COVID-19: SCHOOL UPDATE
Friday, April 17
School Calendar Update
Parents,
We are following up to provide clarification on the school calendar for May in light of Governor Holcomb's extension of our remote learning status through the duration of the 2019-2020 school year. St. Luke Catholic School remains committed to finishing the year strong in a remote learning model. In reflecting on parent feedback, the IDOE's requirements for schools, and the Archdiocesan expectations, we have developed the following plan:
April
During the month of April, we will continue with our previously announced schedule of e-learning on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays with Fridays serving as catch-up days for students.
The April calendar is copied below for your reference:
May
During the month of May, we will continue this schedule with a slight tweak to Fridays.
- Mondays will remain as Teacher Prep Days with no school for students.
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will remain as e-learning days for students focused on their academic lessons. You will continue to receive their e-learning plans the day before.
- Fridays will still be utilized as catch up days for students where teachers are available by appointment for support. However, we will be adding a special segment to each Friday to celebrate our students and foster an enhanced sense of togetherness as we work to honor our beloved end-of-the-school-year traditions to the best of our ability in this remote setting. See below for further information on this change.
The final day for students will be Friday, May 22.
Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27 will be utilized to allow families to return their school supplied materials (textbooks, iPads, etc.) and to gather any remaining student materials from school. Details will be forthcoming on the logistics of this day. (Note: This is predicated on the stay-at-home mandate being lifted by the 26th of May. Changes will be communicated, if needed.)
A complete copy of the May schedule as outlined above is posted below:
The impetus for shifting Fridays to incorporate student celebrations/traditions came about as a result of parental and teacher feedback. As the pandemic draws on, we have all been faced with the reality that it has changed our plans, our expectations, our routines, our experiences, and even our relationships. This continues to be tough for many members of our school family who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another.
We considered the impact of these challenges on the whole child in developing our school calendar for May, looking at it through the lens of family needs, students' academics and students' social and emotional needs.
From a calendar perspective, this schedule allows us to end school before Memorial Day, allowing families to transition into summer a week sooner and take a breath from the challenges of e-learning.
From an academic perspective, Fridays will remain available as an opportunity to help students get caught up and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically during remote learning. There will not be additional academic assignments given on Fridays. If your child is struggling, please let their teacher know and they will be happy to partner with you in providing support for your child.
From a social-emotional perspective, we understand that students are deeply missing many of the beloved end-of-the-year traditions across all grade levels. Please know that our teachers are heartbroken to be missing these opportunities with your children, as well. In the wake of an unpredictable situation, we have had to face the reality that we won't be able to reproduce all of these wonderful experiences. We are, however, excited to use Fridays to bring some virtual experiences to our students in honor and recognition of some of these traditions. Our goal is to bring these opportunities to your students via digital media on Fridays to allow them to engage in positive school activities each week without elongating the e-learning days on Tuesdays - Thursdays. We hope this will create an opportunity to end each week on a celebratory note, and to be intentional in celebrating this school year to the best of our ability...even if it is through a computer screen. We will make the Quarter 4 at St. Luke Catholic School memorable and remind the students that we are grateful for them, we are proud of them, and we miss them! #stlukestrong
As we reflect on the end of the year traditions, many of these involve celebrating our graduating class of 2020. We remain immensely proud of this group of students and are looking forward to creatively finding ways to honor them and celebrate their accomplishments! *8th Grade Families, please stay tuned for a follow-up email from Mrs. Borland with details specific to your students and how we hope to honor these important 8th-grade traditions.
Thank you to all of our families for your continued partnership in making remote learning work as we continue to adjust to the nuances of the pandemic. We are blessed to have such a supportive parent base!
Blessings,
Mrs. Kissel
Mrs. Elizabeth Kissel
Email: ekissel@stluke.school
Website: www.stluke.org
Location: 7575 Holliday Drive East, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-255-3912
Twitter: @stlukeindy
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