Dear St. Francis Parents,
We know you are eager for information about the 2021–22 school year. We have been hard at work planning for a school year through ever-evolving circumstances, and our primary goal is to bring back as much of the St. Francis experience as possible while continuing to keep our community safe.
What changes are planned for the 2021–22 school year?
The changes below were first announced in our January 2021 St. Francis Connections event:
- Discontinue temperature checks (but continue self-monitoring).
- Discontinue SchoolPass morning check-in.
- Discontinue cohort model.
- Discontinue remote learning except in cases where a student must quarantine due to COVID exposure.
- Uniform requirements will return to pre-COVID guidelines.
- Resume participation in all sports/athletics with spectators in attendance.
- Resume Fine Arts programming with in-person performances and audience members in attendance.
- Resume normal Dining Hall operations with minor modifications.
Additionally, we would like to:
- Welcome parents back on campus.
- Make the use of face coverings optional for students and faculty.
- Host events on and off campus where the St. Francis community can gather and celebrate.
- Resume field trips.
- Remove plexi-glass from classrooms.
What will stay the same in the 2021–22 school year?
- Parents screen children for symptoms at home (no SchoolPass).
- Deep-cleaning protocols.
- Doctor’s note required to return to school if your child was ill and had 2 or more symptoms of COVID-19.
- Reporting COVID cases to nurses and after-hours COVID hotline.
- Continue tracking COVID cases among students and staff.
What if there is a spike in cases at St. Francis?
Should we experience a spike of cases at St. Francis, we may shift into a scenario in which we would implement the following protocols:
- Requiring face coverings for students in grade 5 and up.
- Social distancing of 3’ in affected classrooms.
- Requiring face coverings at large gatherings, such as chapel and/or sporting events.
Please know we will continue to monitor the guidance and recommendations of national and local health authorities while looking at our school community data. Thank you for your partnership as we move forward together.
Best regards,
Stephen Lovejoy, MEd
Head of School
