Fall sports teams are practicing, new staff is settling in, new families and students are connecting, and Pre-K and kindergarten are welcoming eager young learners. As St. Michael Parish School faculty and staff, we continue to feel grace and joy at your children.

Heads up - Zoom Curriculum Night is next Thursday, September 15th. There will be two sessions (the second is a repeat of the first, for families with more than one child). The first session is from 6:30-7:00 and the second is from 7:15-7:45. Each elementary teacher will send out her link and Mrs. Graver will send out the middle school link. Stay tuned for this informative evening.

Please know that our primary task is to help your children grow in their faith, take them beyond expectations academically, and keep them safe and secure. Many updates and strategies are being put in place to facilitate all those goals, and as they continue to be rolled out, we'll keep you informed.

In the meantime, try to attend Mass as a family (the kids will get the most out of Mass if they can see their friends there), establish good after school routines, and communicate with your child's teachers with any questions or concerns. We are here for you.

Kathi Rafferty & Roseann Feldmann

Co-Principals

MORNING DROP OFF

Cars will enter off of 11th Avenue, and continue moving straight ahead. Cars will move in a counterclockwise direction at the curb and will pull up alongside the sidewalk. Students should exit the car onto the sidewalk. To avoid hitting students exiting cars, cars should remain in line until the car ahead moves forward to exit the parking lot.

Please be courteous! If your child has many items to remove from the car, do not hold up the drop-off line. Park and a staff member will be positioned at the crosswalk to assist students and parents walking into the building. Please respect the staff member and follow his/her guidance.

AFTERNOON PICK UP

Families Picking Up One Student (school parking lot)

Carts will enter off of 11th Avenue and take the first left. Cars will continue to the curb and will pull up alongside the sidewalk. Cars should pull up to the crosswalk. There will be NO pick-up past the crosswalk. When the cars stop, students should enter the cars. To avoid hitting students entering cars, cars should remain in line until the entire line of cars moves forward and exits the parking lot.

As cars fill in at the curb, they will start to back up toward the middle area of parking spaces. A staff member will direct you to a parking space that allows you to maintain your spot for pick-up. Please stay in your car and be ready to move forward.

A staff member will be positioned at the crosswalk to assist students and parents walking out of the building. In addition, staff members will be positioned along the sidewalk to assist students entering their cars. Please respect the staff members and follow their guidance.

Families picking up more than one student (church parking lot):

Cars will enter the church parking lot off Boundary Street SE and follow the curb/sidewalk in front of the Church. Cars should pull up to the end of the sidewalk. There will be NO pick-up past this spot. When cars stop moving, students should enter the cars. To avoid hitting students entering cars, cars should remain in line until the entire line of cars moves forward and exits the parking lot. Please stay in your car and be ready to move forward. Staff members will be positioned along the sidewalk to assist students entering their cars. Please respect the staff members and follow their guidance.

For the safety of ALL our children, it is IMPERATIVE that everyone follows pick-up and drop-off procedures. If you have questions in regards to any aspect of drop-off or pick-up, please contact the school office.

Faculty, Staff, but especially students appreciate your cooperation.

If a student or staff member is ill or COVID-19 positive:

Students and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 are required to stay home and should get tested. Any student or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to isolate at home. Individuals may return to school on Day 6 if they test negative on that day (Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or, if without symptoms, the day of the positive viral test). Those individuals need to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional 5 days (day 6 through day 10) if they return to school after the end of their 5-day isolation period. If an individual is unable to wear a well-fitting mask, they need to continue to isolate for a full 10 days. To further protect other school children and staff, individuals who test positive using antigen or at-home tests towards the end of the full 5 days of isolation, and/or on days 6-10, are required to complete the full 10 days of isolation. Testing after day 10 is not recommended.

If a student or staff member is exposed to COVID-19:

DOH no longer requires exposed students and staff to quarantine. To protect the school, students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, who are potentially exposed to COVID-19 should:

• Monitor for symptoms, AND

• Test as soon as possible after exposure and then repeat testing every 24-48 hours through at least the first 5 days after exposure AND

• Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after exposure.

Covid-19 positive cases and exposure cases need to be reported to the St. Michael Parish School Health Office (rfeldmann@stmikesolympia.org). Covid-19 testing is available through the Health Office if home testing is not available.

Ron Feldmann MD

St. Michael Parish School Health Office

POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

Fever or chills

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Headache