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.

Because we care about the health and safety of every student who enters our campus, we continue consultations and communication with our local and state health departments to ensure our mitigation plan is aligned with the most recent recommendations.  To that end, we are sending out this clarification in our safe mitigation protocol if students exhibit COVID-like symptoms while on campus.  Following are the most recent COVID-like symptoms you need to monitor your children daily for prior to bringing them to school.  In an overabundance of caution, we will maintain a zero tolerance for illness.  Therefore, if your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, KEEP THEM HOME:

• Fever
• Shortness of Breath
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle or Body Aches
• New loss of taste of smell
• Sore Throat
• Runny Nose and/or congestion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If your child exhibits any of the above symptoms while at school, he/she will be isolated and sent home to self-isolate for ten days and may not return until his/her symptoms have improved and he/she is fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.  Because having one or more of the above symptoms does not necessarily mean that your child has COVID-19, we will encourage parents in this situation to either take your child to the doctor or have your child tested for COVID.  If your child tests negative for COVID or if a physician verifies that your child has an illness other than COVID, your child may return prior to the ten-day isolation if his/her symptoms have improved and he/she is fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.   Out of an abundance of caution, all the children in your household will need to self-isolate as well until the cause of the symptoms are determined, or until the ten-day isolation has expired.   The attached Flow Chart from Arizona Department of Health Services may help illustrate our mitigation protocol.

IF YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT OR EXPOSED TO A COVID-POSITIVE PERSON, CALL THE SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Thank you for your support in following these health and safety guidelines. 

Last week, we finished our first full week of school! It was such a blessing to hear the giggles from the preschool building this week! Our preschool students counted, played outside, and learned about preschool. With our K-8 students, we began online. Even though we cannot see each other in person daily, I did enjoy hearing from some of our students that they were so glad to “see” their friends and “meet” their teachers.

I hope all our students and families enjoyed our first Mass this year! We are so blessed to have Fr. Arnold and Fr. Tom here at Our Mother of Sorrows. Last Friday, they celebrated Mass with a special focus on the Holy Spirit. We were able to ask the Holy Spirit to bless our school year.

As we begin our new school year, we ask that the Holy Spirit bless each of our students, families, and faculty. We pray that each member of our school community will follow Jesus!

After reviewing the guidance for re-opening schools, we are excited to finalize our preparations for the 2020/2021 school year. We will begin the year online on August 17th which is just over a week away. Next week, be on the look-out for important information from the school office and your child’s teacher. In the meantime, we hope that we can help address a few questions that families have asked.

Where can I find information related to COVID-19 and the school year? In order to provide a central location with the current information related to the school year, please visit the school website at www.omoschool.com. The home page has a special link for the pandemic plan and a “news and information” button that will direct you to the latest updates.

Getting Ready for the Start of School
When will I find out who my child’s teacher will be? We know many students are excited to find out who their teachers will be for the year. Your child’s teacher will email a welcome letter and other information on Wednesday, August 12th in the afternoon.

When can I pick up my child’s school books? During the week of August 17th, we will a schedule for families to pick up their books. We apologize for the delay, but two publishers have informed us that they have delays due to weather and COVID-19; the books should arrive soon.

Technology
I requested a Chromebook, when can I pick it up? A Sign-Up Genius will be sent to families who have responded to the survey and indicated the need for a Chromebook. We will have designated times for families who have requested a Chromebook to check-out their device on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In order to check-out a Chromebook, the Technology Agreement Form must be signed. The form can be reviewed here: http://www.omosschool.com/prek-8-handbooks-and-forms.html

What does my child need to access the online learning? Students will need internet, Google Chrome on the device (preferred), and access to a laptop or tablet.

How can I get internet in my home? Cox is offering a deal for internet to support students who are learning online. https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete.html

First Day of School
Since we are starting school online, what does my child need to do on the first day of school? The school year will start with prayer. Next week, when you receive your welcome information from your child’s teacher, you will receive the instructions for the first day of school.

What time does school start and end when we are online? The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m.  The school day will end at the regular scheduled time which can be found on the school calendar: http://www.omosschool.com/calendar.html

Does my child need to wear a uniform online? Students will not need to wear a uniform if they are attending school at home. Students should dress appropriately in clothing that aligns with the non-dress code guidelines in the Parent Handbook. The Handbook can be found here: http://www.omosschool.com/prek-8-handbooks-and-forms.html

My child is registered to attend online learning on-campus. What do I need to know? On Monday, you will receive confirmation of your child’s placement as well as the important information for the start of the school year.

Will breakfast and lunch be available starting August 17th? Breakfast and lunch will be available beginning August 17th. We are resuming our standard lunch program, and the food will be cooked on-campus in our commercial kitchen. Watch for an email from Mrs. Felix for the menu and procedures to order lunch.

Future Plans
I desire to have my child attend school on-campus. When will on-campus learning begin? The current date is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8th but that is subject to change dependent on Pima county meeting specific benchmarks. For more information related to the benchmarks, please review the ADHS information: file:///C:/Users/19046/Downloads/2020.8.6.ADHS%20covid-19-school-benchmarks-county.pdf
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Will there be sports? As of right now, the Diocese of Tucson is waiting to start the sports program in the interest of keeping students healthy. When more information is available, we will share it with families. 

Governor Ducey is scheduled on August 7th to make an announcement related to schools in the state of Arizona. Following his announcement, the school will send out more information. We realize that many families have questions related to the start of school. We appreciate your patience as we try to respond to the evolving situation related to the pandemic. 
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We will send out a sign-up for checking out Chromebooks to the families who responded to last week's survey with the August 5th deadline. 

Due to the pandemic and the hurricane, some of our textbooks have not arrived to campus yet. Once the books arrive, we will set up a schedule for families to pick up their books. We apologize for the inconvenience, but unfortunately, we cannot control the pandemic or the weather!
We realize that many families may need evening and weekend times in order to pick-up school materials, and we will have times available to try and meet your needs. 

The Pima County Health Dept. has strongly urged online learning at least through Labor Day.  Our Mother of Sorrows is following these guidelines in an effort to keep our students, faculty, and families healthy. All students will begin online academic instruction on August 17th.
 
The state and local authorities have indicated that schools should have allowances for students to come onto campus in order to access the free and reduced lunch program, to access internet, and for the children of essential workers to have a place to take their online classes. Based on the guidelines, Our Mother of Sorrows will provide limited spaces for students in K-8 to access the online instruction on-campus beginning August 17th.
 
Students using this service will be required to do the following:

1. Wear a mask.
2. Maintain social distancing.
3. Participate in the online classes.

 
Students will be arranged in classrooms, and an adult will monitor the online instruction for the students in grades K-8. The day will be structured to include:

1. A monitor in the classroom where the students are present
2. Children from a family will be grouped together
3. Children will be grouped with no more than 9 children per room to allow for social distancing
4. Scheduled recess times will be arranged by cohort
5. Breakfast and lunch will be available to students
6. Supervised learning environment from 7:30-3:30

 
During the week of August 10th, times will be scheduled for families to check-out Chromebooks, textbooks, and other learning supplies. All families will need to arrange a time to come and get the learning materials for the start of the year.
 
In order to determine the number of monitors needed as well as the number of Chromebooks that need to be checked-out, we need all families to complete a survey by Wednesday, August 5th.  In order to select the on-campus arrangement for online learning, you must complete the survey and meet one of the following criteria:

1. Student is the child of an essential worker
2. Student lacks reliable internet at home
3. Student would otherwise not have lunch available
4. Student has a documented CAMP plan
5. Student has no other daycare option

 
Here is the survey: https://forms.gle/vmhJ7yTJZv1yHKdt9
 
For students in preschool, on-campus learning will begin on August 17th. Preschools and childcare facilities are licensed through the Arizona Department of Health Services, and they are permitted to operate. The preschool will follow the guidelines as outlined on the pandemic plan.

Can you believe we are less than one month away from starting the 2020/2021 school year?

Yesterday, Governor Ducey made an announcement related to schools. The announcement stated that schools and districts will receive additional guidance on August 7th. Following the additional guidance, an update will be sent to parents. Currently, on-campus learning is still scheduled to begin on August 17th for all students, and we are still offering a full online option for families who would like to participate in online learning.

The school will continue to offer both options, and most of our families have already indicated whether they are choosing the online or on-campus learning option for the first trimester. In order for families to determine whether online or on-campus learning is the best option for your family, we ask that families notify Mrs. Lanik at clanik@omosschool.com by August 12th if you want to change your learning option from on-campus to online or from online to on-campus.

On our website, families can review the full plan for the school related to COVID-19. Many of the pertinent details are in the COVID-19 re-enty plan, but there are also details in the Parent Handbook. I encourage all our families to review both these documents in their entirety since they include critical information for parents and students. The information related to the procedures due to the pandemic are subject to change based on the recommendations from the Diocese of Tucson, Pima Health Department, and the CDC.
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Thank you for your patience as we try to navigate this unprecedented situation. 

During this time when live Masses are impacted by the pandemic, I stumbled upon a weekly Children's Liturgy of the Word. Each Sunday, Catholic TV airs the Children's Liturgy of the Word hosted by Miss Heidi. The Liturgy incorporates sign language, songs, prayers, and God's Word into an engaging 20-25 minute program, and it can help children to understand the message in the Gospel. It is aired live at 5:30 a.m., but after that, families can watch the program at their desired time. The link for the weekly videos can be found here: http://www.catholictv.org/shows/childrens-liturgy 
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I hope you are all having a peaceful Sunday.

We hope that you are having a safe summer! A few weeks ago, I sent out a revised calendar, but in light of Governer Ducey's order, we have revised the calendar again. Governor Ducey is requiring all schools to delay opening their on-campus learning until August 17th. In order to meet this requirement, we are moving our first day of school until Monday, August 17th for all students. 
In order to move the start date back, we have revised the calendar. Here are some of the important changes:

• Christmas Break: December 19-January 3
• 8th Grade Promotion: June 1
• Last Day of School: June 4

For the full calendar, please visit our calendar on the website.
We appreciate your flexibility with these changes. Our hope is to provide a safe learning environment for our students, and we will continue to follow the recommendations from Pima Health, Department of Catholic Schools, and the Governor's orders as we develop our plans including our school calendar for when classes are scheduled.

In order to provide continuity in the learning, the school calendar has been changed for this year. For all the details for the school calendar, please visit the school calendar page.

• The scheduled diocesan teacher professional development days have been moved from September to March.
• Fall break has been eliminated to allow for continuous learning.
• Christmas break will last from December 21-January 8.

Additionally, if the school is required to close for a short 2-3 day closure, we will count the break as days off from school and modify the spring semester by either shortening a break or adding days to the end of the school year.