August 6, 2020
Dear BBHS Families,
Governor Inslee’s press conference yesterday gave more definitive guidance to schools planning for instruction this fall. The framework released yesterday emphasizes that reopening should be based upon specific, county-level data related to the average number of positive Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a 14 day time period. Based on the current data for King County and the strong recommendation of this framework, we will begin the 2020-21 school year remote, using our Digital Distance Learning Plan for all students.
I know this is disappointing news to many in our community. At BBHS, we so deeply value the relationships and personal connections we make among classmates and between students, teachers, coaches and moderators. I share the sadness of the continued disruption to our community that this news entails.
However, we remain dedicated to continuing our robust distance learning program that we initiated in March, with new adaptations and enhancements for this school year based on feedback and on-going professional development, to ensure that every BBHS student is learning and growing no matter the distance or instructional model. Our Reopening Plan will continue to be updated over the coming days and weeks with the specific details of our digital distance learning plan. Our plan will also include refinements to our Student Life program designed to engage and connect our student body while in the remote model. Please also continue to reference the reopening page of our website for the most up to date information.
As we get into September and start the new school year, our reopening team will track our county-level data on a daily basis and we will be prepared to shift back into the hybrid learning model as soon as we have the opportunity to safely do so. Thanks to the incredible efforts of our BBHS team over this summer, we have our learning spaces prepared and our safety plans and protocols identified to begin a transition to in-person learning when that opportunity becomes safe and viable.
I am grateful for your continued patience, grace and collaboration as we will all need to remain flexible, open and nimble to the changing circumstances in our world and local community. In moments like these, we all can feel so frustrated by events that seem so out of our control. It’s important to remind ourselves - and especially our students - that our individual and collective commitment to personal hygiene, physical distancing, and face coverings can not only impact when we may return to in-person learning, but that those practices, in fact, save lives.
We will remain in close communication with you over the days and weeks ahead recognizing that this transition has different impacts for each grade level - seniors to freshman - we will also send out specific grade level communications depending on the circumstances. We will be maintaining our previously published calendar of activities starting with our Brave Welcome for incoming freshmen on August 27-28, more information on this event to follow. You can find our most up to date calendar on our website.
Your questions, thoughts and feedback are so very helpful as we work in partnership to support your students and their growth. We continue to invite you to use this form to share your questions and ideas as we move closer to reopening.
We are not alone in this process of assessing how to safely deliver instruction to our student community during a pandemic. The Archdiocese of Seattle Office for Catholic Schools released this letter today to share with our school communities. We are united as a system of Catholic schools and we are ultimately walking with God on this journey. I will close by sharing a prayer from mystic and saint, Teresa of Avila, that has been particularly grounding for me at this time.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
