3 September Letter from Mr. Kelly

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

SJS has been doing a great job of keeping students with COVID symptoms out of school.  We know that is a challenge and appreciate your efforts. That really is the key to success this year.  If there is a confirmed positive case in your student’s classroom, we will contact you so that you can monitor for symptoms.  In junior high where students switch rooms, we will contact you if it is deemed that the positive has been in close contact with your student. The teachers have seating charts and they have been keeping close track of student seating. So, you will be contacted via email if your student has been in close contact with a positive case.

The guidance from DCHD for when a positive case occurs has been in flux this year. The most recent guidance states that in the event of a positive case the other students in that room or contact group should mask for 14 days. That is the process we will follow as well, and we will let you know the timeline for masking. This will be nonnegotiable, and we appreciate your continued support.  This is a step that we can use to keep us from having to go to any remote learning options.

Just a reminder that the last full week of the month will be our Terra Nova testing week for grades 3-8.  To ensure we get the most accurate results, ones that show our strengths and weaknesses, please have your student here, rested, and ready to test.  These test results will play an important role as we examine our school improvement goals.  Terra Nova is a tool we use to monitor progress of our students and school so we want our students to put their best into these tests.  Thanks for your help.

Our weekly Virtual Backpack is emailed on Fridays to all families. This saves the school time, paper, and resources. But if it isn’t read it is useless. Please make the reading of the weekly virtual backpack an important part of your weekly routine. This is an easy way to know of all that is going on at school. (Please do not unsubscribe from the VBP because then you won’t receive all this info).  The VBP combined with info from the teachers and Sycamore can really keep you informed about SJS.  And we likely will need to send you many emails this year to keep you informed of all that is going on.  I apologize if it becomes burdensome, but the info and communication will be vital.

Picture Day is next Wednesday.  An order form was sent home earlier this week.  Contact the office if you have any questions.  A few specifics about picture day:  No leggings are allowed unless they are underneath a skirt or dress of appropriate length. Dress shorts are allowed as long as they are appropriate in length.  On future out of uniform days, the only shorts that will be allowed will be uniform shorts. Any student that comes to school in ripped jeans, or in shorts or skirts/dresses not appropriate in length (3 inches from the top of knee), will be given a school uniform to change into. If a uniform is not available, parents will be requested to bring something to school before the student can return to class. It is in the students’ best interest that, before they come to school picture day, parents have made sure the outfit is appropriate in length and meets these guidelines.  Thanks for all you do.

Peace,
William Kelly
Principal