Dear Mercy Parents, 

Last week Governor Whitmer unveiled the MI Safe Schools: Michigan's 2020-21 Return to School Roadmap for all private and public schools. This plan details the required and highly recommended steps for the safe return for all Phases. Mercy is required to submit a plan that accommodates each of the possible future scenarios for reopening.

Southeastern Michigan is currently in MI Safe Start Phase 4. During this phase, the Governor's plan highly recommends 6 feet social distancing and CDC guidelines recommend that social distancing be practiced in combination with other everyday preventative actions to best mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Mercy High School has the resources, skills, technical and instructional capacity to consider implementing a return to school model that supports social distancing. 

As we prepare for our in-person fall return, we are guided by health and safety standards that best support all members of our Mercy community. With concern for the currently rising COVID trends, one solution we are  considering is a hybrid model to be  in effect only while we are in Phase 4. With this proposed model,  full in person instruction will resume when southeastern Michigan is elevated to Phase 5 status. Your input is of utmost importance as we assess parent support for a hybrid model. 

In forming our Mercy Return to School Plan, we must consider the effect a spread of COVID-19 will have on our entire community, and how we might best mitigate this impact to sustain in-person instruction. The proposed hybrid instructional model involves dividing the school into daily rotating cohorts, with one cohort in physical attendance two days a week (M/Th or T/F), and the other actively participating real-time from home. Wednesday will be designated as synchronous remote learning for all students. 6' social distancing measures can be enacted because of reduced in-person class size. Mercy HS has purchased in-classroom video streaming technology to enhance our remote learning student experience.

Beneficial factors in considering this proposed hybrid model include:
  • Beginning the school year with a hybrid model during a time of rising infection rates allows us to return to in-person instruction in a more controlled manner, while closely monitoring local COVID-19 infection trends. The potential for student infectious exposures are reduced with smaller in-person class sizes.
  • Mercy HS has the technology infrastructure, resources, and staff skills in place to implement a hybrid model that supports academic excellence. Our solution allows students to engage synchronously and participate interactively in lessons on assigned days from home.
  • Hybrid learning allows ill, symptomatic or quarantined students to join the class remotely without worrying about excessive absences. This model encourages ill students to stay home, thus reducing the risk of exposure to others.
  • Reduced class sizes help with efficiency in disinfecting personal space and shared materials between classes, limits hallway traffic and congregation in common areas during class exchange, reduces cafeteria lines, allows greater access to restrooms while frequent hand-washing is recommended, and supports teachers in engaging students in lab and group work in a more hygienic manner.       
  • Should the need arise in the fall to return to remote learning, beginning the school year with smaller in-person classes provides a greater opportunity to build rapport and assess the current social/emotional needs of our students. This is especially important after the extended closure and time of crisis this past spring.
  • Many of our students and staff live in families or communities with increased COVID-19 risk factors. Implementing a hybrid model, while maintaining a high level of academic excellence, is supportive of our students, staff and their families.
  • Over one third of our staff are at a higher risk age demographic in contracting COVID-19. As high schools do not have self-contained classrooms, lessening teacher infection risk by practicing strongly recommended social distancing protocol increases our chances of maintaining a healthy instructional staff for continuity of learning.
Please fill out the survey here. 

As we prepare for a safe and effective return to school, we thank you for completing this survey by Friday, July 17 to indicate your support of implementing a hybrid model only while Southeastern Michigan is in Phase 4. 

In Mercy,

Dr. Cheryl Delaney Kreger '66, President
Mrs. Patricia Sattler, Principal