La Salle Academy's School Newsletter - Family Connections 03/15/2020

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TO LA SALLE ACADEMY'S

Family Connections

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03/15/2020

Dear LSA Families,

Following direction from the Governor of our State of Pennsylvania, La Salle Academy will be closed for the next 10 business days, beginning March 16th. During that time, the Governor's office will assess the situation and determine if continued closures are needed.

La Salle Academy, in adhering to this directive and in keeping with our own policy regarding school closure, will have NO after school or evening meetings. Closure under these circumstances will include no weekend meetings or activities.

We will be in touch with parents by way of email next week with further information regarding work that students may do while away from school to keep academic skills sharp.

May I ask students to aim to read for 20 minutes at a minimum per day. Also, keep up on First-in-Math and 20 minutes per day, at least on Mathematics.

God Bless you all.

Mr. Mickulik

UPCOMING EVENTS

ALL EVENTS LISTED IN RED ARE CANCELLED AND WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED.

THE OTHER EVENTS LISTED, AT THIS POINT, AND TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, ARE POSTPONED.

WE WILL POST UPDATES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

SCHOOL BUILDING IS CLOSED MONDAY, 3/16 - FRIDAY, 3/27.
Sunday, 3/15: La Salle CYO Girls Basketball Tournament - CANCELLED
Monday, 3/16: Albright Science Project Set Up, 5:30pm - CANCELLED; CYO Board Meeting, 7pm
Tuesday, 3/17: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Bake Sale, Grade 2; Albright Science Fair, noon - 3pm - CANCELLED
Wednesday, 3/18: Science Fair Awards at Albright - CANCELLED
Thursday, 3/19: First Day of Spring; Grade 3 to Berks Catholic for World Drumming; St. Benedict's Holy Communion Parent Meeting, 6:30 - 7:30
Friday, 3/20: Declamation Contest, 8am - noon; Fun Day, 12:30pm
RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, MAY 17TH - Sunday, 3/22: CYO Cash & Prize BINGO, doors open at 12:30pm and games start at 2pm
Monday, 3/23 - Friday, 3/27: IOWA Testing
Tuesday, 3/24: Gloria Singers (Music Room), 2:30 - 4:30
Friday, 3/27: Stations of the Cross, 1:30pm
Sunday, 3/29: Gloria Singers Concert at Berks Catholic
Monday, 3/30: Advisory Board Meeting La Salle, 7pm
Wednesday, 4/1: 6th Grade Play
Saturday, 4/4: County Declamation at BC
Sunday, 4/5: Palm Sunday; Taste of La Salle
Monday, 4/6: Student Council Easter Egg Hunt
Wednesday, 4/8: Living Stations of the Cross
Sunday, 4/12: Easter Sunday
Sunday, 4/19: History Fair
Saturday, 4/25: First Communion at St. John's

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dowload Talking to Children about COVID-19 - A Parent Resource here .

An (abbreviated) message from Mr. Mickulik from 3/11/2020:

-Emergency curriculum plans of different types and lengths are always in place and others are being augmented in the event some or many students or faculty would be out of school for different periods of time. We always have plans for multiple days off in a row in an emergency. We typically first think of these being connected to the presence of snow and ice on the ground but thank goodness we also now live in a time when these plans can be extended through virtual and digital means from a day or two to longer if need be. We will have to cover this facet as new information becomes available but just know that we are trying to make a plan for every possibility we can.

-I am including an attachment in this communication shared recently with families of the Governor Mifflin School District by the District Superintendent on ideas parents and teachers can share with children about COVID-19. I hope you find it useful. Good information is so important to share. To this end, please help us in speaking with your children about seeking good sources of information in times like these.

-As the CDC continues to promote proper hand washing, we have followed this directive in placing posters all over school, in bathrooms, hallways, and every classroom. Our new school song for washing hands is the first verse of “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman”: It lasts for the recommended 20 seconds and by the grace of a really cool Holy Spirit, as you sing it, you get to the name, Jesus, at just about 20 seconds exactly if you sing it at a calm speed (and if it takes your child longer to sing it and arms are still in the warmest comfortable water with soap, you are still doing things right). It’s a song many of you may know, and if you don’t, just ask your children to sing it to you. Hopefully they will be practicing it so often it can be a ritual they can bring home and share with you. Your encouraging your children to practice the same way at home strengthens the learning process and it is fun. Also, we are asking everyone to wash hands front and back from the tip of fingers to the elbows, every time. Maybe because of this he or she will grow to become a doctor or a singer or maybe even a Doctor who sings.

Here are the words:

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace. The Lord, is with you.

Blessed are you among women.

And Blessed is the fruit of your womb,

Jesus.

(Incidentally, the full version of this song is also a calming goodie for tubby-time for infant and toddler siblings as well.)

-Inasmuch as we do teach students to cough and sneeze into their elbow, and for the same reasons we move, at this time, to sending blankets home each day, we hope that it would go without saying that students should be dressed in a cleaned and laundered shirt and uniform each day. Please don’t bring in yesterday’s sneeze.

-We recommend that now be the time to clean out the book bag thoroughly not just as a historically famous place for odd smells and bacteria growth but keeping the outside of the bag in mind, at this time, as most book bags are dragged on school-bus, classroom, gym, hallway, cafeteria, and just about every floor surface, sometimes even on the recess yard, each and every school day.

-If your child is sick, just keep them home. We will believe you that your child is sick and trust that no one would take advantage of this current situation but we are also, at this time, on the lookout for doctor’s notes confirming wellness to return to school for the safety of the rest of the class and school community if a student is called out for illness. We are also actively monitoring students as they come into school and throughout the day. If your child is experiencing flu-like symptoms or has been diagnosed with a contagious illness of any type, please keep your child at home.

-If your child or anyone in your home has tested positive for COVID-19, DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL. You are advised, at this time, NOT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. Contact your local health facility and they will help you seek the care and testing that you need. Then, please contact the school immediately to make us aware of the test result.

We will adjust our procedures and response as new information becomes available from the CDC and Pa Department of Health. Thank you for reviewing this information.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mickulik

For an update on the latest information on coronavirus as it pertains to Masses, parishes, Catholic education, diocesan events and other information, please visit www.ad-today.com.

We invite you to check back to that website often.

The situation is changing rapidly and we will update the site as new information becomes available.

PTO

Learn more about La Salle's Parent-Teacher Organization

Download your Pre-Order form here.

CYO

Catholic Youth Organization

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Visit the La Salle CYO website here .

RESCHEDULED TO:

Sunday, 5/17: CYO Cash & Prize BINGO, doors open at 12:30pm

and games start at 2pm.

La Salle CYO Cash & Prize BINGO is RESCHEDULED to May 17th.

CYO Virtue of the Week

Our virtue this week is being MAGNANIMOUS - The strength of having a big heart. If each one of us on the team is more MAGNANIMOUS, thinking of others before ourselves, putting the team above ourselves … and we develop the habit of looking for ways to do good for others we will be a better team and we’ll have a lot more fun this year.

Click here to learn more about this virtue.