Good afternoon Eagle Nation! Here are the three things you need to know this week from the desk of Mr. Berry.
1) Return to Campus Update
What's New: The Office of the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) convened school leaders from across the archdiocese on Tuesday to walk through the Archdiocesan Protocols, which is a set of recommended guidelines for schools to follow as they begin to prepare their Pandemic Preparedness & Readiness Plan (PPRP).
Why It's Important: All area Catholic schools are required to draft and submit a PPRP to the Archdiocese by August 3, which outlines the procedures they will follow should students return to campus in the fall.
What's Next: OLP leadership team will collaborate with schools in our immediate vicinity to align on recommended practices for returning to campus, with the hopes of drafting a similar PPRP by the August 3 deadline.
2) Distance Learning Taskforce (DLT)
What's New: The taskforce met on Tuesday to continue work on the OLP Distance Learning Plan, should the school need to activate it in the future.
Why It's Important: The presence of a centralized document that outlines distance learning policies and procedures will help ensure students continue to receive the same quality education from OLP whether in person or virtual. The Distance Learning Plan will help hold teachers, students, and parents accountable for their specific duties & responsibilities, as all play a critical role in successful distance learning.
What's Next: In order to ensure an effective plan is designed, the DLT is seeking input from students and parents who participated in OLP Distance Learning last spring. If you (or someone you know) are willing to join the taskforce, or would simply be interested in providing candid feedback on your experience, please send an email to Dave Marrese, Director of Advancement, at dmarrese@olpmn.org for further information.
3) New playground equipment!
What's New: The new playground equipment (purchased as a result of the 2020 Spring Gala Fund-a-Need) has started to arrive on campus. As a part of this project, OLP will be installing two basketball hoops, a tetherball fixture, new flooring and equipment for ELP playground, and two picnic tables with shade in the elementary playground.
Why It's Important: Earlier this year, the students of OLP were asked what they would add or change about our campus, and an overwhelming majority asked for new playground equipment. Thanks in large part to a successful (virtual) annual spring gala in April, where we raised over $23,000 and received a matching grant of $20,000 from CSCOE, we have been able to deliver on their request.
What's Next: As the equipment continues to arrive, the installation will begin as soon as possible and will be complete by mid to late August. We are very excited!
