Saint Paul's Choir School Update
May 15, 2020
Dear Saint Paul's Community,
Earlier this week the 103rd Anniversary of Fatima was celebrated. I live not far from the Fatima Shrine in Holliston and was pleasantly surprised to find the parking lot filled with pilgrims who were appropriately following social distancing protocols as they made their way around the expansive “rosary path” following Mary’s invitation to seek her help when we need it the most. When she spoke to the three children at Fatima, Mary especially sang the praises of prayers from children, which I remind all our families during this month of the rosary. A family rosary is a wonderful way to do something extremely positive for the world, your own needs, and the needs of your family. Please include the Choir School needs, hopes and aspirations in your prayers.
Re-entry Planning
This coming week, we expect to hear an important update from Governor Baker as the current restrictions expire May 18. On Monday I had the opportunity to attend a Zoom seminar with schools in Germany, Denmark and Korea who are opening for the first time with some of the restrictive conditions we might find necessary to ensure safety of our children, staff and families members at home. While daunting to imagine, the good news is that we are learning from the early adopters of how to manage to educate well under these conditions. The safety and health of our students, faculty, staff, and families will lead how and where we best learn and operate. Our belief in our mission and our 60 years of experience and expertise will ensure the quality and high standards of our instruction.
Our superintendent of schools and staff at the Catholic Schools Office are regularly in contact with state government officials and are advocating for Catholic Schools interests and needs as the rules and regulations are being formulated. The CARES act has provided significant financial support for education and it is expected that a sizeable share of that relief will be shared with independent schools. If you have not signed the petition for this purpose, please do so by clicking the link here.
The financial support will provide financial resources for some of the necessary unanticipated services and supplies that will be utilized to open schools safely. We can expect that technology needs, staff training to use the technology, increased hygiene and cleaning materials, nursing support, and health supplies such as thermometers, masks, etc. will all be part of the new norm. Nevertheless, each school must prepare plans that best suit our unique needs and circumstances. As we plan for the future, and take in all that is necessary to continue to educate and elevate our boys in the ways we have always done, I will be convening a planning team to provide technical assistance and to review our plans. This planning teams will reflect not just standards of care, but the holistic and practical views of what we seek to accomplish in the year ahead. The teams will involve staff, but they may also involve board members or community members to help bring a level of experience or expertise to the table. As such, the team will consist of education, health and government experts from among our community and staff who are knowledgeable of the issues we need to address for a safe and smooth re-entry to school in September.
I will continue to share new information and plans with you as they materialize. In the meantime, please know how grateful we are for your outreach and expressions of support for our faculty, staff, and administration.
News from our faculty
We would like to share some bittersweet news from our faculty. Our dear Ms. Fox has decided to follow her fiancé to Switzerland as he takes on a new professional role in school administration. We will dearly miss Ms. Fox and all that she brought to St. Paul’s over the past two years, notably the establishment of our 3rd grade academic program and the launch of our library. One tradition that we will maintain in her honor is the weekly Friday walk to the Cambridge Public Library. A celebration of her outstanding service to the school will be held on June 3. Please send congratulations to her at lfox@saintpaulschoirschool.us.
A search committee is being formed to seek out a replacement for Ms. Fox. More information on the progress and results of the search will be shared when available.
Day of Giving
On Sunday, May 17 at noon Mrs. Flaherty is hosting an information session for all family members to better understand how we can make the Day of Giving a huge success.
The website is nearing completion. Watch for announcements of the launch of the content page.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7859131631?pwd=N2tZdk9LWmhHNmFyTUVKSnpzSTZvZz09
Meeting ID: 785 913 1631 Password: 776892
May you all be blessed with good health and prosperity,
Thomas Haferd
Head of School
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Email: admin@saintpaulschoirschool.us
Website: www.saintpaulschoirschool.us
Location: 29 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
Phone: 617-868-8658
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaintPaulsChoirSchool
Twitter: @SPChoirSchool