August 7, 2020 - Important Updates for the School Year

Please read the updates below from our

SCCS School Building Reopening Committee.

Screening and Stay at Home Requirements

Families, students and staff are required to self screen at home prior to coming to school. Children and staff should be screened daily for symptoms consistent with COVID-19, including:

A new onset of cough or shortness of breath

OR at least 2 of the following:

Fever of 100.0 degrees or higher
Chills
Muscle pain
Sore throat
Loss of sense of smell or taste
Gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea

If a person has a new symptom (for example, new loss of smell only) with no other diagnosis to explain it, they should stay home and talk to their health care provider about testing for COVID-19, even if it is the only symptom they are experiencing.

Parents should also follow the MDH Decision Tree in the event there is confirmation of symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

For further guidance, use the MDH Decision Tree or contact your health care provider.

We strongly recommend reviewing the MDH Decision Tree thoroughly to understand the symptoms and stay at home requirements.

Potential and Confirmed Cases of COVID-19

We have fielded several questions from parents around how St. Croix Catholic will be addressing symptoms consistent with COVID and confirmed cases. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Decision Tree for People with COVID Symptoms in Youth, Student, and Child Care Programs document listed above will be used to guide SCCS’s decision making unless updated guidance is given.

If anyone tests positive for COVID-19, SCCS will collaborate with local health departments, and any updated guidance given to us, regarding next steps and communications. In such cases we would adhere to the following principles:

No personal information about the child/family/faculty/staff member would be shared;
Extra cleaning would be conducted in the pertinent areas;
Communication would be shared with those who were in close contact with the individual;
As always, we would continue to monitor the health of all of our students and staff.

At this time, we would strongly recommend that all parents contact their healthcare provider to develop a plan for the best method of communication with healthcare providers should your child(ren) show symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Additionally, we would strongly suggest that parents develop a plan in the event their children will need to stay home from school due to exposure to COVID-19. Students will be able to access from home the recordings of lessons, etc. which will be presented at school during in-person instruction.

Face Coverings and Face Shields

While the wearing of face masks will be the required norm for all Kindergarten through 8th Grade students, we understand that there are legitimate barriers to the wearing of masks.The committee is currently working on a policy for the allowance of face shields, as well as the exemption policy for facial coverings and face shields based on the requirements of Executive Order 20-81.

Transportation

At this time, we have not heard from District 834 regarding busing. We will update families when we know more.

Before and After School Care for 20-21

We have decided to suspend the before and after school program, Creative Kids Club, for the 20-21 school year until further notice. This was a difficult decision, however to decrease the mixing of grade levels/classes, we believe it is prudent to do so at this time.

What About Hybrid?

Another question we have been fielding from parents: Is SCCS considering hybrid? Given our ability to effectively put into place several layers of mitigation strategies,he Reopening Committee and Academic Committee have collaboratively determined the solutions that make most sense for the SCCS community include the three Learning Options: 1) In-person Learning, Mondays through Fridays 2) Distance Learning, Mondays through Fridays 3) In-person Learning, Mondays through Thursdays; Distance Learning for Fridays.

Also Under Discussion

School Mass: Once the Reopening Committee has total numbers for each Learning Plans option, possibilities for Mass attendance will be addressed.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS): St. Croix Catholic is working in partnership with the parishes’ faith formation staff.
Outdoor Time: The Reopening Committee and Academic Committee are collaborating with St. Michael’s parish to devise a safe plan for as much outdoor time as possible, including scheduled recesses, mask breaks, and possibly even outdoor class time.

Please use this Google Form to ask any questions you may have regarding this update.