Garces Family,

First off, we want to express again how proud we are of our students and teachers. Because we are an Apple Distinguished School with a 1:1 iPad program, our students have not had to miss a single day of instruction. We know the transition has not been an easy one, but our students and teachers are adapting exceptionally well and working hard on all levels. We also want to thank all our parents for all the support that has been given to our students, teachers and staff. While it has gone very smoothly, for the most part, we would be naïve to think it would be flawless. With that, there are several things we would like to address. 

As a reminder, students are expected to maintain the same behavior during their virtual meetings as they would in a regular classroom setting. We are aware of an incident where a student not enrolled at Garces Memorial logged in a class today. Teachers have been instructed to turn on the "Waiting Room" feature for all ZOOM meetings, giving them control over who enters their class meetings. We ask that you remind your child they are expected to follow the same rules they would at school during their online sessions and maintain the same level of respect for both their teachers and classmates. If you have any questions about the rules or discipline policy, please contact Dean Kelly Olson at kolson@garces.org .

Letters were sent home to parents whose students are on Academic Probation and/or Academically Ineligible to participate in extra-curricular activities and athletics for the remainder of this semester. When campus reopens, these students will be required to attend mandatory Enrichment. Information regarding mandatory Enrichment will be sent home at a later date. 

Again, we want to point out the importance of students setting up a quiet space where they can focus. Below you will find some tips to help set up an environment that your child can succeed in.

  • One of the main goals of the campus closure is to allow for proper social distancing. With that being said, we ask that students refrain from going over to friends' houses to do classes together.
  • Due to radio waves interfering with each other, when there are two or more students using ZOOM in close proximity a loud screeching noise occurs. The sound is disruptive to the class meeting sessions for both the teacher and other students in the class. We ask that if more than one student must be in the same house, please separate as much as possible.
  • Please refrain from too much movement when in ZOOM meetings. The microphones on your devices are very sensitive and pick up a lot of noise. We understand being at home comes with a lot of distractions, so we suggest students set up a quiet sitting area conducive to learning to help stay focused and successful.

Lastly, developing our students spiritually is one of our top priorities. Moving to remote teaching does not change that. We want to provide a sense of comfort and a safe space for, not only our students, but all our families. Students will be receiving a link tonight, to complete a survey for ways our campus ministry office can best serve them while they move to virtual classrooms during the day. Please encourage them to check their email and complete the survey as soon as possible. This will help our Campus Minister, Eileen Perez, develop a plan to reach out to students while off-campus. We will also host our very first virtual rosary tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to noon. If you and/or your student want to join in, please use this link  https://zoom.us/j/9959162564 . We are stronger together, especially when united in prayer. All prayer requests can be sent to Mrs. Perez at eperez@garces.org . 

We thank you all for another successful day! We know these are unprecedented times and we continue to do our best to be mindful of all situations at homes. We pray for the health and safety of everyone and for answers soon. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please email Principal Myka Peck .