NEWS AND NOTES
February 5, 2021
A Note from the Principal
-Re-enrollment for current Kindergarten through 7th grade students is open! It is very important that you complete re-enrollment by February 8th. We have seen a large increase in demand for enrollment in nearly every grade. Your child will only be guaranteed their re-enrollment for two weeks. We will send out the information on how to re-enroll on Monday. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know.
-We are in the process of crediting lunches (both regular and Chick-fil-a) and aftercare from our distance learning period. If you have paid all tuition for the year, you will receive a check and if you still owe tuition, it will be credited towards your tuition.
-We were originally scheduled to have Catholic Schools Week last week. Due to Distance Learning and several events this coming week, we will move it Catholic Schools Week to the week of February 16th. Details below.
-As mentioned earlier, the Bishop will be joining us for two Masses this year. In order for our students to all participate, Bishop has kindly agreed to come on February 19th and March 12th. Our 5th-8th will participate on the 19th. Each week of the Bishop's visits, the grades not participating in Mass with the Bishop will still attend their normal daily Mass.
Covid Update
COVID-19 Update:
Total Active COVID-19 Cases: 3
Total Students Actively Quarantined: 6
Faculty/Staff Actively Quarantined: 1
Classes or Grade Levels Quarantined: 0
Total Recovered and Released: 39
Marquette Update
Dear Marquette Parents,
I pray this email finds your family healthy and in good spirits as we plan to make a full return to campus on Monday (Feb. 8). Over the last week and a half, I witnessed a smooth transition to distance learning by our entire school community minimizing academic disruption for our students. For that, thank you!
In preparation for our return, there are many updates to share as we continue to work together to mitigate the risks of community spread and outbreaks.
We have created a sign-up procedure for teachers seeking vaccinations. With this information, we are continually communicating with the Tulsa Health Department and local officials to ensure that as soon as Phase II opens our teachers will be able to be scheduled as soon as possible.
Every classroom, hallway and common space was sanitized and thoroughly cleaned.
Our maintenance team coordinated with our HVAC service team to make modifications to our ventilation system to allow more fresh air flow in every classroom. Additionally, over the past week, new HVAC filters arrived and were installed throughout campus.
We have established a designated COVID-19 email address covid-19updates@marquetteschool.org. We encourage parents to use this account when communicating with the school about potential exposures, quarantine guidelines, etc. Beginning Friday, Feb. 12, parents will receive a standalone weekly email providing the latest numbers on campus and COVID-19 updates.
Additionally, there is one policy update to share:
All students will now be required to wear their masks during PE class. This policy change is yet an additional step we can take to reduce spread.
We have also created a COVID-19 Task Force. This team will complement our Medical Advisory Committee by continuously evaluating our protocols through the remainder of the year. The task force will focus on tactical and day-to-day operations to help mitigate on-campus exposure and spread, including data management. An assessment of current operations will be released by February 17, 2021.
In the days and months ahead, we will continue to monitor Tulsa County cases and follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health experts. Our campus has had tremendous success due to the collective cooperation of our community, and I am confident we can have a successful spring semester following this small detour.
Our number of quarantines and active cases of COVID-19 are down significantly. As of today, we have 7 individuals in quarantine and 3 actives cases of COVID-19. Additionally, several of our quarantines and active cases will expire within the next 2-3 days. We are also working to provide a better snapshot of our K-8th grade COVID-19 data in our next communication.
Have a restful and safe weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone back on campus on Monday!
Sincerely,
Jay Luetkemeyer
Catholic Schools Week February 16th
A Note from the Athletic Director-Brian Dee
Financial Aid for 2021-2022
Instructions to Access FACTS Grant and Aid:
Log into Family Portal (formerly known as Ren Web)
Reminder the Marquette District Code in MS-OK
Click on “Financial” in the lower left hand corner (located in the red menu box)
Click on “Apply for Grant and Aid” located in the Financial Links menu box on the right
Sign into your FACTS account. This is not the same login as Family Portal.
If you have used the Grant and Aid Application System before, you should have login credentials.
If you have not used the Grant and Aid Application System before, you need to Create An Account
If you need help logging in contact FACTS at (866)441-4637.
Tax Information
Instructions to print your FACTS Annual Payment Summary
Log into Family Portal (formerly known as Ren Web)
Reminder the Marquette District Code in MS-OK
Click on “Financial” in the lower left hand corner (located in the red menu box)
Click on “Financial Home” located in the Financial Links menu box on the right
Click on “View Details” in the Payment Plan and Billing menu
Click on the blue “View Payment Summary” button
The Payment Summary that appears, lists all payments you have made to Marquette/ ECDC for the previous calendar year.
A note from our Superintendent regarding ITBS Testing
Dear Catholic School Parents,
I hope this letter finds you well. The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma diocesan elementary schools have typically administered the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Assessments. Some schools also administer Cognitive Abilities Tests (CogAT). These tests may be used to assess students’ skills in reading, language, mathematics, social studies and science. These assessments have typically been conducted mid-February during the Spring semester. We usually anticipate some student absences each year, particularly since the tests are given during the height of flu season. However, with COVID-19 still playing a major role with our teachers and students, with possible quarantines and exposures, along with likely flu absences, we are concerned about setting aside so much time outside the regular curriculum dedicated to standardized testing.
After careful consideration and consultation with each diocesan elementary principal, we have decided to forego standardized testing in diocesan elementary schools in the current school year. Both Bishop Kelley High School and Cascia Hall Preparatory School have confirmed that entering 9th grade freshmen will not need a 2020-2021 Iowa Assessment score to enter their schools. Each high school has school specific entrance exams for incoming students, and those will be the primary basis (along with traditional academic grades), that will determine placement, not standardized test scores.
By not participating in the Iowa standardized testing this school year, our students will be afforded more class time instruction which they would not have if Iowa tests were administered. Since our previous school year in-person learning was interrupted due to COVID-19, we strongly feel that our students would benefit more with more regular instruction vs. time spent away from the curriculum. We also want to be sensitive to our students’ stress levels, which we know have been high since the onset of COVID-19. Standardized testing can cause additional stress.
We will review a return to standardized testing during the 2021-2022 school year. Please contact the Catholic Schools Office if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David W. Dean
Lunch During Lent
All of the in-school Fridays during the months of February and March fall during the Lenten season, so we will not be serving meat on those days, hence no Chick-fil-A. Luckily, the McNellies Group will be providing us with a couple of delicious options that we will alternate for the five Fridays during Lent. We will not be in school the first two Fridays of February so the first lunch (Feb. 19th) will be spaghetti, garlic bread, and a dessert, and the second lunch (Feb. 26th) will be macaroni and cheese, green beans, and a dessert. Again, we will be alternating these two selections during the month of March, and the cost for each meal is $6. You are able to place orders for February now through Friday, January 29th... ordering will close at 3:30 p.m. on the 29th. Thank you so much for the continued support of this 8th-grade fundraiser! If you have any questions, please let us know.
Blessings,
Dru Jenkinson and Kristin Mayfield
Week at a Glance
Monday
-Last Day to Re-Enroll!
-MHSA Meeting at 8:05
Tuesday
-Kindergarten and 1st Grade Mass
-SAC Meeting at 6:00
Wednesday
-4th and 5th Grade Mass
Thursday
-2nd and 3rd Grade Mass
Friday
-No School (Professional Day)