St. John community truly rocks! Thank you all for your very generous response to the Jog-a-thon! You came out with smiles, socially-distanced, and cheered on our students. The Jog-a-thon Team met the pandemic challenge and created a safe, fun experience for the students and families. To top it off, we exceeded our financial goal! There is still time to give. Thank you for your donations and generous sponsorships. We are truly blessed. We look forward to seeing our 6th & 7th graders, PreK, and 1st grade on the tracks Friday.
In between jogging, we are preparing for the return of K-2 students on Monday. It is like preparing for the first day of school all over again. Teachers are preparing classrooms. The maintenance team is moving furniture. In-person school will look and feel different as we practice social distancing, mask-wearing, learning in smaller cohorts, along with extra hand-washing and sanitizing. Primary parents, expect emails today from your child’s teachers about in-person school and the remote schedule for those who are staying home at this time. We will continue to keep intermediate and middle school grades informed as to potential re-opening dates.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your children home when they are showing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, the flu or any other contagious infection. Follow the guidelines and the timelines before returning to school. We are all feeling a little more susceptible these days, and we need to stay apart to be healthy together! If your child has a symptom that is not COVID-19 related, for example, a runny nose or cough related to allergies, please bring a doctor’s note. We have a shared responsibility in protecting one another. And one final reminder: avoid large gatherings. I am hearing about some of our families having parties, hosting social gatherings, and organizing soccer matches. Each one of us has a responsibility to care for each other at this time. We are asking the teachers to help you all by bringing your children back to school. They are putting themselves at risk. Please do your part and support them by following King County guidelines (gather with no more than five people outside your household per week).
It is hard to believe that we are in October already. October is the Month of the Rosary, and this year, with so much uncertainty, we need to pray to Mary to intercede for us. We also need to thank her and to thank God, as we are very fortunate. We have an incredibly devoted faculty and staff, a dedicated supportive community, and wonderful students!
Blessings,
Bernadette O’Leary
