April 9, 2020
Dear St. Louis Alumni,
At St. Louis School, our spiritual theme for this year has been HOPE - trusting in God’s plan. Hope is not easy; it is a choice we must make. There is a reason that the symbol for HOPE is an anchor—we are rooted and grounded in our faith in God because it is what saves us much like an anchor grounds a ship. We have to trust that there is a reason we are facing this uncertainty together. As a school, we pray daily for those impacted by the COVID-19 global health crisis, the medical personnel confronting the health crisis daily, and all those in need of extra prayer and support.
Governor Northam’s mandate to close all Virginia schools for the remainder of this academic year has not stopped St. Louis School from providing an education to our students. Without missing a beat, on March 17th we moved our learning to remote virtual classrooms. Our teachers have been working above and beyond with limited expertise and training to change up their planning. Our faculty and staff have ensured that the integrity of learning is not adversely impacted and that all essential diocesan curriculum objectives which are necessary for student progression into the next grade level are being attended to for student mastery. Teachers have been collaborating to provide digital lessons that encompass several curriculum learning objectives across all content areas. It is important that you know that St. Louis is doing more than simply providing educational continuity, we are teaching differently, but it is still instruction necessary for grade promotion. The tasks, assignments, and projects will count towards the 3rd trimester academic grades in K-8th subject areas. Recognizing that no two families are the same in electronic devices and are experiencing unique learning circumstances, teachers are also carefully utilizing school textbooks to limit screen time wherever possible.
The school closure has taken away some of the end-of-year activities that our 8th graders have traditionally had the privilege of leading for the school – Living Stations of the Cross, May Crowning and even their own graduation ceremony. We are working on ways to still make these events special for our graduating class and invite you to view their virtual presentation of Living Stations of the Cross found
here
as you prepare for Easter.
I wish all of you a very blessed and joyous Easter. Please pray for peace and healing for our own community and especially for our world.
Peace,
Anne M. Dyke
Principal
