July 25, 2020
Allentown Central Catholic High School
presents
The ACCHS Fall 2020 Reopening of School Plan
Allentown Central Catholic High School is proud to share highlights of our school reopening plan as approved by the Diocese of Allentown.
Allentown Central Catholic High School will open its doors on August 31, 2020. Our plan is to return to a “live” face-to-face educational platform with a hybrid option available for those students and parents who do not feel comfortable with being in school. ACCHS’s traditionally small class sizes allow for safer social distancing between students and staff. ACCHS is working with the individual school districts to maintain our regularly scheduled bus transportation.
ACCHS Vice Principal, Mrs. Diane Young, said, "Allentown Central Catholic's main priority in developing our reopening plan has always been the protection of our entire school community. We have taken the task of creating these guidelines very seriously and will work to maintain the safety of everyone, every day.”
Allentown Central Catholic has invested close to $100,000 on PPE and safety equipment for our school community. All students, faculty, staff, and visitors will have their temperature checked upon entering the building using infrared temperature sensor detector tablets. Anyone registering with a temperature equal to or greater than 100.4°F will return home, schedule a COVID-19 test, and will be admitted upon negative results or 14-day quarantine. In the event a student, faculty or staff member should test positive, a strategic plan developed by the Diocese of Allentown, for all Catholic schools, will be implemented.
In addition, all individuals will be required to wear a face mask at all times during the school day. Allentown Central Catholic will provide five complimentary ventilated fabric masks with filter inserts to each student and staff member, decorated with our Vikings logo to show our unwavering school spirit!
ACCHS will also provide hand sanitizer stations, cleaning tubs and sprays, plexiglass dividers, a continuous cleaning machine for athletics, and face shields.
Internally, our campus will adhere to social distancing guidelines. Desks will be rearranged three to six feet apart as per the CDC guidelines to maximize spacing between students in classrooms. Where appropriate, plexiglass dividers will be used to separate students. All nonessential furniture will be removed from classrooms to allow for ample spacing. Desks and room surfaces will be cleaned and sanitized in between classes. Hallways and stairwells will convert to “one way” avenues to alleviate physical interaction. Multiple monitored entrances will allow for smaller groups to pass into the building safely and spread apart.
In recent years, ACCHS has completed comprehensive technology upgrades that include expanding our networking capabilities, broadband reach, and Apple tablet devices for each student.
“From the beginning, our goal was for teachers and students to use technology as a tool to supplement learning. We’ve partnered with local area colleges to determine the skills that our students will need to be successful. We’re using all of these tools more frequently now and will continue to support our teachers and students using educational technologies,” said ACCHS Director of Technology, Charlie Carbonetto.
Every ACCHS student and teacher is issued their own iPad, part of our personalized iTEACH “Technology Enhanced Academics in the Classroom and Home” Learning Initiative that was launched for the 2017-2018 school year. This initiative allowed for a seamless transition to online learning upon shutdown in March and will ensure that ACCHS is prepared for all scenarios throughout the school year. Our iPad program will provide versatility and connectivity for any student or family who opts for a cyber learning environment from home in the fall.
Within the classroom, our teachers will direct instruction via Zoom and face-to-face. Students who are working remotely will be able to participate in live discussion and learning with their fellow classmates. To further reduce person-to-person contact, textbooks, homework, and tests will be provided in a digital format. Our physical education classes will consist of individualized fitness instruction with students socially-distanced.
"Throughout the school year, we will continue to encourage our students to develop their spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical and creative potential while staying true to our motto, “Faith, Tradition, Excellence,” said Karen Rolston, ACCHS Director of Studies.
One of the hallmarks of an Allentown Central Catholic education is our Theology curriculum and participation in school Masses and prayer. Catholic Mass will be held with ACCHS Chaplain Fr. Mark Searles celebrating the liturgy with both in-person and live-streaming options for our school family to continue to be united in prayer along with retreats and community service opportunities.
"Our faith and rootedness in Jesus Christ is a great pillar in these difficult times that we need now more than ever. It is a blessing to lift up the name of our Lord for strength and consolation as we help our students and the whole ACCHS family to grow and to flourish even in adversity,” said Fr. Mark Searles.
To further acclimate students safely into school, each grade will be welcomed back on separate days, beginning with a class Mass, starting with Freshmen and new students on August 31; Freshmen and Sophomores on September 1; and Juniors and Seniors on September 2. All students will report on September 3. This staggered approach will give staff an opportunity to provide detailed instructions in procedure and guidelines to smaller groups that will be implemented throughout the school year.
"Faced with the many challenges of COVID-19, Allentown Central Catholic has maintained that the safety and health of our entire school community is of paramount importance. At the same time, we are committed to provide our students with high quality academic programs in the tradition of ACCHS. Our faculty and staff has, and will, continue to work tirelessly to meet these goals,” ACCHS Principal, Mr. Randy Rice.
Allentown Central Catholic High School’s complete reopening plan will be shared with our school families on Tuesday, July 28. In addition, the school will host a “townhall” Zoom meeting to provide a platform for our families to ask questions in regard to the reopening plan. ACCHS is confident that between our hybrid plan and our successful online learning program, we will be able to accommodate all future scenarios as requirements by state and Diocesan officials change.
Our detailed reopening plan and the Zoom link for the town hall meeting will be sent via email on Tuesday, July 28 to our school families only.
