On February 22nd, the Board of Education voted to amend the Learning Continuity Plan, and go into a 5-day school week - eliminating Virtual Wednesdays. But what do students do on Wednesdays? Here's what you need to know:

What happens on Wednesdays? The Jr/Sr High students are currently on a "block schedule." This means that students attend 1st-4th hours on Monday and Thursday, and attend 5th-8th hours on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesdays are different: students will have A and B days - on A days, they attend 1st-4th hours, and B days, they attend 5th-8th hours. Administrators have instructed teachers to assign the same assignments that they would usually do at home. After some considerations, this plan changed: students would now work on their "Virtual Wednesday" assignments, AND teachers would assign extra homework from NEW lessons that are taught on In-Person Wednesdays. Don't forget - students are alternating A and B days, but need to complete assignments from ALL 7 periods (no assignments are due for advisory).

Why do students need to be in-person on Wednesdays? When the Board of Education was discussing the elimination of Virtual Wednesdays, the topic of students failing came up. Part of their decision was based on the fact that many students are failing, and they need the extra support. Keep in mind that the virtual students are still virtual, and teachers still have to monitor in-person students AND virtual students. Superintendent Brad Bezeau made this statement to The Manchester Mirror earlier this month: "From the beginning, it was a goal of ours to support all our families, including those hoping for a five-day per week school week that supports the needs of all of our learners, especially our youngest learners. The in-person benefits in the area of social and emotional well being, as well as the social and emotional benefits of participating with the Virtual Wednesdays, were a considerable factor in the Board of Education’s decision. This wasn’t an easy decision, and one that has positive aspects on either side of the decision."

When do these decisions get made and how? Each month, the Board of Education meets to discuss the current state of the school. As School Board President Ryan Novess adds to Dr. Bezeau's statement: "The topic of virtual Wednesdays has been on the BOE agenda as old business the entire school year, with monthly updates and recommendations from Dr. Bezeau." At every board meeting, the School Board members can vote to amend the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) - a district-wide plan for schooling - including Virtual Wednesdays - or they can vote to extend the LCP. Each decision either extends or amends continuing into the next month (March's decision was made in February, etc.)

How can I voice my opinion if I have concerns? You can always start by emailing the Superintendent of Schools (bbezeau@mcs.k12.mi.us), emailing the Jr/Sr High Principal (emccalla@mcs.k12.mi.us), or voicing your concerns to the Board of Education under the "Public Participation" portion of the agenda. The next Board of Education meeting is on March 15th, 2021 at 6:00pm - held virtually. You can click here to access the meeting.