Dear FJVD Families,

As most of you know, we received word Wednesday that a staff member at our school tested positive for COVID-19. At this time, the staff member is only experiencing mild symptoms. In addition, the school was notified this afternoon that a student has tested positive. Currently, the student is also only experiencing mild symptoms. Please note that this student case is not connected to the staff member who tested positive, as this student did not have any contact with the positive staff member.

The school is working with the Department of Health to conduct contact tracing and determine the next appropriate steps. More information will be shared with families upon receiving additional guidance from the Department of Health.

I wanted to share some insight into the process that occurs as we respond to these cases:

• Upon notification of a positive case, school personnel reach out to the Department of Health to provide initial information regarding the case.

• The school community at large is notified of the positive case. Depending on the population(s) the positive case impacts, further communications may be sent out to specific groups with additional information and guidance.

• The school provides RIDOH with seating charts, attendance records, and other critical contact tracing information. The Department of Health then begins the process of contact tracing. While this process occurs, the school may ask certain populations to distance learn. This provides RIDOH time to safely conduct the tracing.

• Students required to quarantine by the Department of Health will be notified by RIDOH regarding this mandated quarantine. Please be sure to check voicemails, missed calls, etc. on all contact numbers on file at the school. The school may also send out additional information. These students continue with distance learning, using their school Chromebooks and/or various other learning platforms.

• The Department of Health has commended the school for the safety measures we have in place to protect our students and staff. While these measures may not always prevent the need to quarantine some members of the school community, they nonetheless play an important role in minimizing risk and reducing potential spread.

While quarantines present a hardship for our families, we will continue to pray for and support these families in whatever ways possible. We are grateful for their patience and understanding and for the efforts of all of our families in helping to keep our school community safe.

In addition to sharing the information above, I would like to invite all interested families to a Family Town Hall Meeting on Monday, November 16th at 7:00pm. During this meeting, I will review the steps taken when a positive case is identified, discuss reasons for quarantining, review contact tracing methods, and answer any additional questions you may have. I look forward to our discussion! Please find the Zoom Webinar link below:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Nov 16, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Father Doyle Town Hall Meeting - November 16th

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81343890988

There is no passcode associated with this Webinar.

Annual Family Survey Results & Action Plan

I want to take a moment to thank our families who were able to complete our Annual Family Survey over the past week. If you did not have an opportunity to complete the survey and would like to do so, please feel free to do so.

After careful review of each of the responses, I'm pleased to share this Family Survey Results and Analysis document, which includes an action plan to address some of the common concerns shared in the survey. The document is also attached below. While we are in the midst of uncertain times, we remain dedicated to the continued growth of our school.

Lastly, please note that Monday, November 16th is an early dismissal day. Students will be dismissed at 1:30pm. Busses will run starting at 1:30pm.

Wishing you all a restful and peaceful weekend.

God bless and Go Saints!

Sincerely,

Mr. Peloquin

The Mission of Father John V. Doyle School is to provide students with a solid, well-rounded education based on Roman Catholic Tradition.

We live the Word of God in a caring, safe, and nurturing environment.

There will be no school Wednesday, November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving. Both the public school district and many nearby Catholic schools have opted to take this day as part of Thanksgiving break.

We know that Thanksgiving is already going to be a challenge this year and will likely look different for many of our families. During these stressful and difficult times, we hope this additional day off will be a helpful and appreciated reprieve and an opportunity to spend additional time together as a family.

A reminder that if you are planning to travel during the Thanksgiving break, please be aware of the travel guidelines set forth by the Rhode Island Department of Health. If you plan to travel to a high-risk state during the Thanksgiving break, please contact the school as soon as possible to discuss the appropriate safety measures. See below for more information. Thank you!

Father John V. Doyle will once again be partnering with Barrington Books for a fundraiser November 20-22, 2020. You can shop online, in-store, or through curbside pick-up during these days, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to FJVD!

More information is included in the flyer below!

FJVD Night at Chipotle

Order takeout with the Chipotle Restaurant at 1200 Quaker Lane in East Greenwich between 4:00pm and 8:00pm on Saturday November 21st and 33% of the proceeds will be donated to FJVD! This includes online orders!

More information is included in the flyer below!

If your child has traveled to a state with a high community spread rate according to the list maintained by RIDOH, they must follow RIDOH travel guidance found here https://health.ri.gov/covid/travel/. The list of states maintained by RIDOH changes regularly, so please check frequently if you are planning to travel.

Please note that these travel procedures set forth by the Department of Health also apply to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. If your family is planning to travel during this time, please consider how this travel may impact your child's ability to return to school at the conclusion of Thanksgiving break.

If you have questions or concerns regarding RIDOH travel procedures and how they may or may not impact your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Thank you for your continued adherence to these and all of our safety guidelines and procedures. Together, we can work to keep our community safe and healthy in the weeks ahead.

The Department of Health has released additional resources for families regarding how to proceed if your child has symptoms at home or becomes ill at school. You can find the RIDOH Resources for Families here. Please note, if your child is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 that indicate a probable case, please call 844-857-1814 from 7:30am-9:30pm seven days a week schedule a test through the K-12 Testing Network. You should also notify the school as soon as possible.

If your child is experiencing symptoms and is being tested, two tests will be conducted at the K-12 testing site - a rapid test with results within 24 hours, and a PCR test with results within 48 hours. Please note, students are not permitted to return to school until both tests are negative and symptoms have resolved. In addition, families must complete the After Illness Return Attestation Form which can also be found on the homepage of our school website under "Important Links."

A reminder that our hybrid learning policies for students absent due to illness or quarantine can be found in our Hybrid Learning Guide for Students and Families as well as in a quick reference guide here.