Coronavirus (COVID-19)

List of 6 items.

• Mask Revision: May 18th Letter

  May 18, 2021
  
  

  Dear All Saints Parents,
  
  

  Today, Governor Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting government entities from mandating masks, which includes public schools. (Executive Order No. GA-36 Gov. Greg Abbott, 5/18/2021) He cited that the COVID-19 hospitalization and rate of new cases have continued their steady decline.
  
  

  Taking this into consideration, All Saints will move to optional face masks on Monday, May 24.  This will allow the teachers the opportunity to continue to administer the NWEA tests this week without unnecessary disruption or distraction. All other protocols will remain in place for the remainder of the year.
  
  

  Our COVID-19 Task Force Committee, which is made up of members of the Board, health professionals, parents, and faculty and staff, has been meeting this month to discuss protocols for the upcoming school year. We will be sharing some of the highlights of those protocols next week with more to follow in the summer.
  
  

  We appreciate your continued support as we navigate our way through this ever-evolving situation.
  
  

  Kelly Henry

  President, Board of Trustees

   

  Scootie Clark

  Head of School

• Mask Mandate: March 9th Letter

  March 9, 2021
  
  

  Dear All Saints Parents,
  
  

       As you know, Governor Abbott announced last week that he was lifting the face mask mandate for the state of Texas. I am sure many of you have questions about how this impacts our school policies. In the following excerpt from the governor’s speech, he reminded us that: 

  Removing the state mandates does not end personal responsibility or the importance of caring for your family members and caring for your friends and caring for others in your community.  To stay safe, Texans should continue following medical advice on preventing COVID just as they do on other medical issues. 
  
  

  (https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/texas-gov-greg-abbott-press-conference-transcript-march-2-lifts-mask-mandate-fully-reopens-businesses)
  
  

      Furthermore, in his executive order, he strongly encouraged everyone to continue to wear face masks wherever it is not possible to maintain six feet distance from others. (Executive Order No. GA-34 Gov. Greg Abbott, 3/2/2021)

  
       In light of this and after consulting with our COVID-19 task force and local health officials, and viewing the latest recommendations from the CDC and TEA,  the Board of Trustees met and approved the task force’s recommendation to continue with our health protocols, including the face mask policy, for the remainder of the school year. The protocols have proved their effectiveness as we have had zero spread of the virus on campus thus far. We are grateful for the support of everyone in our All Saints community in helping us implement and adhere to our policies during this challenging year.

  
       Our highest priority and responsibility is to keep everyone safe while on our campus. We will be meeting regularly throughout the spring and summer to discuss the latest trends and recommendations from health professionals as we make plans for the fall. We look forward to the day when we can loosen many of our required protocols, including the face mask requirement.

  
  Best wishes for a safe and relaxing spring break next week.
  
  

  Kelly Henry, President Board of Trustees

  Scootie Clark, Head of School

• Phase 3: August 5th Letter

  August 5, 2020

  
  

  Dear Parents,

  
  

  I am pleased to share with you an overview of part 2 (Campus Life) and the final installment of our Reopening Plan. Included are our health protocols and an overview of our Remote Learning program. 
  
  

  In formulating the health protocols, we have done extensive research, consulted with members of the medical subcommittee of our task force, the local health department, additional physicians in our community, including pediatricians and an epidemiologist, and incorporated the CDC’s most recent recommendations. 

  
  

  These are the guidelines we will use as we reopen All Saints to welcome students back on campus. We know there will be additional recommendations as the medical experts learn more about COVID-19 from the scientific data they are gathering. We will be flexible, revising our protocols as warranted by the CDC’s ever-evolving recommendations, and directives from local and state authorities. 

  
  

  As for the Remote Learning (RL) option in place for our families, our goal is to provide the RL students with the same level of educational excellence that students on-campus experience. To that end, the school is purchasing a Swivl for every classroom. This device, when coupled with an iPad and the Zoom streaming platform, will allow students at home to actively participate in synchronous classes. Click here for an example of how the Swivl will be a gamechanger for our RL students. https://bit.ly/31mRp07

  
  

  All families will be sent a Google Remote Learning Registration form. The deadline to register in the RL program is August 14. The registration will be for the entire nine-week grading period, September 8 - November 6. Students who begin school on-campus will be permitted to change to the RL program if requested. 

  
  

  Thank you for the grace you have given us to work through the details of our Reopening Plan. This plan is our commitment to you - what we can reasonably do, we will do. At times, this may seem difficult. We understand. It is certainly going to be different, but we can do this together! It will help us reduce the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19. In partnership with you, we can minimize the risk. The Acknowledgement of Family COVID-19 Responsibility form is included and we hope that you will click on this link to indicate your willingness to support our plan and protocols. https://bit.ly/2EKKWnV

  
  

  We know the choice between on-campus and RL is not an easy one for many families. There are so many variables, unknowns, and risks to factor into the decision. Ultimately, it comes down to what will give you the most peace of mind in this difficult time. Rest assured, we will support whatever choice you make for your child. As a mission-driven, Christ-centered school, we are called to lean into challenging times and find the opportunity to celebrate Christ’s presence among us. Whether your child is on or off-campus, I look forward to us working together to provide a tremendous year of learning and growth.

  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  
  

  Scootie Clark

  Head of School

   

• Phase 2: July 21st Letter

  July 21, 2020
  
  

  Dear Parents,
  
  

  Because our Reopening Plan for the 2020-2021 school year is so robust, we are rolling it out in three parts. On July 1, I shared Part 1 of our Reopening Plan. This letter shares Part 2 of our plan which includes on campus procedures and protocols when school begins on September 8, all the while knowing that it is subject to change as warranted by the ever fluid situation. The Health Protocols and the Remote Learning Platform will be shared in our Reopening Plan Part 3 and will be sent out the first week in August. Our health protocols will incorporate guidelines from local health officials, TEA and the CDC. These protocols are subject to change based on directives from local and state authorities. 
  
  

  POLICY FOR PARENTS ON CAMPUS

  This year we must put protocols in place to safeguard the health and safety of all our students by limiting who can be on campus. Limiting the number of people congregating on campus will enable us to keep our arrival and dismissal times the same. Parents will refrain from:

  • Walking your child to and from the classroom
  • Volunteering in the classroom
  • Having lunch with your child

  There will be a table in front of the office for parents to drop off forgotten items for students, labeled with their name and homeroom teacher’s name. Parents will need to notify the front office.
  
  

  FACE COVERINGS

  Under the current state mandate, face coverings will be worn by students in grades 4-8 and are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult. During the school day, face coverings are generally required under the following conditions:

  • Indoors and in a group setting
  • Outdoors with compromised social distancing.

  Face coverings will not be required and are optional for:

  • Children 3rd grade and younger
  • People engaged in physical activities/exercise and who are maintaining social distancing.
  • Being outdoors and practicing social distancing
  • During times when individuals are eating and/or drinking

  CLASS SIZE

  In keeping with the recommendations for social and physical distancing, we are putting a cap on enrollment:

  • PK3-PK4          12 students
  • K                      14 students
  • 1-2                   16 students
  • 3-5                   17 students
  • 6-8                   18 students

   

  TENTS ON CAMPUS

  • Research indicates that outdoor activities have the least amount of risk for transmitting COVID-19. With our beautiful 11 acre campus, we will plan for as many outdoor activities as possible.
  • Canvas tents will cover the tennis courts to provide shade for P.E. and other classes.
  • Tents will also be located in other areas around campus for outdoor instruction and lunch/snack breaks.

  ​FOOD SERVICE

  We are pleased to announce that Traci and Casey Gates, All Saints parents, chefs and owners of MacKenzie’s Pub and chefs at Brentwood, will be providing our food service this year. Pre-packaged snacks (grades 3-8) and lunches (grades K-8) will be available for purchase. Due to additional health and safety protocols in place this year, we will be strictly following the procedures below:

  Protocols for food service employees

  • Temperatures will be taken daily
  • Masks and gloves will be worn
  • Hands will be washed every 30 minutesSurfaces sanitized every hour
  • Lunch Procedures
  • All students will eat lunch with their homeroom outdoors, weather permitting, or in their classroom.

  Food Service (Grades K-8)

  • All lunches will be pre-packaged and safely sealed.
  • All lunches MUST be pre-ordered using the EZ-School account. Orders must be placed from home or with homeroom teachers by 9 a.m. for that school day. 
  • Our chefs will be at the Back-to-School Roundup on September 1 to assist parents in creating accounts and/or adding funds to their existing accounts.
  • Payment may be made with a credit/debit card online or by check made payable to MacKenzie’s. A simple sandwich will be provided and charged to the student’s account in case of a forgotten lunch or an order was not placed in time.

  Food Brought from Home

  • As stated in our handbook, lunch from “fast food” and other restaurants is not to be brought to school or dropped off.
  • Microwave ovens will not be available this year for warming up food brought from home.
  • There will be a designated table outside the front office for forgotten lunches. All lunches should be labeled with the student’s name and homeroom.  Please notify the front office.

  BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

  Parents may send individually packaged birthday treats for the class with their child or drop them off at the table in front of the office. Please coordinate the celebration with the homeroom teacher. 
  
  

  VIRTUAL EVENTS

  The detailed 2020-2021 calendar will be included in the Back to School Information Book to be mailed home the first week in August.  In keeping with the recommendations and requirements for social distancing and limiting the number of people at an event, many of our ASPA and school events will be held virtually. We have fun plans to make these events interactive and memorable!  

   

  PRIMARY CAMPUS LIFE

  At the beginning of the school year, there will be Healthy Me units with stories and activities to help students understand the need for enhanced health and safety measures in place.

  Campus Visit Day   We plan to hold our Campus Visit Day for our PK3-K students as a face-to-face event on September 2.  We believe it is important for the student and parents to meet the teacher and see the classroom before the first day of school. Teachers will share the assigned time for their families in their welcome letter that will also include the class list. The letter will be emailed to families on August 26. Families will be divided into two groups to keep the number of people in the room smaller. All adults will be required to wear a face covering.

  The grade level schedule will be:

  • PK3      9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
  • PK4      9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
  • K          10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

  The schedule for each homeroom class will be:

  • Group 1 visit classroom - 15 minutes
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces - 15 minutes
  • Group 2 visit classroom - 15 minutes

  Primary Classrooms - Physical Distancing

  • PK3-PK4 students will be seated at tables with limited students at each table. 
  • K-1 students will sit at desks spaced as far apart as possible, facing the front of the classroom.
  • Outdoor spaces will be utilized for some class activities.

  CAMPUS LIFE

  Classrooms

  • Students will use the sanitizing stations before entering any classroom. 
  • Students will sit at physically distanced desks facing the front. 
  • Students will bring their pencil boxes with their individual supplies to all classes.
  • Teachers will disinfect the desks and surfaces between classes.
  • When art supplies need to be shared, there will be a class set that will only be used with one class that day and be disinfected before being used again.
  • Music classes will be held both in the music room and the assembly hall to facilitate physical distancing. There will not be any singing for the time being.

  ​​P.E.

  • There will be separate entrance and exit doors. 
  • An electrostatic sprayer will be in the gym to disinfect the building and equipment during the day. 
  • Students will be kept in cohort groups and socially distant whenever feasible. 
  • Weather permitting, P.E. classes will be held outdoors. 
  • The emphasis will be on physical fitness and skill building.
  • Students will not dress out for PE.
  • Coach Falgout and Coach Johnson will lead activities for grades 4-8 by grade level, keeping cohort groups together as feasible; Coach Trevino will work with cheerleaders on M &Th.

  Library

  • Books will be quarantined for 3 days/72 hours.
  • Furniture will be placed to allow for physical distancing.
  • Hand sanitizer will be used when entering the library and before and after searching for books.
  • Students will be encouraged to use the Destiny library website to select books and place them on hold so they will be ready for pick up at library time or delivery to their room.
  • The teacher will disinfect the desk computers and tables between classes. 
  • There will be no Self-Checkout.
  • Social distancing markers on carpet 
  • For students who choose remote learning, curbside delivery for books placed on hold can be scheduled.

  MIDDLE SCHOOL 

  Electives

  • On Tuesday and Thursday, students will have required one-semester classes with their cohorts.
  • A description of the MWF electives and the selection form will be emailed to parents and students on August 5 for students to complete and submit.

  Extra-Curricular Activities

  Drama

  At this time, we plan for all drama productions to be virtual this year, much like the one that was produced last spring. Auditions will take place early in the semester.

  Athletics

  We continue to wait for the guidelines and the schedule for the fall sports games from the DBSL (Diocese of Beaumont Sports League). Our task force has made the following recommendations for volleyball and soccer. Information regarding basketball will be shared at a later date. This is subject to change once the DBSL shares their guidelines.

  • Players will have a designated chair when they are on the bench.  That chair will be for only them for the entire match.  Chairs will be placed 6 ft. apart and replaced with disinfected chairs. 
  • There will be a sneeze guard for the gate and concession stand. Workers will need to wear gloves and face coverings.
  • Only 2 students will be allowed at a time in the locker room to get changed for the game.
  • For volleyball games: teams will not switch benches between games, after every 10 points there will be a sanitizing break where players sanitize hands with a new ball being put in play and the old ball wiped down. 
  • Players must have their own water bottles. 
  • There will be no handshaking after the match.
  • For soccer, we feel it is not necessary to break as much since there is not much contact with the hands. 
  • A new ball will be rotated in about every 10 minutes and the old ball will be sanitized. 
  • Players must have their own water bottles. 
  • There will be no handshaking after the match.

  We realize that you have lots of questions and we are committed to keeping you informed as we make decisions about the 2020-2021 school year. I hope our on-campus plan gives you a better understanding of what our year will look like.
  
  As mentioned earlier, our final installment of the Reopening Plan will include information about the Health Protocols and our Remote Learning platform.  As you know, the situation is ever-changing and protocols will be subject to change as warranted.  
  
  

  Prayers for the continued health and well-being of our community,
  
  

  Scootie Clark

  Head of School

• Revised Start Date: July 17th Letter

  July 17, 2020

  
  

  Dear All Saints families,

   

  No doubt you all have been closely following the ever-changing Covid-19 situation in our local community.  The All Saints Re-Opening Task Force, Board and Administrative Team have worked for many weeks to create a safe operating plan for our school.  Although we had hoped to bring students back to campus for a school start on August 12, due to the current spike in Covid-19 cases in Jefferson County and following consultation with our local Health Department and other medical advisors, I have decided to postpone the start of the school year from August 12 to September 8.  On September 8, our campus will open for full-time in-person classes and will also launch remote learning for those who have chosen this option.

   

  The following are the major factors that led to my decision to postpone the start of school:

  ·  The later start date will allow time for Covidj-19 cases to begin to decrease in Jefferson County.

  ·  The extra days will also allow our faculty to be trained and prepared to provide an excellent remote learning platform that is in keeping with our program.  More parents that anticipated have chosen the remote learning option rather than a return to in-person classes on campus, and we want to provide the best remote program possible.

  ·  As health protocols and routines are ever evolving, the extra time will allow our faculty and staff to be adequately educated and trained so that all guidelines are followed consistently and carefully.

  
  

  Beginning after Labor Day will require some adjustment to the school year calendar.  The most important one is that the last day of school will now be June 4, 2021.  Please see the revised school calendar for 2020-21 attached.  

  
  

  The later school start date may make a difference in the education choice  you have made for your child, whether remote or in-person on campus.  The date to make your choice will be extended to August 14th.   If you have already submitted your choice and wish to change it, please contact the school by that date.

  
  

  Part 2 of our campus re-opening plan will be communicated to you all by the end of next week.   The revised school calendar will be included with Part 2.  Please be looking for this important information.

  
  

  I ask your support for this decision, as I truly believe it is the safest and wisest one for our school community.

   

  Scootie Clark

  Head of School

   

• Phase 1: July 1st Letter

  July 1, 2020
  
  Dear All Saints Families,

   

  All Saints Episcopal School has developed our 2020-2021 Re-opening Plan based on the current CDC and TEA guidelines and the recommendations of our nineteen member task force. We realize that all are anxious to know our plans for re-opening the campus and we wanted to share the first part of our plan with you as soon as possible. Information regarding additional protocols and procedures will be sent in mid-July.

  
  Our goal is to have all students back on campus full time beginning on August 12, keeping the health and safety of our school community at the forefront of every decision we make. This means we’ve had to make some temporary adjustments to our day-to-day operations this year. However, at every point in our decision-making process we have asked ourselves, what is the purpose of what we do on our campus (whether it is in the classroom, an ASPA event, or an All Saints tradition), and how can we keep the core essence and the spirit of All Saints present in all we do?

  
  We understand that each family has unique concerns, due to health or other circumstances, and we want to assure you that we will support you in making the decisions that are best for your family. Included with this email is the flow chart that was sent in May that shows the options that will be available. 

  
  We know you have many questions and concerns. We are grateful so many of you took the time to share them with us in our recent survey. As you know, the situation still remains very fluid and while adjustments to our initial plan may be needed, we do not foresee making any major changes unless mandated by state and local officials. Below are FAQS for the upcoming year.
  
  

  This is our initial plan for re-opening our campus for the 2020-2021 school year. Please contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have. More detailed information will be sent to families once those plans have been finalized. Some of the topics that will be addressed include:

  • Protocols for an occurrence of COVID on campus
  • Daily health checklistPlans for enrichment classes, electives, and extracurricular activities
  • Procedures for the library and computer lab
  • Additional campus cleaning protocolsPolicy for parents and visitors on campus
  • Information for registering for Remote Learning (deadline will be July 31)

  Looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year, we know that many challenges lie ahead. Some of them we can anticipate but new ones are bound to arise along the way. This plan is the culmination of the CDC and TEA guidelines, and the ideas, research, experience, and expertise of our task force committee. It is not intended to answer all questions, nor can it even anticipate all questions that will arise. We hope it will, however, give you confidence that we are keeping the safety and well-being of our school community at the center of our decisions for the upcoming year and that we are committed to providing our students with academic excellence while maintaining the core essence and the spirit of All Saints. 

  
  We will continue to be transparent about our plans, keeping you informed of any developments or changes. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your continued support of All Saints. 

  
  Sincerely,

  Scootie Clark, Head of School