Dear STM Parents and Families,
Congratulations on completing another school year! I wanted to thank you all for your patience, prayers, understanding, and support through the last several months. We have all been on quite the ride and have some bumps and bruises, but have all made it to the end. While the past few months have been unprecedented and we are wading through uncharted waters, there is one thing I have been able to trust in and will never change and that is the Love of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I don’t know about you, but I certainly could not, cannot, go through all of this without His constant guidance and strength. I pray that in this time you all have found your strength in Christ as well.
I know you all have many questions about the upcoming year; I do as well! However, we are proceeding with the plan that we will be open and running school as traditionally done, unless ordered otherwise. This being said, I wanted to share with you in more detail what our options are for next year so when we do have more information and guidance from the CDC and Tri-County Health Department (remember STM is in Arapahoe County), we will have a plan in place. It will then be a matter of adjusting a plan instead of creating a plan. Earlier this week, Governor Polis stated that he would not be making any decisions or recommendations regarding school restrictions and/or re-opening until August. So, until then, we need to sit tight, keep praying, and stay positive. With the grace of God, we will get through this.
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to complete the survey we sent out in April. Your responses were extremely helpful in getting an idea of where we are and where we need to go in regards to distance learning. That being said, I want you to know that we will be having a week’s worth of intense professional development on the use of our online platforms. We are researching the use of Microsoft Teams for the future as the safety and user reviews of this platform have been high. Additionally, we will be learning more in-depth the Google platform so it can be consistently used throughout grade levels while distance learning. We will also be developing standards for distance learning that all students (PreK-8) will be held to. All of this information will be rolled out to the families in late July or early August. It is my goal to provide one or two classes for parents on the use of our platforms as well. These classes will be scheduled for later in the summer.
Below, you will see that we have made minor adjustments and we now have three models instead of the original four models for the upcoming year. The tables will detail the models and other information pertinent to the success and implementation of these models. Please remember that we cannot guarantee these models will be rolled out exactly as outlined here. We might receive information where we would have to make adjustments to accommodate for an increase or relaxing of restrictions. Regardless of the model we are in, monitoring of conditions will be ongoing and shifts into a different model will be done as necessary.
Please remember that we are not guaranteeing any of these options, but rather giving you an idea of where we stand at this point in time. As mentioned above, we are going forward with prayers and hope for Option 1 for next year. The students should be prepared to begin their school year on August 24 by attending our Drop-Off Day (details to follow this summer). This being said, it is likely that we will still have some restrictions in place so we will communicate those details in the summer. As a reminder, these restrictions could be continued social distance, the possible use of masks, and health screening before entering the building. We would also mandate that all students carry personal sized hand sanitizer with them at all times.
In regards to tuition, we will be sending out an addendum to the tuition contract. This addendum will need to be signed by all and returned to the main office before the first day of school. This addendum states that there will be no modification of tuition if we are mandated to return to distance learning. Please understand that tuition paid goes 100% to teacher salaries. If we do not have tuition funding, we cannot maintain our staff, which in turn means fewer resources for you and your children.
Again, thank you for your patience and support during these difficult times. I pray you have a restful, joy-filled, and beautiful summer. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Also, attached please find a letter from Archbishop Aquila and Superintendent Moo regarding the 2020-2021 school year.
Peace and blessings,
Mrs. DeWolfe
Principal