Dear Families:
Welcome back! I hope that you and your family had a chance to spend some relaxing time together during our mid-winter break. I can’t believe that today marks the beginning of March. This year has flown by and our second trimester ends next week. Bring on spring and temperatures a bit warmer than we saw last week…and the rain can stop anytime!
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a time in our liturgical year when we reflect on the life of Jesus leading to his Passion and Resurrection. As a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we are meant to clear our inner spirit to recognize our limitations and get in touch with the mystery of who is God. Tomorrow morning the entire school (except PreK) will celebrate the start of our Lenten journey at Ash Wednesday Mass at 8:45am in the church. I wish we could invite parents but with the Covid distancing requirements still in effect, we fill the entire church. There are additional parish Masses at noon and 7:00pm.
As I am sure you are aware, yesterday, Governor Inslee announced a state-wide end to the indoor mask mandate to take effect, Saturday, March 12th. That is exactly two years to the date that we shut down on March 12th 2020. The case numbers are dropping dramatically, which is the news we have all been waiting for! Regardless of the state’s announced changes, we are still under the King County Dept. of Health’s Covid Guidance for K-12 Schools. There has been no update to the guidance as of this morning, but we expect to hear more this week. (King Co. Executive Dow Constantine also announced King Co. will adopt the change.) I will inform you as soon as I hear anything from Dept. of Health, but I am assuming that you will have a choice as to whether you would like your child/ren to mask at school or not, beginning March 14th. Stay tuned!
Finally, please remember the people of Ukraine in your prayers. We are a people of peace and Archbishop Etienne has called on us to “strengthen our prayers as one family of God for an end to the war in Ukraine. Peace. Peace. Peace.” And Pope Francis reflected, “May weapons be silenced! God is with peacemakers, not with those who use violence.” Following our Ash Wednesday Mass, our students will participate in a “Peace Walk” as we circle the school with signs of support for the Ukrainian people while praying for them in silence.
Have a great week!
Mary
