Dear St. Serra TK – Grade 8 Parents,
As many of you know, Orange County is still on the State’s COVID-19 Watch List, which means that St. Serra (and all K-12 schools in Orange County), is required to start the school year in Distance Learning. Additionally, our most recent parent survey indicated that 62% of our parents would send their child to school five days per week if the Waiver was approved, and 38% indicated that they would not be comfortable doing so.
In consideration of the information available at this time and the fact that our county is still on the Watch List, as school Principal, I have made the difficult decision to begin the school year with Distance Learning (Level 2) for grades TK- 8 until Orange County is removed from the Watch List, even if our Waiver Application is approved. This decision is the result of placing student and staff safety and well-being above everything else.
I realize that many of you want our students to return to campus in our (Level 1) In-Person Plan immediately and will be disappointed by my decision. As I mentioned in the State of the School Zoom Webinar, it is imperative that we ‘crawl before we walk and walk before we run,’ when we open up our school keeping student and staff health and safety at the forefront.
Our primary goal remains In-Person instruction. We are working with our St. Serra COVID-19 Team, which includes a medical expert, to implement our safety plans, guidelines and protocols including:
- Facilitating the taking of student and staff temperatures and performing any other health screening tasks prior to entering the campus.
- Properly maintaining physical distancing in the classroom.
- Planning for students to be kept in small, stable groups (“cohorts”) with fixed membership during instruction, lunch and recess as much as is feasible.
- Planning how our students will move about campus to various daily activities while ensuring physical distancing.
- Ensuring that cleaning protocols will be followed on a regular and consistent basis.
- Protocols for regular testing of students and staff for COVID-19.
- Protocols for when a student or staff member shows COVID-19 symptoms.
- Ensuring that we follow State guidelines for notifying local health officials if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19.
I believe in this difficult decision that has been made. Everybody has an opinion of when to bring students back onto campus. They are valid and justifiable. Somewhere along the line a decision has to be made and at the center of this decision is your child, your most precious gift! I am asking for your continued support as we move through this difficult time.
Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
Always Striving,
Tim Tolzda, Senior Principal
St. Serra Catholic School
