Dear St. Paul Families,
Thank you for all your prayers and patience during this difficult time. No doubt these are very strange times, and they may be overwhelming. However, keep in mind that we are St. Paul Catholic families, and we can get through this with prayer and support for each other. Our school bells will ring this fall to welcome everyone back to the 2020-2021 school year and to all the exciting truths that God has in store for our students! For over a half-century, St. Paul has opened the minds and hearts of a new generation of Catholic youth. Everyday, we are aware and thankful for the great gift of St. Paul Parish and School.
You’ll be happy to know the Diocese has now published guidance as to when the new school year will start. We are planning a soft start consisting of three phases. In Phase 1, there will be time scheduled in August for teacher professional development. Therefore, students will not return on August 20. Instead, in Phase 2, we will begin a staggered return in small groups of students during the week of August 31. This phase will allow smaller groups of students to return to the building throughout that week and make easier transitions to new safety procedures.
Phase 3 will be the first day of school for all students on September 8.
While dates have been set for a phased re-opening, our plans will reflect current and future guidance from the Columbus Diocese, the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Governor’s Office. Therefore, we are also developing plans for three possible tiered scenarios
during the school year: Traditional, Blended, and Remote (Distance Learning). Traditional, Tier 1, is all students on campus with enhanced safety and health precautions. Blended, Tier II, is students spending half their time on campus and half their time following a distance learning schedule. Remote, Tier III, is completely off-campus, if necessary.
Over the coming weeks, we will continue to send you email updates as they become available making sure we can safely welcome each group back. Our school task force will continue to develop and provide a specialized plan for our full return in the fall. We want to hear from parents as we develop our plans. Please take a few minutes to complete
the attached survey
. Your input is important to us and will be considered as we move forward.
The faculty and staff of St. Paul thank you and consider it a gift to partner with you in providing a Catholic Education for your child(ren).
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Carol Walsh
