St. Therese  Catholic School

Good Afternoon, 
As most of you are probably aware by now, on Friday afternoon Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-185 which mandates the wearing of masks in school for all students from kindergarten to 12th grade starting on Monday, October 5, 2020. Since we do not have school for students on the 5th, starting on October 6th, all St. Therese students kindergarten through 6th grade will be required to wear masks when in the classroom. The Executive Order does not apply to preschool students at this time.  The Allegan Department of Public Health has clarified that face shields are not a substitute for masks. Students may wear face shields in addition to wearing a mask, but they may not replace a mask with a face shield. 
Please know that we will be modifying our schedule to provide frequent mask breaks for all of our students. We are also working to determine alternative learning spaces where students might be able to work for periods of time with out a mask, such as setting up tables on the black top outside. As we receive further guidance on how to implement this change and the teachers refine their classroom plans, we will keep you informed via Friday Notes, teacher communications and our school website. 
For your information, the following paragraph is quoted from the statement from the Governor's office:
"This order expands the requirement to wear a mask in the classroom to all students kindergarten and up. It is now crystal clear that COVID-19 can be deadly to younger children, and that children who become infected at school can pass the virus to their parents, leading to community spread. In the absence of a widespread vaccine, wearing a covering over the nose and mouth remains the most effective tool to combat the spread of COVID-19, both in schools and the wider community. Given the higher incidence of cases among children in recent months, and the clear effectiveness of masking as a mitigation strategy, requiring the use of masks in the classroom even for younger students is a reasonable and necessary requirement in Regions at Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan."
As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. We will get through this together! It has been an amazing first 5 weeks of school and we plan to keep it going. St. Therese Catholic School is an amazing place to learn and grow. 
St. Therese, pray for us! 
Sheryl 
 

St. Therese Catholic School will strive to provide a quality education to every child, every day in a safe Christian environment that is rich in Catholic heritage and traditions. 

“Miss no opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”  

St. Therese of Lisieux

Welcome to St. Therese Catholic School! Located in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, we serve the children and families of Wayland and the surrounding communities in pre-school through fifth grade. If you are considering a Catholic School education for your child, please reach out to us. We would love to show you around! No child is ever turned away from St. Therese Catholic School because of financial need. 

St. Therese Catholic School 

430 S. Main Street
Wayland Michigan 49348
269.792.2016

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