Bishop Hendricken's 2021-2022 Academic Year & COVID Response

Dear Bishop Hendricken Family,

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we map out the 2021-2022 Academic Year with regard to COVID-19. As has been discussed at the state level, Bishop Hendricken High School looks forward to a school year of 100% normal and fully in-person operations.

This being said, however, we would be remiss if we didn't continue to safeguard our school community with practical strategies to keep everyone healthy. We want to make one thing very clear: we know that this pandemic is not over. Our hope is that the points outlined below help to ensure a safe and successful school year.

Masks

Per Governor McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health's (RIDOH) latest guidance, masks, at this point, are not mandated on Bishop Hendricken's campus. However, aligned with the recommendations of RIDOH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we strongly recommend that all unvaccinated students, faculty, staff, and guests wear masks when on campus. All individuals who prefer to wear a mask on campus are more than welcome to do so, too.

As this is a policy that is being continually reviewed and discussed at the state level and beyond, we want to stress to all community members that this could very well change at some point.

Vaccination

We strongly encourage all students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members to get vaccinated against COVID-19. While vaccination is not required for school, we know that it critically decreases an individual's chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Practically, vaccination will also drastically lessen an individual's chances of being quarantined due to a COVID-19 exposure. This means students spend more time in the classroom, on the field, on the stage, in their clubs, and with their peers.

If you have no yet been vaccinated, and would like to be, schedule an appointment here.

Self-Reporting & Return-to-School Attestation Forms

All School Nurse's Office forms will remain in place and practice for the 2021-2022 Academic Year, including the Self-Reporting Form and the Return-to-School Attestation Form.

If your son is out of school for any COVID-related reason, such as illness or quarantine, you must complete the Self-Reporting Form to keep us updated on his status, here.

If your son is returning to school for any COVID-related reason, such as returning from quarantine or illness, you must complete the Return-to-School Attestation Form, here.

Vaccination Cards

Students, faculty, and staff who are fully vaccinated (14+ days following the final dose of their vaccine series) MUST upload their COVID-19 vaccination card to the School Nurse's Office for record keeping, here. If you're unsure if you uploaded your vaccination card last year, or if you weren't fully vaccinated at the time, please upload now!

Please note: This form must be completed from your son's Hendricken email address.

Sick Policy

If your son has any 1 symptom, he must stay home. Students, faculty, and staff should not come onto campus sick, ill, or experiencing symptoms regardless of vaccination status.

Individuals who are home sick, or were sent home with symptoms, must be symptom-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications before returning to school. These individuals must also complete the Return-to-School Attestation Form, here.

Absence/Quarantine & Missed Work

While our hope is to reduce the amount of time students are out of school due to illness or quarantine, we understand that this will continue to be a reality this year. However, we will not be providing any live, synchronous instruction via Zoom. Rather, students will be given assignments and missed work by their teachers to complete while at home.

Faculty will also be accommodating in scheduling Zoom meetings as needed to work with students who are out for extended periods of time on quarantine or in isolation.

COVID Communications & Updates

We will continue to be open, transparent, and forthcoming with updates and communications related to our COVID-19 response. All students, parents, faculty, and staff will receive notification of positive cases via email using our COVID-19 Notifications from Bishop Hendricken address. All notifications will maintain patient confidentiality.

You can also expect more updates and reminders on our COVID response as policies adjust.

School Nurse's Office & Deans of Students

The School Nurse's Office will continue to spearhead all COVID-related issues. This year, however, contact tracing and case investigation will be led by each grade's Dean of Students. If your son is identified as a close contact and required to quarantine, you will be notified directly by the school nurse or respective dean.

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As was the case last year, we want all community members to be prepared for updates and adjustments to our policies as needed. This pandemic is an ever-evolving and ever-changing situation, and therefore, our response may necessitate changes, too.

If we all do our part, we'll enjoy a great (and closer-to-normal) year in Hawk Country!