Read the latest letter from the Archdiocese by clicking HERE!
Dear Academy Community,
Principal, Ms. Barbara Verdonck
As you all know the Academy of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, following the guidance issued by the Department of Health and the State of New Jersey, is lifting its mask mandate on Monday, March 7, 2022 for students and staff as well as temperature checks for arriving students.
We know that masking and safety protocols work. Due to the hard work and generous patience of our community we are proud to share that we have not had a single community-spread case in our building. We also know that we are in a new stage of the pandemic, and that is why we feel it is the right time to lift the mandate along with our public school counterparts.
Moving forward we want to be clear to you all about how we are moving forward and offer a few suggestions and reminders, as we enter this new stage.
A few things to keep in mind when deciding whether now is the time your should unmask:
- Of the parents who have told us, the percentage of the student body that is eligible to receive vaccines, (children 5 and up) remains around 50%. Please continue to submit updated vaccination records if you decide to have your child vaccinated against Covid-19. This information, while not mandatory, assists us in providing valuable information when making decisions around quarantining and contact tracin
- All visitors and third party vendors to the building are not required to wear masks.
- We encourage students to keep a mask on their persons at all times and masking when appropriate. This will give students (and parents) some peace of mind when participating in mixed-grade activities, group work and athletic opportunities.
Finally, some reminders:
Harassment or ridicule of individuals due to their choice regarding masks will not be tolerated and will be addressed swiftly according to the disciplinary procedures in the Parent / Student Handbook.
Parents who want their child/ren to continue to wear a mask will need to communicate to their child/ren the expectations regarding mask use in school. Academy staff are not responsible for regulating mask wearing but will do their best to monitor mask wearing for these students.
In the event we find ourselves with elevated levels of transmission within our school or local communities, we reserve the right to implement mask mandates on a temporary basis for the safety of our students and staff.
Thank you for your attention and determination during these strange and startling days and we are hopeful that the hardest times are behind us. With the guidance and protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel we safely though boldliy go into the future!
We are Mount Carmel,
Ms. Barbara Verdonck