UPDATE to SPX School COVID Health Management Plan (September 4, 2020)

UPDATE to SPX School COVID Health Management Plan (August 31, 2020)

Important Health Office Notes (August 19, 2020)

SPX School COVID Health Management Plan (August 18, 2020)

Virtual Town Hall Meeting - August 13, 2020 (click for recording)
Questions and Answers in Chat of Town Hall Meeting (click for document)

UPDATE to Back to School Plan (August 4, 2020)
To read the Principal's email that introduced this update, click HERE.

 Saint Pius X Back to School Plan
This document highlights the safety, health, and school day plans for a safe return to school.

Little Lions Preschool Back to School Plan
This document highlights the safety, health, and school day plans for a safe return to preschool.

Virtual Learning Guide
This document outlines the approach to virtual learning.

9/4/2020  Feedback Survey and Early Dismissal on Tuesday, September 15, 2020

We are a few weeks into the new school year and we feel together we are off to a positive and safe start.  We currently have no cases of COVID-19 in the building and we continue to pray for God’s protection during this pandemic.

Now it’s time to evaluate our first few weeks. Because this is new territory for all of us, including parents, students, teachers, and administrators, we want to look at where we are, how we are succeeding, and how we can improve.

We see where we need to make a few changes to continue to provide a high quality education for virtual and in-person as well as keep the plan sustainable for teachers. We believe restructuring some of the internal logistics and techniques will provide better interactions and more focused time for each group of students, maintaining high-quality synchronous and asynchronous experiences.  Additionally, this new format will reduce the amount of planning time, which has doubled for virtual teachers, and better prepare the teachers who may need to transition to virtual in the future (due to student quarantine, isolation, etc.).

As part of the evaluation process we also want to hear from you.  Your feedback will help guide  our next steps and will inform us about the in-person or virtual experiences for your students. Please fill out the optional question survey HERE to provide your feedback.

With the support of the HASA Board and the School Board, we are adding an early dismissal to the school calendar next week, Tuesday, September 15, FOR STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE to allow the teachers to work together to consider your feedback and to implement some of the creative solutions that have surfaced.

Please mark your calendar for the following dismissal on Tuesday, September 15:

those who pick up at 2:50 p.m. will pick up at 12:30 p.m.
those who pick up at 3:05 p.m. will pick up at 12:45 p.m.

Thank you for your support and affirmation this school year. Together, we will continue to help your children grow in faith and knowledge.

Elaine Holmes

8/31/2020 Updated COVID Health Management Plan
The updated SPX School COVID-19 Health Management Plan is posted above. These updates were made based on the most recent recommendations from the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), the Catholic Schools Office, and local medical professionals.  

It is very important for all parents to carefully read through this document and make note of when you may need to take action for the safety of your children and the entire Saint Pius X School community.

A few changes to note specifically:

• The close contact exposure time is now a cumulative total of 15 minutes in a day (previously a period of 15 consecutive minutes)
• Symptoms listed are key symptoms to watch for, and symptoms are now looked at individually (previously a fever or two or more from the list of symptoms)
• Fever will now be considered a symptom at 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit by mouth, in compliance with the general school handbook health policy (previously 100.4 and method not listed)
• Pre-existing conditions will be considered when evaluating a child's health status in relation to COVID-19, only if there is documentation in the student's health file
• Guidelines for Determining when a Student should Quarantine or Isolate have been outlined in three charts based on close contact, symptoms, and test status (previously potential exposure, direct exposure, and infection), and also includes guidance for siblings, if applicable
• Virtual learning will be provided to students 24 hours after a student is required to quarantine or isolate due to a positive COVID-19 test or known close contact

An additional note about Virtual Learning:  If a parent requests for their child to join the virtual learning option (because of concerns about health/safety, issues with mask wearing, etc.), the last day to select this option is Monday, September 14.  

Due to staffing and logistics, we will not be able to accommodate an "opt in and out, week by week, or day by day" approach.  Parents who choose the virtual learning option will stay in this mode of learning through October 14.   Parents will be able to choose to continue with the virtual learning option and will be prompted to extend the period of the virtual learning prior to this October date.

An additional note about Health Screenings: the app we are expecting to launch to parents has been delayed but will be available very soon.  Please watch for an update and instructions this week.

We take daily health screenings very seriously and will not allow your child to enter the building if the morning screening has not been completed or they do not clear the screening questions as laid out in this Plan.  Please carefully read the screening questions on page 2.  If you answer yes for any of the questions, do not send your child to school, call your child's health care provider, and notify the school at healthscreen@stpius.net or 574-272-4935.

Thank you for working TOGETHER with us to educate your children and to protect the health and well-being of the Saint Pius X School community!

Holy Spirit Come to Us,
Elaine Holmes

8/19/200 Update from Mrs. Holmes

We are very excited to begin to welcome our students back to school starting tomorrow.  Thank you for entrusting your child to us!  Please be sure to reference the Parent and Student Schedule for August 17-21 which outlines specific information for students in grades K-8.

HEALTH OFFICE PAPERWORK, MEDICATIONS, AND QUESTIONS:  If you need to drop of Health Office paperwork or medications, or have any student health-related questions, a member of the Health Office team will be available outside the main entrance of the Parish Education Center (school building) from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on the following days:

Thursday, August 20
Friday, August 21
Monday, August 22
Tuesday, August 23

FINAL CLASSROOM PLACEMENT:  All parents in grades K-5 should have received a welcome email from their teacher yesterday, allowing for a virtual meet and greet.  Class lists have been finalized taking into consideration standard placement procedures, as well as balancing in-person and virtual optional students, maximum capacity of classrooms to allow for distancing, and other safety measures.  Each of the teachers are ready to go and are very excited to welcome your child into their classroom.

TRANSITIONING BETWEEN IN-PERSON LEARNING AND VIRTUAL OPTION:  We understand that some students may find it uncomfortable or difficult to participate in in-person learning following the current health and safety protocols.  If a parent would like to request a transition from in-person learning to the virtual option, this request must be made no later than Monday, September 14.  

Due to staffing and logistics, we will not be able to accommodate an "opt in and out, week by week, or day by day" approach.  Parents who choose the virtual learning option will stay in this mode of learning through October 14.   Parents will be able to choose to continue with the virtual learning option and will be prompted to extend the period of the virtual learning prior to this date.

An exception to this policy: if a student is required to transition to virtual learning due to quarantine (exposure) or isolation (infection), the student’s teacher will include the student in the virtual learning program alongside in-person learning for their class until the quarantine or isolation period is complete and the student is cleared to return to in-person learning.
Holy Spirit Come To Us!
Elaine

8/2/2020 Letter from Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend Catholic Schools Office

7/20/2020 update from Preschool Director, Pam Ritten

Dear Little Lions Parents,

It remains our goal to welcome our Little Lions to school in person in August.  We are committed to doing that as safely and effectively as possible in a nurturing, faith-filled environment.  Thank you for your patience as you await the release of our Back-to-School Plan.  As you heard from Mrs. Holmes, we are waiting on approval from the Catholic Schools Office to release the plan.  In the meantime, I will address some of the most commonly asked questions I’ve received thus far:

MASKS
Masks, according to all currently accepted research, are the most effective means of preventing transmission of the virus.  Thus, masks will need to be worn.  At minimum, they need to be worn during arrival, dismissal, and transitional times when we're moving outside the classroom.  It is our hope to create a safely distanced classroom environment so that masks can be taken off at times when distancing can be maintained.  We understand that this may be difficult for some of our young learners and we want to be sensitive to that.  Therefore, we are investigating alternative face covering options, such as face shields for use inside the classroom.

DISTANCE LEARNING
At this time we are not offering a virtual learning option for preschool.  However, we are prepared to transition to distance learning in the event we are mandated to close by the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend and/or the Saint Joseph County Health Department.

TUITION
In the event that schools are mandated to close due to COVID-19, the preschool lead teachers will continue to send distance learning plans with activities and instructional videos to our preschool families.  If preschool is closed for more than fourteen days, 75% of tuition for the remaining days of the closure will be refunded or not billed to families.  Parents who decide to opt-out of distance learning have the option of withdrawing their child from school. In that case, tuition for the remainder of the year would be refunded or not billed. While we cannot "hold spaces" for the 2021-2022 school year for those who opt out, families will have the opportunity to register during the priority phase (first phase) of registration along with current families. If you are interested in learning more about tuition assistance from state funding, you can find more information in the attached On My Way Pre-K flyer.

7/20/2020 update from the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office
Click HERE to access.

7/18/2020 email from Mrs. Holmes:

THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN
I mentioned last week that we planned to release the Saint Pius X Back-to-School plan to you this week. Currently, we are completing two documents simultaneously:

DIOCESAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE (CSO) PLANNING TEMPLATE-The CSO asked that all schools in the Diocese complete a detailed template mapping out the plan to return to school, including the domains I previously shared with you: Technology, Catholic Identity, Curriculum and Instruction, Community/Social-Emotional Learning, and Logistics and Planning. We submitted the completed document to the superintendent for approval today.

SAINT PIUS X BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN-We are also completing a custom document designed to provide you all with a clear guide to the key areas many of you have been asking about when thinking about the return to school in August.  

• You will be asked to make a commitment to participate for a quarter, and can, of course continue each quarter during the year; however, due to staffing and logistics, this option will not accommodate an "opt in and out, week by week, or day by day" approach. 
• If you choose virtual learning, it will primarily be a synchronous platform, meaning your child will participate "live" with a live-stream from your child's classroom each day.

Tuesday-Thursday, August 11-13
Tuesday, August 11-Grades K-2
Wednesday, August 12-Grades 3-5
Thursday, August 13-Grades 6-8
Arrive and Drop Off between 9:00-9:20 a.m. You will be assigned a lot location for drop off.

Dismissal will begin at 2:00 p.m. Students will not be picked up in the classroom as in years past. . You will receive your dismissal information in the coming weeks.

Friday, August 14-all students in kindergarten through grade eight will attend
Arrive and Drop Off between 7:40-8:10 a.m.
Dismissal-The regular dismissal routine will occur in two shifts. The grade levels assigned to each shift have not been finalized yet. You will receive a shift, lot, and line assignment before the start of school. August 11-13 will allow us to work through the dismissal process with limited groups before we bring everyone together on Friday, August 14.

*On Friday, August 14 ONLY
1:40-1:55 p.m. (tentatively kindergarten-grade two/siblings/carpools)
2:00-2:15 (tentatively grade three-eight/siblings/carpools)

*Beginning Monday, August 17, dismissal times will be
2:55-3:05 p.m. (tentatively preschool-grade two/siblings/carpools)
3:10-3:20 (tentatively grade three-eight/siblings/carpools)

7/13/2020 email from Kim Mauch
PE (GYM) CLASS AND UNIFORMS  Students in kindergarten through grade five will have PE (gym class) once per week and will be required to wear school uniforms on the other four days. Middle school will have PE twice per week and will wear their PE uniforms to school on those days, including all students in grades six through eight.


7/12/2020 summary of email from Mrs. Holmes:
BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY AND HEALTH  This week we sent our re-entry/safety and health plan to our Superintendent, Dr. Joe Brattnacher, for review and approval.  When it is returned to me, I will forward it to the SJCHD for feedback. The goal  is to send both of those documents to you by the end of the week with a short survey. You can use the form below to submit your questions. Of course I always welcome your questions because you help us think through things that we might not have thought of. 

CATHOLIC IDENTITY We have our Catholic Identity plan finished for the upcoming year.  This is an internal review from Fr Bill and he has approved it, so that will be coming  your way also.

TECHNOLOGY ANDN CURRICULUM PLANNING  The technology committee and the curriculum committee zoomed this week and both were very beneficial meetings.   I also had the opportunity to zoom with all of our kdg-5 and then with our middle school and humanities teachers. we are working to get the return to school right from the beginning of entry.  

SCHEDULING AND DISTANCING  Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Bostwick have the job of working out our internal schedules every year for staff and students.  This year it was very tricky because of the required distancing piece, particularly in the middle school. 

STAFFING CHANGES Mrs. Tranter, kindergarten, will be relocating to AZ with her family.  This is a big loss for Saint Pius and I was sad to hear this news.  However, I am also very happy for her.  She will be living close to a sister and her family, her parents have a home in AZ and another sister is much closer in CA.  We are in the process of interviewing for a new kindergarten teacher.   

School parent Catherine Floyd will be the new math teacher and is in the process of being hired in our middle school, always with the approval of Fr. Bill.  Mrs. Floyd has prior teaching experience in Catholic, private and public k-12 schools. In addition, she has math/computer science coaching experience, and recently has worked in the STEM Education program at Notre Dame. The Floyds are members of our parish and have two children attending our school.  We are very excited about having Mrs. Floyd on our team.  She will be a great asset to all of us. 

SUMMER SCHOOL BOARD MEETING  On Wednesday evening we will hold a zoom School Board meeting.  We generally do not meet in the summer, but this year it is important that we do. The School Board is advisory to the school leadership team and they can look at things in a different lens and provide advice to us.

Enjoy the week with your children.  I hope you all are healthy.
Peace and Blessings,
Elaine Holmes


7/7/2020
The Catholic Schools Office released a letter and link to a complete template (Protect our Catholic Schools Plan Overview) of all areas to be covered in the re-entry plan by each school.  Click HERE to access the letter.


6/30/2020

• School supply lists are up-to-date and accessible HERE. 
• Physical Education classes will be held this year, and will be held outside as much as possible. Click HERE to access the PE uniform order form. NOTE: Middle school students will wear PE uniforms to school on PE days.

6/27/2020, email from Mrs. Holmes:

• RETURN TO SCHOOL: We are planning a full in-person return to Saint Pius X School on August 11. 
• MASKS: There will be a mask or face ccovering requirement.  Click HERE to access a guide regarding masks/face coverings from the Indiana Department of Education. There will not be a dress code restriction on the look or style of the masks as long as it is appropriate.  I am thinking the question might be, "Will children have to wear them all day" and the answer is "no" because we are able to have physical distancing measures in place at Saint Pius. We are also looking at additional  options for our preschool and kindergarten children. 
• PLANNING: Most all of our committees have been meeting this week: re-entry/safety, health, Catholic Identity, technology. Drafts are in place and final details should be ready to be released by mid-July  Social/Emotional and curriculum will soon be under way.  They are also very important, but we have a little more time to work through those two.
• LUNCH: There will not be a lunch program this year.  Students will eat in the classroom.  It is impossible because of physical distancing to have all of our children eat in our multi purpose room and complete lunches in a lunch time frame. 
• SANITIZING: We have a complete sanitization plan for both physical hygiene and structural sanitization throughout every day. 
• RECESS: There will be recess time for all of our children as getting fresh air and movement is very important throughout a day.  We have a draft in place for that.
• MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE: Allison Watson and Anne Bostwick are working on a schedule for middle school. They are masters at this and the plan will include physical distancing as we are fortunate at St. Pius regarding space in the  PEC.  It is not comple at this time as it is a big puzzle but they always manage to make it work for us.

There are four key areas that we will focus on while developing the plans for school year 2020-2021: 

• The health and safety of your children
• The continued development and immersion of our Catholic faith for your children
• The social and emotional wellness of your children
• The continued academic growth of your children

SIX DOMAINS FOR RE-ENTRY  The following domains are the focus for committees tasked with establishing policy and procedure to return safely to school this fall:

Logistics and Planning  Addressing the operational aspects of the return to school in the fall

Health  Preparing for the health and well being of students and staff

Creating and Maintaining Community Making intentional decisions to create and maintain community

Catholic Identity Promoting authentic Catholic identity and providing a continuous avenue for faith formation

Curriculum and Instruction Addressing the needs for teaching both in-person and virtually

Technology  Preparing for distance learning in the future
 

WHO IS DETERMINING GUIDELINES FOR EACH DOMAIN

Saint Pius X School and Parish staff members are serving on subcommittees focusing on each domain above.

Two parents also participating on each subcommittee. Parents are currently serving on either School Board or Home and School Association Board.

The following resources are used as references for policy and procedure development:

Center for Disease Control

State of Indiana “Back on Track” Plan

Saint Joseph County Health Department

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Indiana Department of Education (IDOE)
        IDOE FAQ doc

Diocese
         COVID
         Office of Worship
         Catholic Schools Office