SAN ANTONIO – In a letter to parents, Archdiocese of San Antonio Superintendent of Catholic Schools Marti West on Tuesday explained protocols and plans for the reopening of Catholic Schools.
“There are numerous steps which schools can take to significantly reduce the risks for students, teachers, staff, and their families,” West said in the letter. “We believe we are implementing best practices according to the latest public health information.”
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Implemented practices listed in the letter include the following:
- Academic programming which will allow parents to choose any one of three options to meet the individual learning needs of their child, while also meeting the health considerations of their family members. Those options are On campus synchronous instruction, asynchronous instruction in which students attend school remotely in an online platform that doesn’t have instruction, and a hybrid option that combines synchronous instruction while working remotely from home.
- The first day of school will be determined by each campus based on campus readiness of the physical space and training of faculty and staff in new safety protocols. The first day will occur between August 17 and September 8.
- For families choosing the on campus instruction option, a conservative re-integration process will be implemented during the first three weeks of instruction. This process will allow for the school year to begin by gradually bringing students back on campus in small groups. Such a transition will allow for an opportunity to focus on student and parent confidence in understanding expectations for established protocols, teacher confidence in classroom management procedures and safety protocols with a smaller groups of students and evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of planned protocols and making adjustments as quickly as needed.
- Archdiocesan safety protocols — aligned to recommended Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines — have been established to include physical distancing, masks to be work at all times except for recess and physical education sessions — at which time physical distancing protocols will be maintained — a regular cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and a screening process that will feature questions, temperature checks, and the restriction of guests and visitors on a campus.
Parent input in the process is greatly appreciated and needed. Campus plans must be submitted to the Department of Catholic Schools prior to August 1.
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