FCPS officials say it went well. 
Frederick, Md (KM) The first day of hybrid learning on Tuesday, February 16th went off without any problems. That’s according to Frederick County Public School officials. “We’ve been planning for the day for nearly a year,” says Brandon Oland, the Communications Manager for FCPS. “It was really great to have students and staff following health protocols.”
He says that included wearing masks, and keeping at least a six-foot distance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Under hybrid learning, schools divide their students into cohorts. One cohort of students attend classes Monday and Tuesday, and takes part in virtual learning the other three days. Another cohort attends class on Thursday and Friday, and spends the Monday through Wednesday in virtual learning.
Oland says 57% of the students are taking part in hybrid learning, while 43% are continuing with virtual learning
He says this is a new experience for students, teachers and staff. “For some students, it was their first day in their school buildings. For our pre-K students, some of them. For our kindergarten students, some of them And our 6th and 9th graders. This is a real chance to get properly acclimated into their school buildings.,” Oland says.
In addition, Oland says FCPS is committed to making the hybrid system work. “We know everything isn’t going to go perfectly,” he says. “But we’re committed to getting the feedback from the individuals schools for how things are going. If there’s anything we can improve, anything we can do better, we’re certainly committed to doing that.”
He also says the School System will provide updates to the public and the Board of Education on the status of hybrid learning.
By Kevin McManus