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| Kris, Michaela, Alex, and Sophia |
This week's guest blogger is Kristine Crews. She is a St. Ann parent, soccer mom, and researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She directs a Residency in Clinical Pharmacogenomics at St. Jude and teaches student pharmacists at University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. She serves on the Diocesan Transition Task Force. She has been asked to give us all an explanation of the work being performed by the Task Force regarding re-opening Catholic Schools this fall.
We are all in this together! As the 2019-20 school year comes to a close-- one we won’t forget anytime soon-- the Catholic Diocese of Memphis is looking ahead to what the return to campus in Fall 2020 will look like. As a St. Ann parent and a healthcare professional, I’ve been asked to serve on the Diocesan Transition Task Force, which is chaired by Teddi Niedzweidz, principal of St. Louis Catholic School. This task force will advise Catholic Schools on safe practices for reopening campuses in Fall 2020.
St. Ann is a school like no other. Jimmy and I send our daughter Sophia to St. Ann for the strong and nurturing community and for teachers who care for each child as a whole. I am a product of K-12 Catholic education in my hometown of Chalfont, PA. Without a doubt, my strong Catholic school education propelled me to my STEM career and formed me into a well-rounded adult. It’s the education Jimmy and I sought for our three children - Sophia, a rising 7th grader at St. Ann; Michaela, a rising 10th grader at St. Benedict; and Alex, a soon-to-be senior at Christian Brothers High School.
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| Kris and the empty halls at St. Jude |
As the diocesan task force make plans through the summer for the start of the new school year, we will keep in mind these important goals: educating our kids, continuing to provide a strong faith community in which they can grow, and keeping COVID-19 off the St. Ann campus.
No one can predict the future of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all much smarter and more experienced, however, in safety measures in our own homes and in our community than we were 2 months ago. The pandemic came upon us in Shelby County and across the country so quickly this past March. We had to adapt instantly and change the way we taught our kids. We have more time to plan for the fall return to school. The task force recognizes that we essentially need 3 separate plans for return to school depending on the level of COVID-19 transmission in August:
1. If there remains a high level of transmission in the community: start the school year with distance learning if schools need to remain closed.
2. For a moderate level of transmission in the community: return to school with social distancing restrictions in place.
3. For a minimum level of transmission in the community: schools will open; some precautions may need to stay in place.
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| Sophia on the 1st day of 6th grade |
The task force is focusing on Situation 2 above and will advise on what plans need to be in place to return to school in the case of a moderate level of transmission in the community. Those of us who are essential workers and have physically gone to work over the past few weeks have seen our places of business morph into something nearly unrecognizable from how they operated in other times.
It’s likely that St. Ann will open for the 2020-21 school year looking and running very differently than it did last fall. Over the summer, Mr. Aur and his dedicated faculty and staff will be doing previously unheard-of activities, like measuring classrooms and common spaces throughout the school to know the occupancy limits of each space for social distancing requirements. St. Ann will set up a screening protocol for students as they enter school each morning in the fall. We’ll have a renewed focus on cleaning and disinfecting the school at night. We’ll plan for hand hygiene breaks throughout the school day. We’ll look at traffic patterns to limit mixing of students as they move through the school. And we’ll consider accommodations that will be needed for vulnerable students, faculty, and staff members so that the school environment is safe for all of us. Again, we don’t know yet what precautions will need to be in place but be assured we’ll work through the summer break to have our beloved school ready to teach these kids.
It’s likely that St. Ann will open for the 2020-21 school year looking and running very differently than it did last fall. Over the summer, Mr. Aur and his dedicated faculty and staff will be doing previously unheard-of activities, like measuring classrooms and common spaces throughout the school to know the occupancy limits of each space for social distancing requirements. St. Ann will set up a screening protocol for students as they enter school each morning in the fall. We’ll have a renewed focus on cleaning and disinfecting the school at night. We’ll plan for hand hygiene breaks throughout the school day. We’ll look at traffic patterns to limit mixing of students as they move through the school. And we’ll consider accommodations that will be needed for vulnerable students, faculty, and staff members so that the school environment is safe for all of us. Again, we don’t know yet what precautions will need to be in place but be assured we’ll work through the summer break to have our beloved school ready to teach these kids.
What can you do this summer?
· Keep informed by checking for updates to evidence-based guidance on the CDC and Shelby County websites.
· Experts recommend helping your child stay socially connected with friends digitally for the time being. Resist the urge to start back sleepovers and Jumping World parties just yet. What we do now to stem the transmission of the coronavirus in the community will help us be in good shape to open schools in the fall.
· If someone at higher risk for COVID-19 will be providing childcare (an older adult, such as a grandparent or someone with a chronic medical condition), limit your children’s contact with other people.
· If your children ride bikes or play outside with neighborhood friends, reinforce 6-foot distancing from anyone who is not in your own household and keep them playing outside.
Have a great summer and see you next year!
~Kris
I would like to thank Kris Crews for saying "Yes" to serving on the Diocesan Transition Task Force. Her work along with all the other members of the task force is crucial to the planning efforts of re-opening Catholic Schools this fall. This task force is giving all school leaders a roadmap on how best to prepare with student safety at the forefront. Thank you for giving of your time and talent to helping all the children, both in Catholic Schools and St. Jude. You are making a positive difference in the world.
God bless you,
Didier Aur, Principal
St. Ann Catholic School
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Thank you Chris to your dedication to St Ann and the task force. Praying for everyone during this crazy time.
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