This week Governor DeWine announced that much of the details in reopening will be left to the local community and schools. Our restart plan has been added to the school website and is in our handbook, if you are interested in learning more, please do so. Thus far the discussions had with the Catholic Schools Office and our restart plan have been very good. I am grateful for your support and patience as these final details are worked out. Please know that we have every intention of resuming school on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

I wish you a very happy 4th of July and a reminder that the Mass will be said Saturday morning at 9:00 AM.

We are proud to share that St. Francis de Sales School will be offering before and after school care for our school families. As in the past, Morning Care will be available five days a week, following the school calendar, from 7:00 to 8:30 AM. After Care has been added because of your feedback and expressed desire for after school care. After Care will take place from dismissal, 3:30 PM until 6:00 PM.

Morning Care will cost $100 a month After Care will cost $200 per month or both Morning and After Care for $300 per month or $5, $10 and $15. These costs were developed in order to cover the costs for two adults to be present per the Decree on Child Protection. A handbook and registration form will be made available in the the next Crusader Chronicle. Please note that the After Care program will be based on a daily schedule, students will be provided with a period of time to play after a hard day at school, eat a snack, and work on school work. While some students may complete all of their work during after care, this may not apply to all students. It should not be considered as a tutoring session.

At this point in time Mrs. Nancy Blackburn will continue to support the Crusader Care program. If you or someone you know is interested in a part-time job (must be 18 years or older and Virtus Compliant) please have them contact me at principal@stfrancisdesales-lebanon.org

Since our last Crusader Chronicle there have been a few significant staff changes. First, Mrs. Colley will be teaching half-time this coming school year to attend to some family items (see note below). This job share will remain consistent over the course of the year and Mrs. Colley will teach one half of the Language Arts curriculum in the afternoon to grades 6, 7, and 8. Mrs. Sarah Kantor will be joining us as our instructor for the balance of the curriculum in the morning and homeroom periods.

Mrs. Kantor joins us from St. Susanna School in Plainfield, Indiana and is a graduate of Indiana University. During her time at St. Susanna she taught English (Writing and Literature) to grades 6, 7, and 8. Prior to St. Susanna, Mrs. Kantor student taught at Oldenburg Academy (Sisters of Saint Francis) as well as formed a young women's Catholic faith sharing group. Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Kantor to our community.

Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Simmons will not be returning in the Fall and will be serving in other school communities. I am grateful for their service to our school, their vocation and wish them the very best. I have been interviewing candidates for these positions and will share information when the process is completed.

Dear Parents and Students;

One of the most beautiful and most difficult aspects our faith is learning to follow the path that God has set for us to return to Him. The path we imagine sometimes takes a very different turn. Six years ago, I did not expect a three day substitute job to turn into a career that I love, with amazing colleagues, and dedicated students. Unfortunately, a year ago our lives took one of those unexpected turns when my husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Time has been responding relatively well to medication but this year, especially our extended time at home, has brought me to the realization that I need step back and be more available for his needs. I am beyond thankful that Dr. Stringer and Fr. Bernie are making it possible for me to continue at St. Francis in a more limited capacity. I will return next year with a co-teacher to fulfill the responsibilities of a 6-8 language arts and 8th grade homeroom. This change will give me the ability to meet Tim's needs and continue to provide the level of instruction that our students deserve. I humbly ask for your prayers as we find our way on this path that God has set before us.

Thank you

St. Francis de Sales is built upon a strong foundation of community. Our collaborative work permeates the classroom, athletics and special activities during the school day. As such, we want to make sure that the extra activities can still continue to the best of our ability. Several of these programs will continue to operate as they had in the past, lunch room volunteers, homeroom parent, field trip chaperones (as per ODE guidelines) etc. Several school families have shared that they would be willing and available to help in the classroom as well. This could look like small reading groups in the hallway with our younger students up through and including science experiments and maybe even a dissection!

I am thankful for your willingness and desire to support the school and our teachers, both veteran and new to our community!

The school office is continuing to work hard in preparing for the next academic year. This includes updates to the school website, with next year's academic calendar, supply lists, and the revised Parent/Student Handbook. Included in the handbook is the draft re-start plan. As noted in the last Crusader Chronicle, our plan is guided by four basic principles; Campus Health and Safety, Progress Monitoring to gauge academic growth, Content Area Instruction, and the continuity of general operations.