Herndon Temple Baptist Finds Solution For Hybrid Reopening

HERNDON, VA — Amid growing infection rates of the coronavirus, many parents with student-age children have been stressing lately as they anticipate the start of the new academic school year. Will students be able to attend remotely or will it be a hybrid mix of in-school and virtual instruction?

In Fairfax County, the decision has been made. After a lengthy work session on Tuesday, the Fairfax County School Board supported Superintendent Scott Brabrand's recommendation for Fairfax County Public Schools' approximately 189,000 students start the school year virtually.

One Herndon private school, though, is taking a different approach to how it is going to begin the new school year.

Temple Baptist School, which is located on 1545 Dranesville Road, is offering in-class or virtual learning to its students.

"They can actually join the class with a camera and we're putting TVs at the back of the room so the teacher can see the kids in the class and she can see the kids at home," said Dr. Sam Dalton, administrator at Temple Baptist. "We had done a great job online last year, but we haven't done simultaneous in-school and at home, but we think it can be done."

Staff members are currently installing 55-inch televisions in classrooms to facilitate remote learning. They're also hanging large plexiglass dividers to create safe spaces for the students who will be coming to school.

"We have some unusual classroom arrangements," Dalton said. "It's plexiglass hanging from the ceiling in many cases, like you see at stores."

For preschool classrooms, plexiglass is being installed on the tops of tables to create grids that will keep students separated.

"With a lot of kids not here, that also cuts down on the exposure," Dalton said. "So, we're thinking of every protocol we can think of. I just like the plexiglass solution. Some of the teachers came up with that and I think that's pretty ingenious."

In addition to the plexiglas dividers, the school is instituting a number of other changes aimed at lowering the risk of transmission. These include placing pods of desks with plexiglass grids six feet apart and requiring students to wear face guards. The school is also implementing a rigid cleaning protocol and parents will not be allowed into the school.

"We've set up an auxiliary office so that parents can come in at a certain door and there will be a little office there so they can actually meet with us, but they don't actually have to be walking in," he said.

For parents who would rather their children learn remotely, Dalton said they would be able to return to the classroom once its safe to enter again, provided they continue to attend classes online.

"If people want to, we're guaranteeing them a way to come back," Dalton said. "In other words, if they're saying, 'I don't want to be there. I'm afraid, but I want to come to your school.' If you're going to do that, we're going to give you the option that when things get better, you can come back."

Dalton acknowledged that adapting the school for a mix of in-school and at-home learning has been a bit of a challenge. During the first week of school, they'll be getting the in-school students ready and then the distance learners would be able to join via their computers the next week.

"I thought some of the solutions were kind of neat," Dalton said. "I just hope maybe some of the other schools could do them. The plexiglass though, that's just gold."

About 230 students attend Temple Baptist and the average class size varies, from 15 to 20, depending on the age of the students. Classes start for grades 1-12 on Aug 24, with kindergarten beginning the next day.

Also see ...

• Fairfax Schools Change Course, Will Start Year Virtually
• What Fairfax County Families Chose For School Reopening