Dear Families, Faculty and Staff,
Today I'd like to share our progress toward re-opening the Early Childhood Program and beginning Summer at Sacred Heart 2020, along with additional updates and an invitation. We are continuing to work diligently in order to open our doors as soon as possible, with a target date of Monday, June 15. This date is dependent on mandates from the State of Michigan, and will likely require that our region is in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan on or before June 15. We will remain in frequent communication over the next month and throughout the summer, as the situation evolves.
Anticipated Return-to-School Procedures Beginning June 15
You are likely wondering what this will mean for your family. For ECP and summer camp families, you can expect that:
- All adults and campers will be expected to wear masks and practice social distancing upon exiting their vehicle. Campers will be asked to bring two masks per day, with the spare mask in a Ziploc bag.
- Screening will take place in person, outside the building, at multiple entry points. Your child will be assigned an entrance in an effort to reduce travel throughout the building. Any person with a fever of 99.4° (via touch-free scan) or 100.4° (via ear thermometer), as determined by the screener, will not be allowed to enter the building.
- Parents will be required to stay on campus until their child has been screened; only ECP parents will be allowed to enter the building, and these parents will NOT be allowed to enter classrooms.
- Your child's class/group will remain separate from other classes/groups as they move throughout their day. It is our intention that campers and ECP students will not cross paths once in the building.
- Children will wash their hands upon entering the classroom (see note on touchless faucets below) and as directed throughout the day.
- Anyone exhibiting symptoms during their time in the building will be re-screened. If found to have a fever (see above), or at the discretion of a member of the School Leadership Team, the individual will be taken to a designated room to await pickup within one hour.
- We will modify our policy for returning to school/camp following an illness. Rather than a "24-hour rule," we expect to enact a "72-hour rule." In the case of COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, exclusion may be required for up to 14 days, as well as test results and clearance from a doctor.
As we move closer to re-opening, we will provide more detailed guidance and policies. In the interim, I encourage families to reach out to Kristen Miller with individual questions about the Early Childhood Program and Lauren Vidak for inquiries about Summer at Sacred Heart.
Facilities & Housekeeping Measures
Our highest priority remains the safety of our entire community, and we are taking stringent measures to ensure we meet and exceed all health and safety requirements. We have implemented changes to our cleaning and sanitation procedures, in accordance with CDC guidelines. Among these:
- A member of the housekeeping staff will be on site at all times while school is in session, so that cleaning and sanitizing of high-touch areas can be ongoing throughout the day.
- On the ground floor, faucets on sinks in ECP, Primary and Lower School bathrooms, as well as in the T1 and T2 rooms, will be converted to touchless faucets. This change will make it easier for our youngest students to better wash their hands, while eliminating some high-touch surfaces.
- After school hours, the building will be deep cleaned and disinfected, in classrooms as well as common areas. All products used are EPA approved to meet or exceed the standard now required by the CDC. A Clorox Electrostatic sprayer will be used, in addition to usual cleaning procedures.
CARES Act - Update
If ASH had a theme during this pandemic, it might be proactive and prayerful. Just as we established a COVID-19 Task Force early on to ensure we were prepared and able to deliver remote learning, we were proactive in staying informed on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act as it moved through Congress, and other opportunities to support non-profit organizations during the pandemic.
We understood early on the financial impact that COVID-19 would likely have on planned charitable giving events and non-tuition related income. We were also anticipating necessary investments in safety and screening equipment and supplies as highlighted above. Additionally, we anticipated increased financial aid and flexibility in payment arrangements so we can support, to the best of our ability, families who have been significantly impacted.
As I shared on April 7, with direction and support from the Board of Trustees, our team was ready to apply for CARES Act funding through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as soon as it launched. I'm happy to share the great news that we were successful and our application was among the first approved. Since then, the PPP funds have been used as intended, allowing us to maintain salaries and benefits for our faculty and staff, and to cover some overhead costs.
Preparing for a Feast Day, and Remembering Sr. Zipple
As we finish this, our eighth week of remote learning, I am eagerly anticipating next week's Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and a special Congé carnival. Please save the date for a prayer service and family fun on Friday, May 22, beginning at 10 a.m. Watch for details early next week.
During the Feast Day prayer service, we will remember Annette Zipple, RSCJ, who passed away on Wednesday. Please join me in praying for Sr. Zipple and all the Religious of the Sacred Heart, who have dedicated their lives to serving others in Jesus' name. Together with the extended Sacred Heart community, we celebrate Sr. Zipple's life and trust that we have another advocate in Heaven.
In His hope,
Damian Hermann
Head of School