Dear St. Francis of Assisi Parents and Guardians,
Many families have inquired about what St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School will look like when we return in the Fall. For the past month, administration has been strategically planning for our return, while staying current on the updates from the CDC, OC Health Department, and state and local government agencies. Weekly Zoom meetings with Diocesan leadership are held to discuss the impact of health and safety guidelines as we plan for the reopening of churches and schools. We are scheduled to begin the 2020-2021 school year on
Monday, August 24
and we are developing a plan to
bring students on campus in the Fall
.
We have four models we are currently working on for our return in the Fall, each with their own benefits and challenges. While some families may want to keep their students at home until a vaccine can be distributed, many families have requested on-site education for their students. St. Francis of Assisi Administration is committed to meeting the needs of both models of education in the Fall. We will be working with the Faculty next week, then at the beginning of June with parent committees, so that we can share finalized plans before the end of June. While all plans are contingent on Diocesan Guidelines and the direction of our state and local government, we are already researching infrastructure updates necessary to carry out education in a hybrid model for the 2020-2021 school year.
The economic climate over the past two months has become increasingly challenging for some of our families. We love Catholic education for the personalized approach, focus on the whole child, strong community, and for the strong values and character it fosters in our students, as they prepare to be leaders on and off-campus. With this financial uncertainty, I believe it is important that now more than ever we work together to keep our community whole. To reduce the financial risk for our families, I am changing our non-refundable policy for the registration fee due this month. While we work hard to roll out our plan for the Fall, we rely on your tuition to re-hire staff, upgrade technology and equipment, make necessary repairs to the facility, and purchase curriculum. For the 2020-2021 school year only, I am asking that you pay your registration fee and stay current on tuition payments. Should the plans we design for the upcoming year not align with the educational vision for your children, I will offer a refund on the registration fee through August 31, as well as any tuition paid up until the time of withdrawal. I am confident in the education we provide at St. Francis of Assisi School and believe that together, we will be able to develop a plan that provides a strong education for our families while we await a vaccine to be safely developed.
Your feedback is important to us. Please take a minute to fill out this
brief survey
and share your thoughts with us so that we can take your needs into consideration. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for your financial support. Thank you for your faith and prayers during this time. I ask that St. Francis of Assisi pray for us, guide us, and help us to continue in prayer, peace and perseverance.
God's blessings on your families,
Jeannette Lambert
Principal
