30. It is important to remember that distance learning does not only occur online. Each teacher has been planning for ways to ensure continuity of learning for our students. Parents/guardians will receive more specific information from your child's teacher or principal by Friday.
Tomorrow, we will send important information for any student who does not have a way to access online learning at home during the school closure. For those students, FCPS is pleased to provide Chromebooks for elementary students and internet-capable Wi-Fi hotspots for students who need a device or internet connection to participate in online learning opportunities. Please watch for the details on how parents/guardians can pick up these devices on Friday, March 27 at FCPS high schools. Secondary students already have a Chromebook assigned to them and were asked to take those devices home prior to the school closure. If a student was absent and needs their device from school, the school principal will coordinate this.
FCPS will also be developing a Frequently Asked Questions document to assist families as we implement continuity of learning for our 44,000 students. In addition, parents can contact their school's principal if they have questions and/or are experiencing challenges with their child's continuity of learning. Please remember that this is a new experience for all of us; we will continuously monitor the implementation and make adjustments as needed.
Please continue to watch for more updates.