Happy (Almost) Thanksgiving!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is around the corner? This is a great time of the year to reflect on the gifts that have been given to us this year.

• I am thankful for the excellent work of our faculty. Our teachers have worked so hard this fall to deliver high-quality instruction to the students both online and in the classroom, and they have overcome the new challenge with grace.
• I am thankful for the staff who have worked behind the scenes in many instances to make sure that lunches are served, paperwork is completed, and the technology is running.
• I am thankful for our priests who have continued to celebrate the sacraments with our community.
• I am thankful for our students who allow us to fulfill our mission. Their laughter and smiles are always a gift too.
• I am thankful for our families who have partnered with us in the education of our children. Thank you for the prayers, the support, and the extra cleaning supplies!

We know that many families are looking forward to a few days off. Regardless of your Thanksgiving plans, I pray that you and your family remain safe and healthy. On Wednesday, I sent the recommendations for the holidays from the Pima County Health Department which are based on the fact that community spread is happening at large social gatherings. If you plan to participate in large gatherings over the Thanksgiving break, we are asking families to transition to online learning for the 2 weeks following Thanksgiving break in order to continue to keep our teachers, staff and students healthy. If your child will participate in online learning following the break, we are happy to provide you with a Chromebook. Please contact Mrs. Kane at lkane@omosschool.com if you need a Chromebook.

Our school community has remained healthy during the pandemic so far. There have been zero reported cases on the physical school campus! This is due to the combined efforts of our families and faculty. We continue to practice our mitigation strategies including social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and daily health checks. Please continue to help keep our community healthy by keeping children home when a child or household member is ill.

Additionally, masks are effective when they fit properly. Please ensure that your child's mask fits correctly meaning that the mask covers the nose and mouth and fits snugly around the face and chin. The mask should remain in place when your child speaks and moves. If the face mask is falling while your child speaks, it is too big. There is also evidence that the single layer masks are not very effective when tested relative to masks with 2 or more layers. The recommendation is that masks have a minimum of 2-layers. After the Thanksgiving break, students, faculty, and staff must wear a mask that is a minimum of 2 layers. Please ensure that your child is wearing a mask, whether gaiter or traditional mask, that has a minimum of 2 layers that fits properly