Return to School Fall 2020 Plan

Return To School Information

July 17, 2020
"The laborers in the Lord's vineyard should have one foot on the ground,
and the other raised to proceed on their journey."   --St. Ignatius of Loyola
Dear St. Francis Catholic School Families,
The year 2020 has certainly presented all of us with a unique journey!  At. St. Francis Catholic School, we are excited and ready to continue our partnership with your family.   I wish to update you on our preparations for the 2020-2021 school year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Francis Catholic School staff has been working diligently to create a rigorous and safe return-to-learn plan in order to proceed with the journey of Catholic education that feeds your child and family  spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. 
Living our Mission
We are committed to providing a quality Catholic education, regardless of the mode of delivery being used.  The education your child receives from St. Francis is distinct, as our Catholic beliefs, traditions, and teachings are deeply embedded in daily instruction.  St. Francis staff are prepared to continue this for next school year.
Regardless of which mode of delivery is being used, St. Francis Catholic School is committed to offering the highest level of education possible by focusing directly on the social, emotional, faith, and intellectual needs of each child.

• Religion classes and prayer opportunities will be held daily.
• Teachers will have daily communication and interaction with all students.
• Catholic beliefs, traditions, and teaching will continue to be deeply embedded in daily instruction.
• Mass will be held weekly.
• Service opportunities will be available for all students.
• Core and other quality, educational experiences and learning opportunities will be offered daily.

Three Modes of Delivery
We have prepared three models for instruction in order to be prepared for the unknown of next school year.  Each one is described below.
On-Site Learning *****
This model indicates services are offered at St. Francis Catholic School.  It is our goal and intention to begin the school year on August 25, 2020 with on-site learning.  To meet this goal, we have planned for additional cleaning, social distancing, training, and health/safety plans.
Hybrid Learning
This model indicates services are offered both remotely and on-site.  This model may be used to address specific student health concerns and a lack of readiness to return to the onsite model, as well as state mandates for social distancing, etc.  Students using remote virtual learning will utilize  Google Classroom for instruction.  This option will be available for those unable or unwilling to come on-site.
Virtual Learning
This model indicates services will be held remotely for all students.  Virtual learning will be used in emergency situations when on-site learning is not possible.  When students are using remote virtual learning they will utilize  Google Classroom for instruction.
 
Health and Safety
We recognize it is not possible to eliminate all COVID-19 exposure risks.  We are implementing strategies to make our school as safe as possible. 
             Screening

• We will check temperatures daily upon entry to the school and randomly throughout the day. (as cars pull up on Columbus Drive)
• Children or staff with a temperature of 100.3 or above should not attend school.  If the temperature is discovered at school, the child or staff member will be kept away from others and expected to leave as soon as possible.

 
             Face Coverings

• Face masks/shields are required at entry/exiting the building, walking in the hallway, and any scenario in which social distancing 6’ can’t be met. Otherwise face coverings are strongly encouraged but not always required. Students will get consistent, periodic face covering “breaks” throughout the day.  Students may also provide their own face covering as long as it is St. Francis Catholic School appropriate but masks and shields will be available if needed.
• Lessons and instructions will be provided to students on the appropriate use of face coverings, as well as the prevention of stigmas associated with use or non-use of face coverings.

             Cleaning and Disinfecting

• Additional cleaning and disinfecting procedures will be implemented. Plans for daily deep cleaning/sanitation will be implemented. We will be applying disinfectant that is approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill viruses including COVID-19 in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

             Hand Washing and Personal Hygiene

• Hand washing will be done multiple times a day. Soap/Sanitizer
• Hand sanitizer and kleenex will be available in multiple places in the classrooms and school.

             Limiting Exposure

• We will limit school visitors and access to the school building.
• Staff continues to plan how to reconfigure and utilize building space to provide for as much social distancing as possible.
• Two health office spaces will be utilized.  One for illness and one for first aid/medication.
• Lunch will take place in the lunchroom with social distancing in the lunch line and lunch table shields.
• Enter/exit procedure will see families and buses dropping students off and picking up on the north side of the school on Columbus drive.

Exposure

• All positive cases of COVID-19 will be reported to Marshall County Public Health.  We will follow their guidance for notification, contact tracing, cleaning, and closure. 

 
 
What can you do?
Please understand that we are making the best decisions we can for everyone involved.  We know that everyone will not be happy with all our decisions, but please remain positive around your children.  Their attitude about school will directly correlate with yours.  Below are a few other things you can do to help our school community:

• Talk to your child about what school will look like, including the mitigation steps listed above. 
• Discuss your family’s expectation of face coverings with your child. 
• Continue to read school communications as more information becomes available. 
• When available, complete e-registration accurately and make sure your contact information is up to date in case we need to communicate with you.
• Please keep your child at home if they do not feel well.  It is important to keep your child home if they have a fever.  Please do not give fever-reducing medication and send your child to school.
• Report any exposure or positive cases to Mr. Eisenbarth, Paige, and/or Tracy at school immediately.
• Please contact Principal Mr. Eisenbarth to request to be part of our hybrid model if you would prefer that your child not attend on-site during the (month/first quarter/first trimester) of school.
• Please reach out with any questions or concerns.  Our school staff is here to help!

 
Our school team continues to receive information almost daily from the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Public Health, CDC, Archdiocese of Dubuque Office of Catholic Schools, and the Marshall County Health Department. Please know that plans and guidance may change as more information is received.  Our local return-to-learn committee will continue to review this information in order to welcome your child back to St. Francis Catholic School to continue their spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual growth as safely as possible.  Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious gift.
Sincerely,
 
Mr. Terry Eisenbarth, Principal