A Letter from Mrs. Durkin to School Parents
Dear Parents,
We would like to provide a brief update of our plans for the reopening of school.
Notre Dame School plans on opening with our usual five days each week with full school days for all of our students when school resumes in September.
We are working closely with Perrotta Consulting, who is guiding us in our efforts to adhere to, and implement, all of the current safety protocols and procedures.
The one thing that is certain is that the guidelines are continuously being modified, but having Perrotta Consulting as a guide and support ensures that we are adhering to those guidelines, meeting and exceeding all the requirements to keep our children and faculty/staff safe.
By the first few weeks in August, my goal is to have a schedule and plan in place so that our teachers can begin planning the 2020-2021 school year accordingly. Be assured that we are also working on plans so that if necessary, we can seamlessly transfer to distance learning with live instruction.
Further guidance on the first week of school will be dependent upon the Governor’s directives to be announced during the first week of August.
Regarding masks, each child will be required to have a mask with them at all times. We are closely monitoring the safety guidance and government mandates to determine our protocol for mask wearing while in the classroom. It will depend on numerous factors, such as classroom size, students per room, and grades of students. At this point, our mask-wearing policy has not been finalized, but please know that a mask-wearing policy will be in place by the start of school in September. I would encourage you to have your children accustomed to wearing the masks at home, or when you are out, so that this is not a new experience for them when they come back to school. At this point, according to the state guidelines, Nursery and PK students will only be required to wear a mask entering and exiting the building.
More information outlining our plans will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
Our collective strength will absolutely get us through the upcoming school year. It already looks and feels so different and with so many unknowns. This is clearly the most challenging obstacle that we have all faced in a long time. Our strength and faith will help us get through this. Please know that I keep all our families in my daily prayers and that you are all safe and doing well. I am looking forward to seeing all of you as we begin this school year, together.
God’s Blessings,
Caryn Flores Durkin, Principal
Father Joseph C. Scolaro, Pastor