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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.
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 Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to determine whether a faculty member and/or student will need to quarantine following a trip. In order to help determine whether it may be necessary to quarantine, please answer the small questionnaire.
If you answer yes to any of the questions, please speak with an administrator to determine whether it is necessary to quarantine for 14 days upon returning from your trip. If you answer no to all the questions, you are welcome to return to campus following your trip as long as you are free from all symptoms related to COVID-19. The COVID-19 situation is constantly evolving, if the number of cases in an area changes during your stay, please re-evaluate your need to quarantine. If follow-up is needed, please contact Mrs. Vu and/or Mrs. Kane. Here is the survey. Thank you to all our families for their generosity. I was overwhelmed to see the overflowing boxes of stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and other food items. The food will be used to help families with the Thanksgiving Food Baskets. At Mass today, Fr. Tom reminded us that we should also pray for those who are hungry, and we appreciate the prayers for the hungry too. Thank you for helping to feed the hungry and lovingly serving those in need! Now that the weather is starting to cool down, please remember to send your child to school with appropriate outside wear. This year, we are eating lunch and snack outside most days. As the weather cools, it is important that students have a sweater or sweatshirt. In the classroom, students should have a sweater or sweatshirt that follows the dress code. Sweaters and sweatshirts should be navy blue, chambray blue, or white. They may be plain with no logo, or they may have the school logo (purchased through our vendors). Please review the dress code policy for more information. Please remember to label your child's clothing! Finally, there have been a few updates to the Pandemic plan based on updated guidance from the Pima County Health Department. Please review the school website for the most current information: http://www.omosschool.com/covid-19-information.html  Many families have asked how to get involved and support our students. In response, here are a few ways that we would love for our families to support the education of our children:
Recently, the middle school students tested their engineering and design skills to build a car in order to test the speed of a car traveling down a ramp. Through their science exploration, they learned about gravitational potential energy, and they used different ramp heights to determine how the potential energy impacted the speed of the car as it travelled down the ramp. It was great to see the students in action.
On Monday, Fr. Arnold came to campus with the Blessed Sacrament to bless the students and the school. It was beautiful to see the students kneel before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Arnold came to each classroom, and he visited all our students. This week, we have received additional guidance from the Pima County Health Department and the Diocese of Tucson. As part of the guidance, we are requesting that families let us know if they will be traveling out of the country or traveling on a plane. If students are traveling out of the country or on a plane, we are asking that students quarantine for 14 days after retuning to Tucson. Additionally, if students are participating in large group gatherings, we are asking that students quarantine for 14 days following the event. Thank you for your support. Taking these extra steps will help us to keep our school community safe!
With the return to campus, it is important that all families review the 2 attachments detailing our safe return to campus. 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:
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. We have a new Office Manager at Our Mother of Sorrows. I would like to welcome Aydee Felix as our Office Manager. Mrs. Felix will continue supporting the National School Lunch Program at the school, but I am excited to have her support our families as the Office Manager. If you need to contact Mrs. Felix, her email address is afelix@omosschool.com
Next week, we will have Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday and Friday. We will have an early dismissal at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, and the K-8 students will not have classes on Friday. All the conferences will be held on Google Meet. At this point, we are getting close to re-opening. Thank you for answering our survey so that we can finalize and prepare for the students who will transition from online to on-campus learning. As of yesterday, 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 8 of the 9 areas. For more information, you can look here: https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=568644 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). 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:
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 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.
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:
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:
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:
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. 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
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:
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.
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. As we begin the Triduum and prepare for Easter, I pray that all our families are healthy and safe. Normally, the students engage in many prayers in preparation for Holy Week. As families, there are many ways that we can engage our families in this holy season even though we cannot go to Church and be together as one community.
Holy Thursday Today is the day that we celebrate the 1st Eucharist when Jesus shares in the Last Supper with his disciples. We also celebrate when Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and the Holy Thursday Mass includes the washing of the feet. The Holy Thursday Mass does not have a sending. Parishes traditionally offer prayer time before the Blessed Sacrament because Jesus prayed in the garden until he was arrested. Today is a beautiful day, and it is the beginning of the Triduum. As a family, here are a few ideas that you can do at home to celebrate Holy Thursday at home:
Good Friday Today is the day that we pray and remember that Jesus died on the cross for us. We are called to reflect and pray on the fact that Jesus endured much suffering as He was condemned to death, carried His cross, and was crucified. As a family, here are a few ideas that you can do at home to celebrate Good Friday at home:
Holy Saturday, The Easter Vigil Following the crucifixion of Jesus, the world was quiet. On Holy Saturday, we wait for Jesus to rise from the dead. The Easter Vigil Mass is traditionally the Mass when the Catholic Church welcomes new members into the Church through the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. The Mass begins in darkness, and Mass includes many readings which describe God's love and salvation for His people from Genesis to Jesus. Then, after waiting since Lent began, we finally sing the Alleluia which is when the Church changes from darkness to light! As a family, here are a few ideas that you can do at home to celebrate the Easter Vigil at home:
Please know that you will all be in my prayers, and I am anxious for the day that we can all be on campus together again! |
