OLQM: July 2020

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Re-Opening Guidelines for OLQM

Re-Opening Guidelines for Parents

Mr. Woods hopes everyone is well.

I want to outline on a weekly basis what will happen when school opens on September 9, 2020. I will just list them numerically and will update weekly as I judge what may need to be addressed.

This is based on the Re-Opening Plan that has a link below that was drawn up the task committee of the Archdiocese of New York which is below on this blog.

There are two options based on parent survey that was completed by 133 parents:

Option 1 - Full 5 day in classroom instruction

Option 2 - Remote learning from home with live stream from classroom.

Once a parent chooses an option that option is in place until the end of the first quarter. There is no back and forth with options. If parents wish to change that option they should contact the school office.

1. All students, all grades will be required to wear a face mask- ALL DAY.

If your child is coming into our PreK programs please start to practice having them wear a mask.

2. Only one entrance will open up at 7:45 AM - the Church doors.

The left side of the staircase will be for entering and the right side for exiting.

3. Temperature testing of students as they enter will be conducted at in the hallway of the second floor outside the supply room.

NO PARENTS WILL BE PERMITTED past that point. The classroom aides and teachers will be there to bring the children to the classrooms.

In order to have an easy flow the first few days all PreK students will not be permitted into building until 9:00 AM.

I know that parents will be upset that they cannot go to classrooms to wish their child the best but as the guidelines strictly say - no adults past the testing point.

4. Early pickup of children will NOT be permitted. If a child needs to go to the dentist or doctor then they should remain home for the day and login remotely to the classroom.

5. Breakfast will be served in the classroom after everyone has settled into the rooms.

6. Students must bring their own bottled of water with them. The vending machines will be turned off and their will be no refrigerators in the classrooms as per the guidelines.

7. There will be no heating of food as all microwaves have also been removed from classrooms.

8. Students may bring their own lunch, snacks etc. from home if parents so wish.

9. Students will be served lunch in their classrooms - there will be hot lunch this year as the gas has been turned on.

10. Dismissal - Parents will not be allowed in building at dismissal. Students will be lined up a various locations and parents will be able to pick them up from the line.

11. There is NO After School Program until Phase Two of the guidelines — which most probably means October.

12. Parents who need to speak to the teacher MUST make an appointment with Alba. Only one parent at a time and there will be a temperature check beforehand.

All appointments will be after 3:00 PM.

Teachers will set up Zoom meetings and also give out the school e-mail address wherein parents will be able to communicate with them.

13. There will be no general parent meetings until Phase 4.

Parents will be invited by the teachers to join a Zoom call.

14. Teachers will post supplies needed by August 15th. All materials should be labeled as they may only be used by the child labeled— there is no sharing of crayons, pencils, hand sanitizer etc.

15. The supply room will be closed to parents during the week. The supply room will be open to parents on Saturdays and Sundays.

16. Students will NOT be taking gym classes. Instead they will be taking a daily walk - each class (cohort) by themselves. There is no need for a gym uniform.

17. Departmental Class Grades 2-8. Students will not move between classrooms, The teachers will move from class to class.

18. Classroom schedules will be available in September for students who will be working remotely from home.

19. Students in the PreK For All program and the 3K program — parents should purchase gym uniform from them. The students wear that uniform when they go out for a walk so that teachers and aides can keep an eye on them.

20. Parents are requested to read the blog weekly. Parents are also requested to listen to the IRIS messages to keep up to date.

Also, parents are requested to have all telephone numbers updated and emergency numbers and contacts updated

Until next week..........

Monday, July 27, 2020

School Re-Opening Plan

September 2020

Please click the link below to view the school re-opening plan for September 2020.

https://catholicschoolsny.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Moving-Forward-Together_7.23.2020_V2.pdf

In the next few weeks Mr. Woods will be outlining new entrance and exit procedures. Please check back to the blog once a week.

Friday, July 24, 2020

Parent Survey

2020

Please click the link below and fill out the parent survey regarding your decision about your child’s learning for September 2020.

It is important that we receive a survey from each family so that a plan may be developed for opening school.

Alba will be in the office on Monday to assist parents who have questions.

Click on this link: https://forms.gle/6A3jo3qw7x8bYkEQ7

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Parent Survey

Friday July 25, 2020

A Parent Survey link will be posted on this blog on

Friday July 25, 2020 regarding the reopening of school for September.

Alba, Mr. Guzman or Brianna will be following up with a phone call beginning on Monday as we need to hear from every parent.

Parents are requested to complete the survey before Monday.

Mr. Woods will also be publishing the Archdiocese of New York’s reopening plan for Catholic Schools on Monday for parent review.

Mr. Woods is in the school office from Monday to Friday

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM or you may e-mail him at

Olqm1@aol.com

Monday, July 13, 2020

Please read the letter carefully.

The school office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Parents may also e-mail

Mr. Woods at olqm1@aol.com

A letter from Mr. Michael J. Deegan Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York

July 13, 2020 Feast of St. Henry

Dear Catholic School Community,

Catholic Schools are opening in September! I know for so many of you that is the question that has been on your mind, and the next question is how are we doing it safely? Since March, the Health & Safety Task Force of the Superintendent of Schools has been ensuing that our students and staff remain healthy and have access to the most accurate information to safeguard them. Moreover, in April the Catholic Schools Re-Opening Council with leading experts across our state and nation have been working on a plan to safely bring our students home to our beloved catholic school buildings.

Later today, we anticipate that NYS State DOH and the Board of Regents will release its guidance; our council will release the Archdiocese comprehensive guidance early next week.
Principals have been working already with information from the council to begin planning for a September start. In advance of our Archdiocese guidance, Catholic Schools Opening: Moving Forward Together, being released early next week, I wanted to outline some fundamental topics

1. We are committed to opening schools for 5 days a week and ensuring that as many students using social distancing can safely be in our buildings under the direct supervision of a Teacher. The fact is that most buildings cannot accommodate all students socially distant for a full 5 days, scheduled; Plans will be created by the principal using a three day/two day alternating week cycle.

Early Morning Drop Off and After School Program will not be available until a later date. While I know all of you want your child in 5 days a week, government guidelines for health & safety do not allow that to happen.

2. Parents who desire can choose full time remote learning for their child. Remote learning will be with their child’s teacher, learning in the classroom with students who are in the building. Students will be seamlessly connected.

3. We are deeply committed to ensuring the loving nurturing Catholic School environment will continue. We will not relent on our academic excellence that had our student’s outperform our public and charter schools in achievement on academic measures. Social emotional learning and mental well being are a priority from the moment they return.

4. The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff are being prioritized with enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing protocols, temperature checks and symptom screening.

5. We have requested many resources which our students are entitled to under state and city law as well as through the Local School Districts. Most significantly our expectation will be all public school districts provide a nurse/medical professional for all of our schools and transportation for eligible students. We are not confident that they will fulfill those requirements. We will persist on engaging local school districts and lobbying for our students.

We want you to know how aggressively we are fighting for our children, but fear the government will fail to help us. We will keep you updated. Like many of you, I have been watching around the world and our country as states and school districts release their plans, we have studied them all. It will be a new normal and no one plan, strategy, guideline or executive order will return us to what was.

We do know however, that as we emerge, emboldened with our faith in Christ and accompanying each other on this journey, we will be stronger and committed anew to leading students to college and heaven!

Sincerely,

Mr. Michael J. Deegan
Superintendent of Schools Archdiocese of New York

Friday, July 10, 2020

Questions on School Opening for

September 2020

As you may have read in the email sent by Mr. Deegan regarding the opening of school in September- a task committee is working on the specifics which will be submitted to the NYSED (New York State Education Department) for approval.

When those details are finalized they will be posted on this blog.

There are lots of scenarios being talked about etc. -- it is important for everyone to be patient until all the plans are finalized.