The Archdiocese Department of Catholic Schools has sent out the following letter with an update regarding the status of On-Campus instruction.
Dear Catholic School Leaders:
I hope this correspondence finds you well. You have all demonstrated incredible tenacity, grit and perseverance during this emergency – THANK YOU!
As you know, there has been much said lately about the status of the school year for our peers in public schools across the state. Naturally, questions about our status are being asked. From the start of this crisis, our practice has been to follow the guidance of public health officials in our respective communities. While statements from our civic leaders are important, orders from public health officers are enforceable. To that end, I have been engaged with our partners in public health to seek further guidance on what we should expect. As the letter states, we do not have a date to return to in-person instruction; we will return when it is safe to do so. Though we remain hopeful, we may not be able to return to campus this school year. Preparation for this reality is now essential.
There will be many questions you, your staff and parents will have about what this means. We all recognize that we are confronting uncertainly with many issues these days and unfortunately there may simply not be an answer at the moment. As you prepare for the continuation of distance learning, I encourage you and your teams (if you have not done so already) to review the balance of the school year calendar and determine what adjustments and contingency plans will be necessary. We will continue to be an asset to you during this time and provide guidance, training and counsel.
Finally, I’d like to share a new video with you from Archbishop Gomez; see link below. As you distribute the letter, I encourage you to send this link to your staff and parents as a message of gratitude, hope and peace.
Thank you, again, for all that you are doing during this challenging time. I look forward to being in touch with Holy Week and Easter blessings.
Yours in Christ,
Paul
Paul M. Escala
Superintendent of Schools
Senior Director