Dear Parents,
Let’s all take a deep breath.
We have had a lot of intensity the past couple of weeks. After the joys and the challenges and the chaos of travel and the complexities of family over the holidays, Omicron and snow came sweeping in. Last week we faced the challenges of testing everyone before they came back and then juggling all of our schedules because of the weather. This week we continue to deal with Omicron and navigate the guidance on next steps that can sometimes be difficult to interpret. Through it all, we remain committed to keeping our doors open and having as many students come here to learn each day in what we deem a safe environment. It’s a balancing act and, so far, we have been lucky that our staff has not been affected to the point that we need to consider large scale virtual education.
Everyone should have received the email yesterday that the archdiocese is moving forward with recommendations from the CDC to reduce some of the quarantine/isolation times. However, please recognize that there are still many considerations before a child or adult may return to the building. We ask that you continue to work with the health room to allow us to continue to keep as many here, as safely as possible, every day.
We are all sick of it, we are all ready to move on, but we can’t cavalierly dismiss the spike in hospitalizations. I have this vision of this big Omicron cloud enveloping us. It’s not super toxic but it's everywhere and we still need to be careful. If we can just keep these protocols in place a little longer (with maybe a little fewer restrictions), we can wait for the cloud to dissipate and February can bring us clear skies. Maybe wishful thinking but I do believe this may be the last big hurrah for Covid.
Weather reminders:
We follow Montgomery County for all weather-related closings and delays. We do not post or send out specific information for Blessed Sacrament.
We go out for recess unless the ‘real feel’ is below 20. Be sure that your child is dressed to go outside on cold days. They do not have the option of remaining inside during recess.
We had two parents tell us this week that they did not send their child to school because it was too cold. This is not an acceptable excuse for missing school.
Faithfully,
Chris Kelly
