July 21, 2020
Dear Carondelet Community,
A few weeks ago, we shared our hybrid learning model and 2020-21 bell schedule with the expectation that we would be able to begin the school year with students back on campus while adhering to Contra Costa County Health Services restrictions and guidelines. However, with Governor Newsom’s announcement that schools cannot reopen until their county shows a 14-day quantifiable decline in the spread of COVID-19,
we are mandated to begin the year with our distance learning program
. Additionally, CIF, the state governing body for interscholastic sports, announced its decision to delay athletics until January 2021. This information can be found on
our athletics webpage
.
Our goal was, and is, to get our students back on campus as soon as possible
, but we do have to operate under the most recent mandates. We will continue to plan for different scenarios with De La Salle and will work with County Health to move to an on-campus environment as soon as we can, including bringing smaller cohorts onto campus in some form. We will be releasing a detailed guide at the end of this week that will provide an overview of our different learning plans in advance of our eventual return to campus, and hope that every family will continue to do everything in their power to limit the spread of this virus.
Our
2020-21 bell schedule
allows us to seamlessly move between different learning models (distance learning and hybrid learning). We also know that our distance learning format does create effective learning outcomes for our students.
We have prepared for this scenario
and will share clear protocols and expectations for students and teachers for distance learning based feedback and data from our spring Shelter-in-Place.
We will continue to update you as we receive information and as we proactively work with County Health to return to campus in safe and creative ways. We know that this is frustrating and painful, but we ask for your understanding and patience as we continue to plan, re-plan, and adapt to this ever-changing situation, keeping in mind that the safety of our students and families is our priority as we respond to "the needs of our times."
Sincerely,
Kevin Cushing
