​Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!

​Schools have been permitted to open using the hybrid model based on the Pima County Health Department’s COVID-19 dashboard showing a positive trend over the last few weeks. The health department specifications for the hybrid opening include social distancing, wearing a mask, increased ventilation, and additional hygiene measures. The Our Mother of Sorrows plan has been reviewed by the Superintendent for the Diocese of Tucson as well as the health department. For the full plan, please visit the school’s website. 

On-campus learning will begin next week. In order to support the students who will come to campus, we will have students return to campus in two small groups. This will allow for students to practice the new hygiene routines, social distancing, mask-wearing, and the arrival and dismissal procedures.

Here is the schedule for resuming on-campus learning:

• Monday, September 21: Online school will continue
• Tuesday, September 22: Only Students with last names A-L will return to campus for an orientation
• Wednesday, September 23: Only Students with last names M-Z will return to campus for an orientation
•  Thursday, September 24: Students resume on-campus learning

All students currently attending the online learning on campus should report bother Tuesday and Wednesday. They will serve as leaders in the classrooms for the students who are returning. 

For families who have elected to continue with online learning, there will be an online learning orientation for families and students next week. This will allow for students to understand the expectations online learning as well as the shift in the daily schedule.

In order to prepare for the time when our students change from all online to in-person and online options, it is vital that all families complete our brief survey. For the survey, please click here: parent survey

This information allows for us to plan for the return to on-campus learning. The survey must be completed by Wednesday, September 9th. Any family who has not completed the survey will be marked as a family who is electing to keep their child(ren) online at home. We need an accurate count for the students who plan to be on-campus in order to arrange the physical classroom spaces and ensure that we have enough desks and supplies. Thank you for responding to the survey.
 
At this point, we are getting close to re-opening. As of Thursday, the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that Pima county is meeting the benchmarks in all 3 areas. For the full report, you can look here: https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/index.php#novel-coronavirus-schools

Regarding the Pima County benchmarks, we are in progress or meeting 7 of the 9 areas. For more information, you can look here: https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=568644

Although, I do not know when the date will be that we are able to open for learning, there is a possibility that we will be able to open with hybrid learning as early as September 21st. This would be dependent on Pima county data meeting the benchmarks since the date we will return to campus is dependent on meeting the benchmarks outlined above.
 
I know that many of us are anxious to resume on-campus learning, but let us remember to trust in God’s timing: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

I hope all our families have a great Labor Day weekend! We will be back for online learning on Tuesday, September 8.