Dear Memorial Family,
Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that all public and private schools could not reopen until the county in which they reside comes off of the state's COVID-19 monitoring list for two weeks. Unfortunately, Fresno County is on that list. We want to express how sad we are that we will not be able to welcome you to campus when school begins on August 5.
While we are prepared and waiting to reopen as soon as we can, we are also prepared to deliver an innovative and quality online educational experience for our students. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the ways in which we are ensuring that our students continue to receive a quality Memorial education in a virtual setting.
Classes will take place via Zoom and will be live. Students will be able to directly interact with their instructors during each class period. All class materials will be uploaded to Google Classroom and electronic textbooks will be available on student iPads. Virtual office hours will be held to ensure that students get their questions answered.
Our bell schedule has been revised to make sure students can focus on their work without lengthy class blocks. We are utilizing innovative apps and methodologies to ensure our students get the best online education including online discussions, breakout sessions on Zoom and more. We are dedicate to providing an engaging, well-rounded online experience.
Students are expected to maintain the same level of respect during their virtual classes as they would in a classroom setting. Students will wear uniform tops daily and students will submit work by the assigned deadline. Our goal is to foster an online learning environment as close to a physical classroom environment as possible. Prayers, announcements, Service Hours, and Mass will all be a part of the online learning experience just as they are a part of the in-person experience.
Students will attend orientation on August 4 on campus. Efforts will be taken to ensure student safety. Students must attend in uniform and wear masks. Students should park or be dropped off in the senior parking lot. Students will also have a chance to pick up their yearbooks during orientation if they have not already done so in addition to any physical class materials for their classes.
Below you will find links to information to help prepare your students for a virtual beginning to our school year: Zoom class protocols and guidelines, frequently asked questions, our revised bell schedule and a schedule for the first week of school, including information about orientation.
We are looking forward to delivering a Memorial education, online, and we hope we can be with one another on campus soon.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us:
Head of School Michael Burke at mburke@sjmhs.org
Assistant Head of School for Academics Michele Sani at msani@sjmhs.org
God bless and stay safe.
