Who would have guessed that students  actually WANT to go to school?

FCPS offered all parents and students the opportunity to change their virtual status for Term 4. Some students returned to school for the first time in a year. On the opposite side, there were some students who were in school that returned to fully virtual.  As Term 4 has progressed, even more students have come back to four days a week.

Senior Jason Byrd returned to Cohort B, going to school two days a week.

“I really like being back in school, even with COVID procedures,” said Byrd.

“Around 60 kids came back for  Term 4, not quite an even exchange. Cohort A has 80% attendance and Cohort B has 75% attendance,” Hanlon said.  Hanlon can encourage students to return, but she doesn’t control the decisions.

Byrd said, “I came back because it would be my final term in high school and so I wanted to experience it in person again for the final time. Also I felt that COVID rates had dropped since the beginning of third term, so I thought it’d be safer to come now than last term.”

Brynn McKinney returned to school because she thinks it’s safer now.

“I came back for the fourth term because I had gotten my covid vaccinations the day before the fourth term, and thought I would be safer health wise,” said McKinney.

With students coming back to school, it makes them feel more involved in the class.

“Coming back to school has made me more motivated in terms of participating in class,” Byrd said. “I have more reasons to interact more often in person, than I did online.”

While it also allows them to stay more focused.

“I’ve been able to stay more focused because there are less distractions at school than there are at home,” said McKinney.

In-person students have to wake up earlier to get a ride to school.  In some ways, that makes them more prepared to learn. Kids at home can move around freely unlike kids in school who are much more restricted.

An upside to this is that you only have to go into school twice a week, and you get three virtual days,” Byrd said. “I think only coming in two days a week is cool because I feel like I don’t have to stress waking up super early to get to school.”

McKinney also said, “I like going into school two days a week because it’s a nice way to ease back into the classroom, since I hadn’t been in school for over a year.”