Insider Alert - September 7, 2020
Welcome to the 2020 - 2021 School Year!
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”  -Romans 12:12
Welcome Back Message from Mr. Matthews

Dear St. Cecilia Parents and Friends,

I hope this finds you all well and as excited as I am to begin this new school year 2020-2021! Thank you all for your grace, patience, and support as we delayed the start of this new year. I am happy to announce that we are ready and confident in the procedures and policies we have put in place to ensure a safe, healthy, and engaging learning environment for your children.

Whether your children will be present with us on campus, or will be learning remotely from home, our teachers have worked tirelessly over these last six weeks to prepare their classrooms and learning experiences that will foster the same rigorous academic preparation and spiritual formation that we are known for at St. Cecilia Catholic School. This year will unquestionably be unlike any school year we have ever experienced. However, through the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff, and the continued confidence and support of our parent community, this year can, and will, be an amazing year of learning, fun, and fellowship for all St. Cecilia students.

Welcome back! And, I look forward to seeing each of you soon.

Warm regards and blessing,
Jeff Matthews
Principal
First Day of School - Remote Learners

For our first day of school tomorrow - Tuesday, September 8th - we will be posting pictures to our school social media channels celebrating our first day of our Return to School.

We want to make sure our remote learners are included in this. If you would like to participate by sending in pictures of your students learning remotely on this first day, please send pictures to Tim Scalzitti during the day on Tuesday, September 8th.
Return To School Information

The Return To School plan published in July, and the subsequent addendum and email updates regarding the Return To School Plan can all be found on this page on the school website.
School Day Time, Calendar, & Email Archive

As a reminder, the school day will now begin at 7:50AM, and end at 3:35PM.
  • Please refer to the Carpool section below or the school website for specific drop-off and pick-up times.
  • There are no half days this year.
  • All students will remain in their homerooms throughout the day - including lunch, but will go outside for PE and Recess.
  • Teachers will rotate rooms, including ancillary classes.

The following are links for school calendar information.

All of the Insider and Insider Alert emails the school sends out throughout the year are posted on this Email Archive page as a resource for parents to always have access to emails that have been sent out.
Daily Self Screening Check Reminder

Please self screen using this flowchart (originally published in our Return To School Plan communicated in July 2020) prior to coming to school each day.
Carpool Procedures Updates

As stated in the Insider Alert from September 2nd, the Carpool page on the school website has been updated with all of the information and changes to Carpool procedures for this year.

  • In addition to the self screening and temperature checks, there are changes for both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. 

  • Updates include helpful videos for drop-off and pick-up and are linked on the Carpool web page.

  • Important to note - for both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up - Teachers are not allowed to touch vehicles or personal belongings and will not be able to assist with opening doors, unloading / loading bags, or unbuckling students in car seats. Please have your child open the door themselves, or be ready to open the door for them.

  • Carpool tags will be sent home via backpack mail to your oldest / only the first day of school. More information can be found here for Carpool tags.

  • Please review the page and the updates prior to the start of school.
Masks / Face Covering Reminders

  • Appropriate face coverings/masks will be used by all students, staff, and visitors while indoors.

  • Appropriate face coverings will be used by all students, staff, and visitors while outdoors when individuals are not able to adhere to 6 feet of social distancing.

  • Students should use parent supplied face coverings. There is not a mandate regarding the type, color, or style of face covering, however face coverings should adhere to the medical purpose of a face covering and should not create conditions for false temperature readings.

  • Students can also use parent supplied lanyards or other types of clips to help the students keep their masks with them.

  • Students will not be expected to wear face coverings when engaging in physical activity or when eating/drinking, however teachers have discretion to mandate a face covering in certain situations when outside.

  • Students should have a backup mask with them at school.
Uniform / Mass Days / PE Reminders

  • Uniform requirements for the first week are as follows
  • Tuesday, September 8th - Regular Uniform
  • Wednesday, September 9th - Spirit Day
  • Thursday, September 10th - Regular Uniform
  • Friday, September 11th - Mass Uniform

  • All students will wear Mass Dress Uniforms on Fridays, even though the Masses will be virtual and students will be live streaming Mass in their homerooms.

  • Middle School students will not be dressing out for PE. There is no need to bring PE clothes to school.

  • Middle School students are not required to wear Sperry type shoes, sneakers may be worn every day as part of the daily school uniform.
Lunch / Cafeteria and Water Fountains

All students will eat lunch in their homerooms. Students can either bring lunch, or they can order lunch from our Cafeteria food provider ECI - which has a new system for ordering lunches this year (please see that information below).

Please note the following important lunch updates:

  • If you want to order a lunch for your child, they must be ordered in advance through the new system ECI has. The daily cut-off is 7:30AM each morning.

  • Because the students are eating in their homerooms - microwaves will not be available.

  • Lunches may not be dropped off at the front office at this time.

  • ECI also has a program to order birthday treats for the students. Please email ECI at the email below.

  • No visitors are allowed for lunch.

  • Shared water fountain spigots will be disabled.

  • Contactless water bottle filling stations will be available for the refilling of water bottles only.

All families should have received emails from our Cafeteria food provider - ECI - last week. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam or junk folders for the email from eci@ecimanagementgroup.com - if you did not get the email please contact ECI at that email address. The Cafeteria page on our website has also been updated with the menus for September.
PE and Recess Reminders

Both PE and Recess will be conducted outdoors. As stated in the mask and face covering section above, this will be an opportunity for students to have a mask break.

While the whole grade will go to both PE and Recess at the same times, students will stay in their homeroom group and not commingle with the other homerooms.
Visitors Policy and No Item Drop-Off

As a reminder, other than students, faculty, and staff, access to the St. Cecilia campus will be limited to visitors and volunteers essential to school
operations.

  • Visitors and volunteers on campus will be by appointment or invitation only.

  • All visitors will be required to enter through the main entrance and pass the safety screening prior to entry.

  • All visitors on campus will be required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. 

Also, in order to limit the number of visitors to campus and to insure our health protocols remain in place, please do not drop off items at the front office including:

  • Lunches for students
  • Other items for students
  • Items for other parents (no Trading Post drop-offs)
5th - 8th Grade Chromebook 1:1 Program - Back to School Reminder

Please help your child remember to charge their Chromebook the night before returning to school on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
Helpful Tips from The Counselors Office

We know returning to school may be a challenge for your children. We have compiled some helpful tips to help your family return to school successfully. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us; we are here to support each family’s unique needs!
Bringing Medications to The Clinic

If you have any medications to drop off with Mrs. Coursey our Nurse, please contact her directly via email at mcoursey@saintcecilia.org to arrange a date and time to drop off your child's medications.
Our mission at St Cecilia Catholic School is the ongoing Catholic formation and education of the whole child in mind, heart, and spirit, in preparation for an adult life of commitment and service.