Dear St. Patrick Families,
This year’s Spring Break is March 29 to April 2. It is also Holy Week. Easter Sunday is April 4 and class resumes on Monday, April 5. There will not be a “buffer” week for spring break travel, so the week of April 5 will be in-person.
Out-of-state leisure travel is still not recommended. Kentucky, LMPHW, and all schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville are asking for individuals travelling to voluntarily quarantine for 14 days upon their return. St. Patrick is making this same recommendation and strongly discourages travel until the school year is over. The Archdiocese of Louisville maintains a 14 day quarantine for students who are direct contacts to COVID-19 or who have travelled leisurely out-of-state. This is based on the monitoring of local data and the number of current cases and quarantines, which remain steady and have been attributed, according to the Office of Catholic Schools and LMPHW, to athletics, extra-curricular activities, sleepovers, birthday parties, social gatherings, travel, etc.
Furthermore, our staff is not equipped to police or manage each family’s decision. The lists of “what if” scenarios are long and we cannot approve or disapprove family trips. We will not be tracking people’s whereabouts or negative test results. We are asking you to make the best decision for your family, and also for our school. If this means flying in a plane to a warm destination for a family vacation, we respect your decision! But please also respect these guidelines for safely operating a large school during the pandemic. Your travel may only include your car and a close relative. Again, parents must acknowledge all the factors and contexts and make a well-informed choice for their family and for the common good. On Monday, April 5, like every in-person learning day, St. Patrick’s faculty and staff will trust that every child who enters our school has been sent by their parents in good faith.
In November 2020, it appeared that several student COVID-19 positives in a middle school grade led to some positive middle school staff members. Subsequently, there were more positives in another middle school grade, and exposure from staff in lower grade levels led to large quarantines. Tack on some other positive cases from unrelated areas like the YMCA and the parish office, and St. Patrick was forced to close. Spring Break is another big barrier to overcome in our efforts to hold consistent in-person learning for the final two months of the school year. If you decide to take the risk of leisure travel and/or exposure at a large social gathering, please err on the side of caution. By making responsible and safe decisions, our entire community will be safer and healthier.
In the end, our school community must do what is right to protect safe, in-person learning and limit disruptions. Thank you in advance for considering your need for leisure travel and for adhering to these expectations. If you do participate in travel during Spring Break that warrants a voluntary 14-day quarantine, please communicate your absence to the front office and your child(ren)’s teacher(s).
