July 1, 2020
Dear St. Louis Families,
I write to you today to share a
letter from our Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Vorbach
. Please read through it as he outlines the intentions of our diocese for the 2020-2021 school year. Know that these decisions are never easy for leadership,but are always done with the most current information and after consultations with knowledgeable experts across many disciplines.
As Dr. Vorbach provided the diocesan perspective for reopening, it has allowed me to work closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and some parents to formulate a plan that attends to the guidance of the local and state health organizations for a safe return to the classroom and school building. Starting August 26, 2020,it is our intent to be in the building for 5 days of in-person instruction per week as long as the Commonwealth of Virginia maintains Phase 3 or higher, and we can do so safely. Please know that this decision was not made lightly; it was with prayerful discernment coupled with a desire to hold intact the community that is St. Louis Catholic School. We seek to provide appropriate academic rigor coupled with necessary nurturing of important social-emotional skills while most importantly cultivating a faith-filled environment for your children.
Does this mean that everything will be as it has always been?
The short answer to that is, no.
In-person Instruction:
We are still expected to follow guidance and protocols passed down from the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE), the CDC, and the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Arlington (OCS). This guidance and the protocols include adherence to safety measures in several realms including distancing of students, health safety, building cleanliness, and more. St. Louis is redefining space in the building to maximize physical distance to the extent possible. Since we are a two-track school and have class sizes on the larger end, we will need to utilize the variance on physical spacing that Dr. Vorbach mentions.
Virtual/Online Instruction:
For those families who are part of our vulnerable population, and by that I mean that you have a student(s) considered high risk, or members of the home who are considered at risk or who may feel that an in-person option is not the best under current guidelines, St. Louis will explore offering a concurrent virtual, online program that will run similarly to our e-Learning model in the spring of 2020. I do ask that families make the commitment to a virtual program as it will require separate resources and staffing. The health and safety of the students and teachers is always our top priority.
Next Steps
I will be filing our reopening plan first with the Office of Catholic Schools and then with VCPE; the school community will also be provided the full plan as soon as possible. The deadline for filing the initial plan is July 10th. I will continue to work with Fr. O’Hare, administrators, faculty and staff, the school nurse, and other stakeholders on the finalization of the plan.
Extended Day Care
As you wait for those details and make decisions for your families, you should note that in all likelihood we will have to make changes to the Extended Day and Morning Care programs. At least at the front end of the year, with the anticipation of the Commonwealth being in Phase 3, we will run Extended Day with priority given to essential personnel and limiting capacity. There is a possibility that Morning Care will not be available.
COVID Assessment Fee
I am fully cognizant that once our plan is established and filed, there may be events and circumstances that require adjustments. At the forefront of any plan is the need to look out for the safety and well-being of not just the students, but the many dedicated faculty and staff who are a part of the educational journey of your children. We will be true partners through this over the coming year and will be highly dependent on parents to support the measures put in place throughout the school. Because of the necessary adjustments to our schooling needs, I am asking families to submit an additional $150 fee per family to help cover the tremendous cost of technology devices and software needed for a blended instructional program, increased costs associated with cleaning and disinfecting, and additional staffing. Fees can be paid with tuition upfront August 1st or will be assigned through FACTS. If this additional fee causes undue hardship, please notify me directly.
Parent Survey
I respectfully ask, that based on this very limited amount of information,
ALL
school and preschool families complete the
survey on returning to St. Louis Catholic School
for the 2020-2021 academic year no later than July 7th as keeping tabs on enrollment is very important at this time. Your intent will better assist me in my planning and allocation of necessary resources, technological needs, and staffing decisions.
I thank you for your commitment to Catholic education, and I ask that you pray for me as I will be praying for each of your families throughout this summer as we continue to work together in support of our Hawk community.
God Bless,
Anne M. Dyke
Principal
