Dear Parents-
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, virgin and doctor of the church, also known as St. Teresa of Jesus. Well-known for mysticism, and as a Doctor of Prayer, St. Teresa is the foremost writer on contemplative prayer, which she described as, “close sharing between friends, ….taking time to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church). In a hectic, busy and uncertain world, St. Teresa reminds us to spend time in conversation with God. Let Him guide you and counsel you, for in the words of St. Teresa, “God alone never changes.”
This week, we virtually welcome the Design for Excellence Visiting Team. This visit is the culmination of our pandemic extended year-long continuing accreditation self-study. This process gives us the opportunity to evaluate our Catholic identity, curriculum, finances and facilities and affirm that these allow the school to achieve its goals, and support its mission, “Building wisdom and faith through service to God.” An independent team reviews our conclusions and makes recommendations. I would like to give a shout-out to the SJS teachers and staff who worked tirelessly to complete the process! I wish I could share with you the smile on Mrs. Hart’s face last Friday, when she dropped off the last of her curriculum evidence….I don’t think I have EVER seen anyone so happy!
Found at this link is the form to request a change of learning platform for Trimester 2. Only fill out this form if you are requesting a CHANGE. The change window is open until Friday, October 16, and no exceptions will be made for missing the deadline. Please consider the needs of your children, only. At the school, we have been blessed with good health to this point, but there are no guarantees, and the coronavirus can be severe, particularly in cases where there are underlying health concerns. We are in a pandemic, and parents assume the risk of sending their children to school at this time.
In this week’s Coronavirus update we see a significant spike in the positivity rate in Virginia, up to 5.5%, with the infection rate up as well, at 1.04, and the number of new cases indicates that metrics are trending in the wrong direction, according to COVIDactnow.com. Fairfax County infection rate is at 1.03, with a test positivity rate of 3. % neighboring Loudoun County has a positivity rate of 5.1%, and Prince William County remains on high alert for an outbreak, with a 6.6% positivity rate. Websites that track the virus indicate COVID in Fairfax County is spreading at a slow rate. As always, I remind our families to wear masks, wash hands, keep distance and avoid crowds.
In school we are seeing a little “mask and social distance fatigue” among students. Please remind your children that mask wearing is an extra layer of protection, but the most important element in slowing the spread of the virus is keeping distance!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can be of assistance.
Go to Joseph
(Gen 41:55)
Denise Rutledge
Principal
Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God