Dear Parents/Guardians:
During several meetings we have had this Monday and Tuesday with the Diocesan Office and our EPAC cluster/Deanery, we, as principals have been given specific information that we did not have before. All schools in our cluster will be following a 1:30 dismissal schedule to further ensure the safety and comfort of our children.
To ensure that disinfection of our building is done in a timely manner, as well as to ensure that all the children dismiss only one class at a time, 6 ft. apart on the steps, ten to fifteen minutes apart, the following schedule for dismissal has to be implemented by all schools in our Deanery.
Dismissal of Grades:
Pre-k3/4 – 1:30 pm Grade 5 – A – 2:20 pm
Pre-4 – 1:40 pm Grade 5 – B – 2:30 pm
Kindergarten 1:50 pm Grade 6 – A – 1:30 pm
Graded 1 1:30 pm Grade 6 – B – 1:40 pm
Grade 2 – A 1:45 pm Grade 7 – A – 1:45 pm
Grade 2 – B 2:00 pm Grade 7 – B – 2:00 pm
Grade 3 1:30 pm Grade 8 – A – 2:10 pm
Grade 4 – A 2:00 pm Grade 8 – B – 2:20 pm
Grade 4 – B 2:15 pm
Entrances to and exists from the building remain the same as those provided in the Logistics Plan.
Being in class from 8 to 1:30 allows us the 5 and 1/2 hours students need to be in class daily mandated by the State.
At dismissal, as the students leave, they will be provided with a cold lunch they can eat at home, allowing us to remove some of the issues that deal with eating without a mask in the classroom.
For the younger students, who this may be a long time to go without food, a snack is permitted at about 11 a.m.. All grades will be permitted to eat a snack, one row at a time, while others keep their masks on.
Teachers and school staff will remain in the school till 3 pm to confer with fellow teachers, meet parents for appointments, receive professional development or prepare for next morning.
At 3 p.m. sanitizing of the building begins. After-school begins at 3 pm till 6 pm in the academy auditorium. The auditorium will be sanitized after 6 p.m.
On September 9 only grades 6, 7, and 8 will be in school. On September 10 only grades 3, 4, and 5 will be in school. On September 11 only grades K, 1, and 2 will be in school. This allows the children to become acquainted with new procedures in the building.
Teachers must be in school on all days. Dismissal for students on the first week of school will be at 12:30 pm five to 10 minutes apart. Faculty meetings will follow each day. Pre-3/4 begin September 14 as well as all other students return.
We were also informed that Remote Learning can be done for Art/Spanish and Gym. Therefore, these teachers will be providing Health and Art remotely to your children.
After school will be conducted in the academy auditorium. All students in a grade must remain together and therefore, the auditorium is divided into sections, 6 ft. apart per grade.
Masks must be worn all day but with the early dismissal, masks will be better tolerated. Also, mask breaks will be given with only one row at a time being without a mask. This same procedure would be used when eating a snack – one row at a time.
The State mandates that parents must confirm daily that they are taking their child’s temperature at home, that the child is not sick or exhibits symptoms of Covid 19, or that the child has not been exposed to anyone with Covid 19 symptoms or been out of the country or state. A form questionnaire will be sent to you this week by your child’s homeroom teacher. You must confirm this Daily Health Screening questionnaire every morning and submit it on your child’s teacher via class Dojo.
Faculty must confirm to me the same information every morning.
Everyone’s temperature will still be taken every morning before entering the building. For further safety to our children, visitors are asked not to enter the school building while the children are in school.
Everything this year is a work in progress. Everything is new. We are all trying our best. Thank you for your cooperation as we continue to work together to ensure our children’s safety and partner in their educational journey.
God bless you, protect you and your dear families.
Mrs. Frances DeLuca
