Reopening School for 2020-21

• New Entry and Exit Procedures which limit number of students transitioning at the same time.

• New Building Travel Rules including designated up and down staircases and directional signage on floors.

• There will be a designated comfort and care room for any community members experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. 

• The use of large gathering spaces in the school will be restricted.

• Lunch will be divided into different areas and students will be spaced at least 6’ apart. 

• Hand sanitizer stations and plexiglass will be added throughout the building.

• Expanding the use of our outdoor space.

1. Understand Mask Protocols

• Practice Putting Mask On and Off
• All community members will be required to wear masks upon entering school and within classrooms and hallways
• Avoid touching inside of the mask
• Purchase extra masks

2. Practice Hand Hygiene

• Handwashing is very important if done the right way
• Count for at least 20 seconds and be sure to wash the front, back, and in-between fingers
• When using hand sanitizer, you should use about a quarter size drop and rub it into your hands until they’re dry

3. Practice Social Distancing

Keep six feet apart, think about the length of a mattress

4. Learn to Recognize Symptoms

• Stay home if you are sick—No Exceptions 
• Symptoms include: fever, cough, loss of taste/smell, headache, stomachaches, etc.
• Call the school nurse to report an illness

5. Update Physicals and Immunizations

Continue with well visits.

6. Verify and Update Emergency Contacts

If you present with COVID–19 like symptoms, student/faculty will be placed in an isolation room and will need to picked up immediately.

7. Stay Informed

Educate yourself with reliable sources like the CDC and the SJP website under Nurse’s Notes.

8. Purchase a Thermometer

Check temperature every morning. If temperature is 99.5 or higher you must stay home and contact the school nurse.

• Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID- 19 and gradually open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help us keep transmission rates as low as possible.
• Please find more information, including the list of lower-risk states, exemptions, business guidance and other details at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order

• Video about COVID-19 and what you can do to stay safe
• Communication between home and school will be important
• We look forward to seeing students and faculty in the fall
• If you would like to discuss any medical, physical, or emotional health concerns, please contact the school nurse at 617-254-8383 x1232 or via email

Our plan is to move to a rotating block schedule in an In-person or Hybrid plan.

• There will be four classes per day, 85 minutes per class period.    
• We have extended passing periods between classes to five minutes to accommodate one-way hallways and designated up/down stairwells. We will stagger the times students are dismissed from class. 
• To limit travel within our school, we plan to cluster students and limit interactions by offering two lunch periods where grade levels will have lunch in multiple locations at their given lunch time.  The first lunch block will be designated for grades 9 and 10 students and students will be split between the cafeteria and Gym. Grades 11 and 12 students will be in advisory. Then they will switch with a staggered release.

Note: If the school went back to remote learning for all students, this is not the schedule we would utilize. We feel we struck a good balance with our remote learning schedule in the spring, and our school team is still finalizing what the Remote Learning Schedule will be based on faculty and parent feedback. 

Our faculty have begun starting to plan for 85 minute periods, working with their department chairs to ensure a smooth transition.

• Dramatically reduces number of transitions throughout the building, reduces interactions between members of our community 

• Allows teachers to infuse more variety into instructional practice 

• Provides opportunity for projects and labs 

• Supports student focus, organization and executive function, less shifting / multi-tasking.

• Proactive as it makes a smoother transition to Remote Learning

EXPANDED SAFETY STANDARDS AND DISTANCING 

• 5 days of instruction for every student

• 1/2 of the students attend in-person and 1/2 join the class virtually from home = Dramatic reduction in number of people in the physical building

• Classroom desks will be spaced from six to eight feet apart and facing the same direction

• All students will have assigned seating

• Students will be given mask breaks in advisory, lunch, and study halls 

• Entry to the school building, Lunch and Dismissal will be staggered with multiple access points.

• The key is not just to reduce the number of students in the building, but also to reduce the number of students in each classroom, using the following grouping:

WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM? 

• On average, 8- 10 students in a classroom in-person with  6-8+ feet of distancing and 8-10 participating from home remotely. 

• Classes live-streamed on Zoom for remote students at home. Remote students on Zoom will be “virtually present” in the classroom and visible on Gallery View on large flat screen TVs in each classroom.  

• A blended instructional model that is primarily synchronous , but has some flexibility to incorporate asynchronous activities/lessons. This model will serve to keep learners connected, engaged and on track, while providing flexibility in the roll out of content and assessments.

• This floor plan gives you a perspective of what hybrid class might look like:

If it is deemed safe for schools to return to operate fully on-site, we will do so, and continue with the best education available for any student in the New England area. All safety measures will remain in place, and our school day will follow the same schedule outlined by the hybrid model with one exception: all students will be learning in-person.

As a Catholic school designed for the 21st Century, we are intentionally forward-thinking, creative, and agile. Innovation is at the heart of a Saint Joseph Prep education. While Remote Learning can be challenging in many ways, our goal is to provide you with a remote environment where you can continue to learn. This is how it worked in the spring of 2020, and possibly how it will work if we are required to return to it.

Procedure

Students are expected to follow the Remote Learning schedule (see below) each day. This modified schedule will alternate days between Remote Day A ( periods 1-4 ) and Remote Day B ( Periods 5- 8). The schedule does not rotate and there are no dropped classes. Students should see the school calendar on the Saint Joseph Prep website to distinguish Remote A or Remote B.

For each class, you need to log into your Google Classroom account and follow the Zoom link to your teacher’s zoom meeting. Your teachers will post additional instructions on Google Classroom for classwork. You will have homework to complete each day. Teachers are available at the conclusion of each class period for 15 minutes before technology breaks for questions. Additionally, you can reach out to your teachers during virtual office hours from 1:00 to 2:00 PM via Zoom meeting.

Assignments, Assessments and PowerSchool

We anticipate you being able to do classwork and coursework while we are functioning remotely. Teachers will ask you to submit assignments through Google Classroom and will provide feedback through Google classroom and Zoom. Teachers will continue to grade your work and input grades on PowerSchool.

Absences

Teachers will be taking attendance in all of their Remote classes. If you are unable to participate in a Remote class, your parent/guardian must email Maria Lopez, the Front Office Administrative Assistant, from a parent/guardian email account that is registered with the school, indicating why your son/daughter cannot participate in class. The parent/guardian must then call the attendance line 617-254-8383, Extension 1234. The student should email their teacher(s) directly.

Digital Citizenship

While learning remotely, students must abide by the same policies that are found in the SJP handbook. It is imperative that students continue to show mutual respect for all members of the SJP community. Additionally, academic integrity is of the highest importance and students should keep in mind that cheating, plagiarism, and all other forms of academic dishonesty will have serious consequences. Please review the Remote Learning Reminders & Guidelines document for more details on expected behavior during remote class time.

Photos and Video

In the interest of protecting the privacy of the people who come to Saint Joseph Prep each day, no one is allowed to use any camera, video camera, smart phone, laptop or any other electronic device to take any photo(s) or video(s) of any student, faculty member, administrator, staff or any other personnel on or off campus at any time without awareness and/or permission of that individual. A student is never allowed to share electronic content from a photo or video without permission. Anyone who violates this policy will be in direct violation of our school policy.