January 1, 2022
Ms. Barbara Verdonck
Good morning and Happy New Year OLMC Families:
Since my last correspondence on December 30, 2021, I have heard from several more
families. With this added information, we had to make some adjustments to our plan for
reopening school on January 3, 2022.
We will continue to have in-person learning, but we will have an early dismissal for the
week of January 3rd – January 7th. NO LUNCH and NO SNACK will be in place for this
week. With this in place, students will not have to take off their masks – another added
safety measure. Students may bring water bottles with them. Please send in a straw so
students do not have to fully take off their masks to drink.
Dismissal times for the week of January 3rd are as follows:
Pre K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1: 11:40 AM North Parking Lot
Grades 2 and 3: 11:50 North Parking Lot
Grades 4 and 5: 12:00 PM North Parking Lot
Grades 6 – 8 12:00 PM South Parking Lot
I ask that as soon as your child is dismissed you leave the parking lot area.
Siblings should follow the same protocol for dismissal that we already have in place.
THERE WILL BE NO AFTERCARE THE WEEK OF JANUARY 3RD – 7TH.
This was not a decision made lightly and I know that these half sessions can cause
problems for many of our families, but these times are challenging and we want to do
our best to have our kids in school as well as keep them safe. We will always be mindful
of this challenge when making decisions.
Guidance from the CDC and our local Board of Health is constantly changing. We will
adjust our protocols as needed to make sure our OLMC families are safe while in
school.
We are looking to purchase wholesale rapid testing kits for our school community. I
know these kits are hard to purchase at this time. If you or someone you know knows
where/how we can purchase these tests please reach out to me as soon as possible.
I continue to urge you to reach out and inform me of any positive COVID cases that may
not have been communicated. This is instrumental in keeping our OLMC family safe.
Also, although voluntary, I ask that you continue to submit proof of student vaccination
status directly to my attention as it may change any quarantining requirements your
child may have.
PLEASE do NOT send your child to school if they are not feeling well. As noted in my
last communication, please know that if you send your child to school and we find they
are not feeling well we will call you to pick up your child. Your child will immediately be
removed from the classroom and placed in our quarantine room until you or a
designated person arrives. Please make sure you have someone who is able to
promptly pick up your child if you are not available. Your child will need a negative
COVID test result in order for them to return to school.
Families who were traveling, please follow the quarantine guidelines which were
communicated to you. If you still have not shared your travels with us, please do so
immediately. It is your responsibility to be honest with us!!!!! This is so important in
our efforts to keep everyone safe.
I know it is difficult, but I strongly recommend all students and staff get tested before
returning to the building. These can be either rapid, PCR, or at-home tests
I will continue to be in touch with the Archdiocesan schools office, as well as the local
health department to monitor the number of cases in our local community. To that end, I
want all families to be aware of the possibility that at any time we could become fully
remote. Please make sure to have plans in place if we need to put this into effect.
Our top priorities are keeping our OLMC family safe and keeping our school building
open for in-person instruction. This requires flexibility in our approaches and policies
since the pandemic started. We will continue to adapt our policies as necessary to
keep our school safe and open.
I continue to count on ALL the members of our OLMC family to keep an open dialogue
with us regarding their travel plans and any potential exposures. Open and honest
communication is one of our greatest tools to keep our students and staff safe.
Thank you for your cooperation, your support, and your flexibility as we continue to
navigate through these challenging times.
Stay safe, Warriors!
Ms. Verdonck