ST. LAURENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Coronavirus - Update 3.17.20
GREETINGS!
Dear Saint Laurence School Community,
This special correspondence is to keep you up to date on any pertinent information regarding how SLCS is preparing and responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We will update our SLCS community as necessary, so please read carefully and refer to our website HERE and social media posts as well for the latest information. You should already be aware that at this time we are currently closed and will remain closed through Friday, April 10th. That could change at any time, so please stay tuned and be patient as we all try to navigate this serious situation that is taking place. As we have communicated in the past, Archdiocesan schools are not under the same jurisdiction as the local public schools. While we take their decision to close into consideration, it does not dictate our plans, so please keep that in mind when making plans to avoid any confusion. We continue to follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), local health officials and our Archdiocese. Fortunately, at this time, we are not aware of any cases of coronavirus affecting our community and we want to do our very best to keep it that way.
At this time, everyone is being urged to stay at home as much as possible and not gather in groups of more than 10 people at a time. As a Catholic school and instrument of the Church, it is imperative that we do our part to help out our fellow man. That is what we are called to do as Christians. Even if you are not feeling sick, please do your part by staying away and not adding to this outbreak. According to everything we are hearing, this could go on for quite a while and it could get much worse unless we commit to the guidelines set by the experts.
I always say that our SLCS community shines the brightest when there is a crisis, and sadly, we are there again. I've witnessed how beautifully you rally and support one another and seen how generously you serve as the hands and feet of Christ. Prayers are needed for our world at this time and we as a school will do our very best to support you.
We understand that there are a lot of questions and concerns right now and please know that we do not yet have all the answers. We will communicate only factual and firm decisions when available and not respond out of haste. Please join us in being patient as we figure things out and make the best decisions possible for the entire school community. If you do not get an immediate response to an individual question or concern, please note that we may be working on a school-wide response that may answer your question or address your concern.
At this time, we plan to roll out "distance learning" slowly and gently. It will not be perfect and we realize we will be working out a lot of kinks in the next few days. We anticipate a lot of troubleshooting communication and know that you are dealing with different situations at home. Teachers are making plans to accommodate a variety of needs as we continue to give your child the best Catholic education we can provide. We are HERE for you and are anxious to get back to doing what God has called us to do. Thank you so much for your support.
God bless,
Suzanne Barto
Principal
At this time our teaching staff has made some plans to continue instruction for our students remotely so they do not lose any valuable information and fall behind. This is a challenging task, but we are committed to continuing our mission as educators. In order to facilitate this “distance learning”, we are asking for your help. This will be a team effort and involve a significant commitment on your part. While we do not plan on every lesson involving technology, it will be imperative that our students and/or parents have access to a device with internet capabilities and a printer. If neither of those are available to your child, we need to know immediately so that we can equip him/her for success. If you have any questions pertaining to technology that pertains to school or need help navigating a new resource, please email techhelp@stlaurence.org. Below, you will find some general guidelines for the different grade levels to begin this process. Teachers will be reaching out to you tomorrow and can give you more details at that time. We are very aware that flexibility will be key for everyone and we do not want students sitting in front of a computer or using a device for an extended period of time, whether that is for academics or entertainment. We plan to use and start with platforms that are already familiar to the students as much as possible in order to deliver instruction. This is important in our effort to eliminate any stress or frustration that could be caused by having to learn a new program or format along with the content of the lesson.
All lessons have a SUGGESTED time table in order for families to schedule appropriately. Parents should reach out to the appropriate teacher for questions pertaining to instruction.
While school is closed, all staff will adhere to the 24 turn around response time during our normal business hours but we ask for your patience as we start this new format. We are still working on how grading and assessments will look in some areas, so we may not be able to answer those questions at this time.
There will be some type of daily check-in on our students to verify attendance. This will look different at the various grade levels and teachers will let you know how they are keeping tabs on students. Stay tuned for a list of times when you may retrieve essential items from the front office.
PreK and Kindergarten
Teachers will send home their regular newsletter tomorrow, as well as every Friday going forward. The Newsletter will include a link to an academic plan that includes two weeks worth of lessons at a time. Auxiliary teachers (Spanish, PE & Motor Lab) will include links and fun activities related to their areas. Parents are not expected to submit their child’s work but may be asked to send pictures, etc.
1st and 2nd Grade
1st and 2nd Grade will be using Think Central for Math and Reading (Go Math and Journeys) along with Reflex Math.
3rd and 4th Grade
3rd will utilize Think Central, Flourish Online for Religion and Reflex Math and Simple Solutions. Submissions will be made through Google Form. 4th will utilize Flourish Online for Religion and Google Classroom.
5th and 6th Grade
Information and Links will be on FACTS with lessons embedded on Google Classroom.
7th and 8th Grade
All materials and/or videos will be made available on Google Classroom. Google Classroom is the go-to for all questions, assignments, materials, and references.
Each middle school teacher has scheduled office hours. These are designated times for students to ask questions and check in if necessary. Teacher office hours will be listed on the schedule in Google Classroom.
Auxiliary Classes
Auxiliary Classes will be daily/weekly suggestions and teachers will include links into classroom teacher lessons
As a partner in the education of my child, I will…
- Provide a device (desktop, IPad, Chromebook, etc.) that has internet capabilities to my child (age-appropriate supervision is expected)
Allow access to a printer when necessary
Provide a quiet learning space and dedicated time for each child to commit to lessons
Support my child at home as a “tutor” or “facilitator” with lessons as is necessary (not doing but helping)
Communicate or allow my child to communicate with the teacher on a regular basis to “check-in” or ask questions, etc. (attendance will be taken by responses from students or lack of responses)
Understand that grades will be determined by participation, a variety of assessments and the amount of work “turned in”. Some of this will be subjective and the teacher has the final say.
Subject to change as new information becomes available
School is closed to students through Friday, April 10th (stay tuned as to any office hours)
All activities through April 10th have been cancelled (this includes any outside extracurricular, club, board, meetings, etc.)
1st-4th grade Music Program is postponed at this time-New date TBD
Students should still plan to memorize and recite individual Oratoricals-submission TBD
Heritage Mass and Event has been cancelled for students. At this time, parents who are participating have been encouraged to submit online information and videos about the different countries for students to “browse” as a virtual tour-dates TBA (please submit to Adriana Gutierrez at agutierrez@stlaurence.org)
Sporting events and practices are cancelled at this time through March. Athletic Directors will contact coaches to email any updates or changes to this schedule
Stay tuned as we communicate news pertaining to our Auction Gala and IOWA Testing
We want to support you at home as much as possible as these are emotional times. Our counselors and teachers will be hosting office hours if you feel the need for you or your child to reach out. We plan on continuing with our Social Emotional Learning Program remotely so we will be posting things for you to consider doing at home. Please do not have your child “work” all day or sit on the computer or TV. A healthy variety is important. We will do our best to provide lessons that can happen outside or away from technology. We will also be checking in with you periodically to see how things are going. This is unprecedented and new to all of us so we will need to adjust accordingly (families and staff). We will be updating this section regularly and adding resources that we hope you will find helpful.
- How to Handwash Catholic Style! J (Diocese of Dallas) - HERE
- MyCatholicDoctor National Coronavirus (COVID-19) Telehealth Response Program - HERE
Resources published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
General Information/FAQ - HERE
Helpful Tips for Parents from Our Counselors:
https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/ .
Forming Intentional Families Booklet: : https://www.stlaurence.org/family
Childcare needs or assisting with school work (consider one of our BASC employees)
Josephine Wright josephine9.wright7@gmail.com 281-543-6246
Bea Moore granbetty.moore@gmail.com 281-781-5035
Elizabeth Jaros ejbasket@gmail.com 713-614-0319
St. Laurence Catholic School
Email: agutierrez@stlaurence.org
Location: 2631 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX, United States
Phone: 281-980-0500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stlaurencecs/
Twitter: @StLaurenceCS