Dear Families:
Yesterday, we welcomed back our 5th graders from remote learning to full-time in person classes. It is so joyful to watch the faces of our students as they return to the building. In a conversation with the returning 4th graders last week, they remembered every detail of the hard news we received last March that we needed to close down and stay home for two weeks! Wow…who could have begun to imagine the outcome that we continue to face.
Now, our focus is on returning our middle school students to the campus. We begin with our 8th graders next Monday, February 1st. Their classroom will be located in the east half of Banchero Hall, with plenty of room for distancing between desks. The gym has been divided into two large sections with a paneled wall separating the two spaces. There will be NO CLASSES for 8th graders on Friday, January 29th as the teachers prepare the new space for their arrival.
The PreK has been located in the west half of Banchero Hall since September. In conversations with Fr. Colin, he is welcoming the PreK classroom to be located in the south narthex of the church for the remainder of the year. This gives our littlest student room to learn and play without having the older students so close by. In addition, it frees the west half of the gym for an additional classroom. PreK will also not be having classes this Friday, January 29th so their classroom furniture can be moved to the church.
With the additional classroom space, we can welcome ALL of our middle schoolers back to the building for full-time, in-person classes (8:30am – 3:00pm). The 6th grade will occupy the west half of the gym and the 7th grade will be divided into two cohorts, sharing the 6th and 8th grade rooms in the middle school. We will begin the process of their return the week of February 8th with the 7th grade returning to the building, full-time. The 6th grade will return after mid-winter break on February 22nd. (Please note: this is a change from the hybrid model we had originally planned.)
As students return to the building we will be asking parents to let us know if they will be keeping their child/ren in remote learning. As I mentioned last fall, once we return to the building, the focus will be on in-person learning. Teachers cannot teach remotely in as robust a way as when students were in full-time remote classes. There will be opportunities for interaction with classes, but not at the level they have had since September. Students will need to access google classroom for assignments and materials.
As mid-winter break is approaching I need to remind you of our travel policy. Any student who travels out of state over the break will need to quarantine for the indicated time. Please review this policy before making any travel plans for mid-winter break.
Congratulations to Mr. Daniel Talevich and wife, Kristy on the birth of their daughter on Saturday, January 23rd at 3:00pm. Ada Mae Talevich weighs 6lbs 3oz and is 18 inches long. We can’t wait to meet her!
We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Pam Sturgeon back to 8th grade to teach middle school while Mr. Talevich is on paternity leave for the month of February. So nice to have her back in the building.
Next week is Catholic Schools Week. Though we won’t be able to celebrate in the usual ways, we have some fun activities planned. Our always popular and traditional faculty versus 8th grade volleyball game will have to be put off until a later date. We may look at an outdoor game in the spring.
Have a great week!