Dear Trojan Families,
Bishop Chatard's hybrid Blue/White class schedule completed its ninth week last Friday. This schedule has successfully carried us through the first quarter, which ended on October 9, and covers this first week of the second quarter.
Months ago, Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) Director Dr. Virginia Caine established data indicators that must be reached before full in-person instruction can resume in Marion County high schools. The 7-day average of the following two indicators, rounded to the nearest tenth, for fourteen days in a row, must remain at or below:
- 5.0% or lower for the daily percentage of tests that are positive for Marion County residents; and
- 35 or lower for the daily number of new reported cases for Marion County residents.
Currently the daily percentage of positive cases in Marion County is at 5.6 % and the daily number of new reported cases is at 133.
Due to the unlikelihood of Marion County meeting the MCPHD full in-person criteria in the near future, Bishop Chatard and another Indianapolis deanery Catholic high school asked the Archdiocese if they would support us in requesting a hearing from the MCPHD to advocate for the autonomy to decide when it would be best for each of our schools to go full in person.
The Archdiocese was able to arrange the meeting on October 6 which included all 4 deanery high schools, representatives of the Office of Catholic Schools, the Archdiocese and the MCPHD. Based on our past performance in following the health departments guidance and having minimal cases (22 between all 4 of our schools since August 1), the compelling case we made for the need for students to be in class every day, as well as the fact that we are tuition-based schools, we received permission from the MCPHD to go full in-person anytime after 2 weeks after Fall break, contingent upon final approval from the mayor’s office. It is important to note that we have not yet received word of final approval.
The MCPHD’s criteria for our schools to go full in-person is as follows: our schools must be able to maintain a distance of 4’ or greater in at least 85% of our classes, 3’ or more in all classes, 6’ or greater at lunchtime and minimize close contact during passing periods. (Important to note is that close contact quarantining would still occur in situations where students have been within 6’ for 15 minutes of a person who tested positive for COVID-19.)
Bishop Chatard can meet the reopening criteria as our classrooms and scheduling provide for a minimum of 4’ distancing of students from each other and a minimum 6’ distancing of teachers to students. We can also maintain a minimum distance of 6’ distancing during lunch periods. However, in the case of a COVID-positive student case, close contact quarantining in classrooms would be more likely than in our current hybrid model of instruction.
The foremost condition of returning to full in-person instruction is formal approval. Once approval is confirmed, several other conditions must be considered.
- Two weeks after Fall break would mean the earliest we could return is November 9. This would give us 7 days of school before Thanksgiving break and 10 days after Thanksgiving and before finals.
- There is a high degree of difficulty in reorganizing all classrooms and changing students’ and teachers’ schedules that were amended to allow for 6’ distancing in all hybrid classes.
- The higher risk of close contact quarantining so close to finals, fall sports post-season tournaments, 2 remaining musical concerts and the Fall play also enter into the decision.
- Christmas break gives us the time to adequately prepare for full in-person learning to begin on January 7, especially as students’ and teachers’ class schedules will be changing anyway at that time.
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We will have time to request from MCPHD a loosening of the close contact quarantining distance of 6' to 3' or 4', which would allow us to minimize quarantining of students throughout the second semester.
We are grateful to have been afforded the opportunity by Dr. Caine to change our school day as soon as November 9, assuming final approval, but we have determined that it continues to be in the best interest of our school community to remain in a hybrid format for the remainder of the first semester.
Our goal is to return to 100% in-person instruction at the beginning of the second semester. With this in mind, the hybrid Blue/White daily schedule through December 18 is included on our website. Click here to view.
The return of two “Trojans Together” dates that have been built into the first semester calendar. Students are not required to be in school either in person or virtually on these days. This time should be used by students to catch up on missing work or to prepare for upcoming assessments. The first “Trojans Together” day will be on Friday, Oct. 30, while the second is on Friday, Nov. 6. Virtual Parent-Teacher conferences via individual Google Meetings will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 30, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Our hope is that families and teachers take time on this day to mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually recharge for the school days leading up to Thanksgiving.
We remain grateful for your support of teachers and administration as we continue to navigate this unprecedented time. The BCHS leadership team continues to take very seriously the commitment to transparency concerning COVID-19 cases at Bishop Chatard.
During the past week, there were no new positive student or staff COVID-19 test results reported to school officials. Student exposure within the school building remains at a minimum due to the diligent efforts of students and teachers remaining socially distanced, washing of hands frequently and the daily wearing of a mask. As flu season approaches, we must all remain vigilant in our efforts to stay safe and healthy. Please continue to be mindful of your child’s health and to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to medical@bishopchatard.org.
Please contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns. Please continue to pray for the success and safety of Bishop Chatard High School.
God bless,
