Return-to-School Plans: Full-Time, In-Person School for All Grade Levels
Dear Walla Walla Catholic School families,
Over the course of the late spring and through the summer, we, along with members of the community, worked to establish our protocols for a return-to-school in the fall. Some of the details continue to be in flux, and, as we have become accustomed, everything is subject to change. However, we would like to take a moment to provide a summary of the plan as it exists under the current state and diocesan requirements.
Full-Time, In-Person School: Under the current guidelines, we will be able to offer all students in-person instruction all day, every day. We believe that by its nature, in-person instruction provides a better learning environment for students, and we are happy that we will be able to offer that for our families. However, we must balance this learning with the loving concern for the immunocompromised members of our community. These adjustments are made for the good of our community and are in accordance with state regulations. Below are some of the fundamental pieces:
Masks—All students, faculty, staff and guests will be required to wear a mask or face shield while at school. There are exceptions for specific medical conditions.
Social Distancing—All classroom desks and/or tables will be arranged to allow for 6 feet of social distancing when students are seated.
Classroom Transitions—Student movement between classrooms will be minimized to the extent possible. At the junior high and the high school level, class composition changes from subject to subject and, therefore, more movement will be necessary. However, classrooms are being assigned to limit movement. Any transitions for students will be directed with social distancing.
Arrival Health Screenings—At the start of every day and prior to entering the buildings, all students will have their temperature taken, and will be asked a series of basic health questions regarding COVID symptoms. Students who exhibit a fever, or who are otherwise sick, will not be able to enter the building.
Staggered Start/End Times—To facilitate entry and exit of the building, and to minimize contact with students outside of their grade,, start and end times will be staggered. The exact details of those times are currently being finalized and will be sent out when confirmed.
Staggered Lunches—Lunch times will also be staggered as a means of limiting contact. We are still finalizing where students will eat lunch.. It is a possibility that lunch will be in the classroom, but we are also exploring other options, to enable a change of space for the students in a physically, socially and emotionally healthy way.
Recess—We believe recess and recreation are essential parts of human happiness. While the nature of recess will look different in the coming year, recess will still be held.
Before and After School Gatherings and Activities—Like recess, we believe that before and after school activities are both formally and informally important in supporting our students. We are working on plans to provide opportunities that are safe and in accordance with state requirements.
Sports—the
WIAA has adjusted the sports seasons and wants to be able to offer sports this coming year. As a school, we believe that sports are a valuable part of our students' formation and will be working to offer some form of sports option even if inter-school competition is not possible.
Liturgies—Weekly Mass is perhaps the most important activity our students participate in. While it might not be possible for all students to gather at a single Mass, we will be making every effort to ensure that our students are able to go to Mass every week.
We are grateful for your patience in the evolving nature of this situation. As we move closer to our planned first day of school on August 24, more details will be available. We will communicate additional information in the coming weeks.
Sincerely in Christ,
John Lesko, principal, and Father Curtis Seidel, president
Walla Walla Catholic Schools