Back to School & Better Together
Preparing for the First Week of SCHOOL!
Mission Statement
Preparing for the First Week of School!
Dear SJN Families,
We are officially just a few days from the first day of school on August 12! We are eager and excited to have our SJN falcons back in the building. I have prepared this newsletter to help families know exactly what to expect as we begin a new school year with adjusted procedures as we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
Please note, we have our final day of SJN Faculty and Staff In-Service tomorrow (8/10) and the office will be closed. We will have office hours during tomorrow evening's Meet the Teacher Night from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm should you need something prior to Wednesday. The office is also closed on Tuesday, August 11 to give staff an opportunity to prepare for the first day of school.
This newsletter has been organized by each process or procedure that will impact families and students as we safely re-open our physical campus. Please note that much of the information contained here is school specific. Classroom teachers may have adjusted classroom routines in their own way. They will communicate this information to you directly.
If you have any question or concerns about this please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Better Together : Back to the Building Fall 2020
Dear St. John Nepomuk Families:
Earlier in July, I shared that our Better Together : Back to the Building Fall 2020 plan had been approved by the Catholic Schools Office. Revisions and edits are occurring as needed and as this situation evolves. Please keep in mind that this situation is evolving and this document is subject to change at any time. Also know that our top priority is to safely remain physically in session and present in the school building as much as we can during the 2020-2021 school year. There could be requirements or mandates that make that beyond our control, but please understand that in-person classes are our goal.
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and support during this process. I continue to find many blessings amid the chaos of this evolving situation, and I truly wouldn't want to navigate these times with any other school community. Please be assured of my prayers as well. Stay well and take care!
For the Kids,
Natalie Johnson, M.Ed
Principal
SJN Uniform Helpers by Grade Level & Day of Week:
PK3 & PK4: All days in grey SJN t-shirt with navy uniform bottoms.
Kindergarten-3RD Grade: Mon. & Wed. in PE shirt option with navy uniform bottoms. Tues. & Thurs. in polo shirt with navy uniform bottoms. Friday is Mass uniform unless mass is attended earlier in week.
4TH-5TH Grade: Mon. & Wed. in polo shirt with navy uniform bottoms. Tues. & Thurs. in PE shirt option with navy uniform bottoms. Friday is Mass uniform unless mass is attended earlier in week.
Middle School: Mon. & Wed. in polo shirt with navy uniform bottoms. Tues. is House t-shirt with navy uniform bottoms. Thurs. is PE shirt option with navy uniform bottoms. Friday is Mass uniform unless mass is attended earlier in week. Incoming 6th graders and new middle school students should plan to wear the grey SJN t-shirt on Tuesdays until after the House retreat.
Our first school mass will be on August 21 at 8:30 am. The dress code for students in K-5 on August 14 is the non-PE uniform (polo and uniform bottoms). Middle school should wear their house shirts and navy uniform bottoms. Incoming 6th graders and new students in middle school should wear the grey PE shirt until after the House Sorting where they will receive their new House shirt.
Summer Reading and Math
Summer Reading & Math Assignments are due on Wednesday, August 12. Please send completed assignments with your child on either Meet the Teacher Night or the first day of school.
Parents and Campus Visitors
Water Fountains
To ensure students have water to drink in the instance of a forgotten water bottle, we are asking families to donate bottled water in both 8 and 16 oz. bottles if possible. These donations can be brought to the front of the school. We appreciate your help and generosity!
Masks and Uniforms
Each Student is Required to Have (2) Clean and Labeled Masks for Each School Day! Please Add This to Your Back to School Prep! We have fielded several questions about student masks and what that will look like with our uniform. There will not be a requirement on the style of mask or design. We simply require that they completely cover the mouth and nose and are appropriate for a Catholic school. Dennis Uniform does have some basic masks that are sized for children. Please visit their website for more information.
Masks will be required in all instances where students cannot adequately physically distance or in common areas of the school.
Student Arrival
- Students in grade Pre-K 3 - Kindergarten will utilize the front for arrival. Students in these grade levels will gather as classes in Marian Hall prior to arriving in their classrooms. To help ease separation and adjust to the new school year, each student may have 1-2 parents/guardians escort them into Marian Hall each morning until August 19. Families should utilize the marked exterior doors to Marian Hall and should not enter the physical school building. These doors are just to your left as you approach the front door of the school. Older siblings of students in grades Pre-K 3 - Kindergarten may enter through the front door of the school to avoid parents needing to drop off in 2 locations. For families in grades Pre-K 3 - KND who do not wish to walk students in, there will be staff members assisting with drop off at the front curb. Each family will be greeted by an SJN staff member where he/she will ask student health screening questions and do temperature checks before the parent departs.
- Students in grades 1-8 will enter through the normal drop off door at the west PAC entrance. Families should follow the same drop off line as in previous years, but should not exit the vehicle until asked to do so by a member of our staff. Each family will be greeted by an SJN staff member where he/she will ask student health screening questions and do temperature checks before the parent departs. Families MAY NOT park on the church lot or at the end of the sidewalk to release students. ALL drop off in the west PAC should go through the routine drop off line. Students should have masks on as they prepare to exit the vehicle. Once out of the vehicle and completed health screenings, students should report straight to their classrooms. They should not stop to use restrooms or for any other reason.
Lunch Information
All classes will eat in the cafeteria with the exception of Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4. These classes will each lunch in their classrooms. For K-8 we have reduced the number of students in the cafeteria at one time to help in our mitigation efforts. We have also added multiple round tables through the exterior of the cafeteria in order to spread students out adequately. The lunch times are as follows:
- 10:55-11:15 - Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4
- 11:00-11:20 - 2nd and 3rd Grade
- 11:30-11:55 - Kindergarten and 1st Grade
- 11:40-12:00 - 4th and 5th Grade
12:15-12:35- 6-8 Grade
Recess Information
- 10:25 - 10:50 - Pre-K 3 & Pre-K 4
- 11:00 - 11:25 - Kindergarten & 1st Grade
- 11:35 - 11:55 - 2nd & 3rd Grade
- 12:05 - 12:25 - 4th & 5th Grade
- 12:35 - 12:53 - 6th - 8th Grade
- 2:40 - 3:05 - Pre-K 3 - Kindergarten
Dismissal
Returning to school after dismissal is not permitted. We will begin sanitizing classrooms once students leave for the day.
School Mass
School masses will be closed to SJN students and staff only. As our mitigation efforts evolve, we hope to open mass to parents and families once it is safe to do so. The church will remain locked during school mass. If your child is late past 8:15, you will need to wait until we return from mass to check them in for the day. We are usually back from mass by 9:15 am.
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Cell: (405) 578-4656 - Office: (405) 354-2509
The office is open from 7:40 am - 4:00 pm on school days.
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Email: njohnson@sjnok.org
Website: sjnok.org/school
Location: 600 Garth Brooks Boulevard, Yukon, OK, USA
Phone: 405-354-2509
Facebook: facebook.com/sjnok
Twitter: @sjnfalcons