School Closure Contingency Plans
Parents and Friends of Star of the Sea School,
2020 continues to be an extraordinary and challenging year. While there is finally light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine for COVID-19 on the horizon, we are also experiencing a world-wide spike in cases. While we can look forward with hope, we must continue to remain diligent and be prepared for anything.
There has been considerable speculation about the status of schools during this second wave of COVID-19. Some jurisdictions are considering beginning Christmas Break early or extending it longer into the new year. There has been calls to reduce class sizes or switch to online learning until the worst of this second wave has passed.
So far our governing authorities have resisted calls to close schools. They say that schools remain as safe a place as there is for children right now. When considering all aspects of health including social, emotional, and mental health, schools remaining open is good for kids.
Nevertheless, if 2020 has taught me anything, it is that we should be prepared for any contingency. The staff at Star of the Sea have been busy preparing for a school shutdown since we came back to work at the end of August.
The following plans are in place in the event of a school closure:
1) Emergency Learning Kits- Teachers have prepared a package for each student that includes everything they would need for one week of learning remotely without any online connection and minimal parental support. Within that week we will initiate our full complement of online learning opportunities.
2) Online Platforms- Teachers are prepared to deliver daily synchronous and asynchronous lessons to students through our online platforms. Using emails to parents, Seesaw, Google Classroom, and our own school website, students and parents can be connected to the school more than ever.
3) Bringing Home Materials Over Christmas- Each Christmas the students empty their desks to allow for cleaning. This year, students will bring all their materials home over Christmas Break just in case we do not re-open on January 4th . This includes all novels, textbooks and workbooks, as well as the Emergency Learning Kit mentioned earlier.
4) Providing Access to Technology- Students in Grades 6 & 7 will bring home their Chromebook over the Christmas Break. The remaining Chromebooks and iPads will be distributed to families on an “as needed” basis. Hopefully the majority of families have what is needed already.
5) Comprehensive Expectations- Last year we were surprised by the decision to close schools and it took some time to adjust to online learning. This time we are ready with clear procedures and expectations should we need to turn to remote learning again.
Please continue to pray for a speedy end to COVID-19. Nothing would make me happier than for all of our preparations to turn out to be unnecessary. Nevertheless, I hope that you take comfort in knowing that, if needed, we will be prepared to spring into action and continue to help your children learn and grow at home.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jason Borkowski
Principal