It is heartening to have our intermediate students back on campus. The students are excited to be back; hearing their chatter on the second floor ignites hope in all of us. With that hope, there are also many reminders we are serving students in the midst of a global pandemic. Students are adapting to new classroom layouts, hybrid schedules, outdoor PE classes, and lunches eaten in silence. All these things take great sacrifice. But together we have faced our Covid fears. I continue to be grateful and inspired by the work of our teachers, specialists, staff, and maintenance teams. None of this would be possible without their willingness to serve the mission of the school and your families. I know I sound like a broken record, but I will keep saying it: staying open for in-person instruction depends on everyone in the community following all the safety protocols. Protecting our teachers and staff depends on everyone in the community. Please continue to practice social distancing, avoid gatherings, keep your masks on and quarantine if you travel. Our teachers are making sacrifices. Thank you for doing the same.
Parents of middle school students: please note we are moving forward with solidifying our re-opening plans for the upper grades. With a 165+ new students in the building starting this week we will need time to demonstrate the ability to limit potential transmission in the school before inviting more students in to the space. We are tentatively planning to open in a hybrid model (alternating days) for in-person instruction the week of February 8. Expect to receive direct communication from your child’s teacher next week regarding all things re-opening and placement in student cohorts. As with our other four re-openings, I know you will have many questions. Before you contact teachers or admin, I encourage you to review our Re-Opening Plan.
Next week, we virtually host the State of the School Presentation on Tuesday, January 26 at 7:00pm and Thursday morning, January 28 at 9:30am. All returning families and new families who are applying to enroll at St. John are required to attend one of the sessions. During this informative zoom meeting, you will hear how we have journeyed through the pandemic over the past school year, and you will be introduced to SchoolAdmin, our new enrollment tool. We will post a zoom link in the coming days.
National Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education. This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools. Faith. Excellence. Service.” The Eucharist and Mass are central to our faith, so the week will begin on January 31 with a live-streamed Mass at 10:30am. Throughout the following days, we will celebrate community, volunteers, teachers and students. Find more information in the Catholic Schools Week post. We hope you will celebrate with us!
Blessings,
Bernadette O’Leary
