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
On Monday, August 3, Mrs. O'Connor held a virtual town hall to answer questions and go through many of the frequently asked questions regarding the opening of school. Hint: You'll want to skip over the first 10 minutes or so because it is just me waiting for people to join. I applogize for the abrupt ending. We lost internet at home and were cut off before I could say my good-byes!
St. Therese Catholic School Reopening Plan has been updated to reflect that all students grades kindergaretn through 6th grade are expected to wear masks at all times even while seated at their desks in the classrooms. The only exception is while seated while eating lunch or outsideon the playground while social distancing.
MI Safe Start Road Map
FAQ-Executive Order 2020-142 Facemasks are required for 6th grade students regardless of classroom configuration
CDC Information on Coughing and Sneezing
For teachers and parents: A Catholic Approach to Wearing Facemasks by Claire Kilbane, Ph.D, McGrath Institute for Church Life, Notre Dame
Please feel free to use the form below to send any thoughts, questions or ideas you may have. It is going to take all of use working together to make sure we have all our bases covered! Thank you!