St. Michael the Archangel, Pray for Us!

Dear STM Parents,

I hope this finds you well and you are (somewhat) settling in to a new routine! Not only do I want to thank you for your support in this time of uncharted waters, I also want to say how very grateful I am to the teachers. They were able to put together plans and materials at the very last minute and get it all rolled out to everyone on Monday. Teachers were given literally hours to completely redesign THEIR norms as well. They have changed the way they teach, assess, monitor, etc., all with the goal of ensuring our children have the materials and lessons to keep their learning going. This is not an easy task, nor one that I would imagine anyone else would ever want to do. Please remember that our teachers and staff are in much the same positions that you are, with children at home and trying to maintain a now "virtual" classroom full time. We all know it is not perfect, but as was stated in a recent post, they "Apollo-13'd it" and made it work! So, thank you teachers!

That said, we do not want you to be overwhelmed, especially those of you who have multiple children across the grades. The amount of plans that teachers sent home is the regular load for a normal school week. We understand that without in-person and direct teacher instruction and guidance, this could be difficult to complete within the home.

Please keep in mind that we are still being mandated by the Colorado Department of Education and the Archdiocese of Denver to meet the per pupil minutes and hours per day requirement. This is why we have the documentation sheets that are needing to be signed off on for every subject. Again, we understand that this could be challenging, especially if you are trying to work from home. Please just do the best you can. If your child finishes something quickly, great! If it takes them a couple of days to understand a concept, fine! This is a new experience for everyone and we all are working together- we trust your judgement as the primary educators of your children and what is best for your family to continue to learn and be at peace during this time.

If you are struggling with getting the work done, PLEASE COMMUNICATE THAT TO YOUR TEACHER. They know to be extremely flexible and your feedback will be very helpful for the teachers in knowing if they need to adjust planning for the next week. This is new for all of us and we are grateful for your patience and communication as we work through this.

All of this being said, I wanted to let you know that I have pulled together the Leadership Team and we will be assessing how this week went, what needs to stay the same, what needs to change, and how we can lessen the burden on everyone. I will be communicating with you what changes will be implemented, what online platforms might be used, etc. As it stands, I ask that you stay the course for what the teachers have assigned until Friday. However, with the possibility of using more online platforms (Google, Zoom, etc.) I am needing to know if families are equipped to have their children access and work online. Below is a survey I am asking EVERYONE to complete so we can have an understanding of everyone's technology needs.

Additionally, it is possible that I will be asking you to take Monday and POSSIBLY Tuesday off from classwork so teachers can further develop lessons and detail any changes in their plans to you all.

I know this is an unsettling time for all of us, and the last thing we want to do is add stress about school work...be at peace and do the best you can. Allow yourself some grace and flexibility and know that if you don't get something done, that is ok!! We will work with you...we will get through this together and let us continue to work together as a family!

Remember what sets STM apart from the local schools - we are in it for the whole person, not just academics! So please, take a deep breath, relax, pray, and know we STILL are an amazing community filled with joy, love, and hope!

Thank you again for everything, let us stay united in prayer and please be in touch with any further questions.

Peace and Lenten blessings,

Mrs DeWolfe

Principal

Does your child(ren) have a device they can use solely and not have to share with others in the family?

Yes

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No

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Does your family need to check out a device from school so you can meet the one to one needs of online/distance learning?

Yes

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No

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If your family needs to check out a device, how many would you need?

1

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2

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3 or more

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