Join us for our Virtual Open House on Saturday, July 18, 2020, at 11:00 am EST to learn about MCS-AA and its online format for the 2020-21 academic year.
Hear about the grades and courses we will offer, what student online schedules will look like, our LMS, and more. The session will include a Q&A so we can help you make the best decision for your child’s educational journey for the coming school year.
MCS Virtual Open House July 18, 2020
MCS Virtual Open House Questions and Answers
How is your school preparing for internet safety?
In addition to our teachers becoming Google Level 1 certified, they will also be required to take a Digital Citizenship and Safety Course.
What is the tentative start date for school?
Monday, August 24, 2020
For kids like in the first grade, how long is the daily program?
Schedules still need to be finalized but we are looking at about 3 ½ to 4 hours of synchronous learning with up to one hour of independent study time.
During the spring online shift experience, I noticed that after the first few weeks our middle schoolers started to resist turning their cameras on during their live zoom classes. The reason for that was the fact that they had started using apps such as snap chat to make funny faces of their classmates. Are we making any changes this time around?
We believe the change starts at home. Perhaps snap chat needs to be removed by parents for the duration of the school year to allow their children to take their studies more seriously.
Also, all cameras will be required to be on at all times to ensure active participation or the students will be marked absent and ultimately too many absences will impact grades.
What extracurricular classes are offered this year?
In addition to the core courses, there will be Islamic Studies and Quran, PE, and art, as well as computer science for all. Foreign language is offered to our middle and high school students and we will also look into such things as virtual competitions, clubs, etc.
Do we know who the 4th-grade teacher is going to be?
We have applicants currently undergoing the proper screening process to determine the best fit for MCS’s 4th-grade class.
Will there be social distancing, activities available for each grade?
We are open to all activities, including those that can be done outdoors similar to graduation day 2020, and understand the need for us all to gather when and where safe to do so.
What will the back-to-school event look like?
That is being planned and depends on safety guidelines in place at that time and what we are safe to do. Details will be shared as soon as we know.
I can’t find the specific amount of tuition. Could you please provide the link for tuition?
Why the tuition for online teaching has not been reduced? Compare to other online K-12 Islamic school programs, this tuition is way too high.
Our tuition has been reduced by $1,000, with added opportunities to lower it even further by registering early and referring new students. Actually through networking and collaborating with other Muslim schools across the nation we learned that most are either leaving tuition as it was last year or going ahead with their normal 3-5% annual increase.
Would it be possible to start a kind of book club during the online learning? Like a short, after school meeting every week or something? Me along with a few other middle/high schoolers are interested in reading and it would be nice to be able to talk to others about the books we’re reading during this ongoing isolation… if that’s possible.
We love this idea and look forward to all the other creative ways our own students will step up to aid us all in this time of too much isolation!
Can it be possible to have set live class schedule in advance so our kids are not confused.
That is the plan as we understand the need for consistency.
Wondering if MCS giving any discounts because it’s virtual and not in person?
Please see the answer to the third question up.
Why the tuition is same as in-person teaching?
It is not the same. Please see the answer to 4 questions up.
Will there be opportunities for students to socialize in person?
We are open to all activities, including those that can be done outdoors similar to graduation day 2020, and understand the need for us all to gather when and where safe to do so.
There are many other good K-12 Islamic schools that provide virtual school with half the tuition of MCS. If school remains online, and MCS doesn’t realistic and comparable tuition, it will lose many students.
Each school takes the responsibility to plan for its community as they best see fit. MCS is no different with the options for BOOST, early enrollment discount, and its sizable student referral discount. We wish all Islamic schools success during this time.
Can students from other states join MCS or you should be local to the area?
Since we are using the online format and will have the option to remain online if the decision is to go back inside the school in semester 2, students from other locations can join MCS.
When will the school supply list be available?
We will have two separate supply lists this year – a technical list with all that will be required in terms of technology for students to perform in the online classes, and a regular school supply.
The technical list will be coming out this week and the regular school supply list will be ready the first week of August.
Can there be a trial period for PreK?
We are looking into that and hope to be able to offer it since that age group may or may not benefit from an online teaching format.
