Fall Reopening FAQs (English) Fall Reopening FAQs (Spanish)
Updated 9/4/20:
Mask Requirement Changes for Early Childhood Students:
Students in grades Pre K 3, 4 and Kindergarten will be required to wear masks when arriving in the morning, at dismissal and at times when they are traveling as a group from one location to another within the building. We strongly suggest that students in these grades wear a mask at all times while in school. Any parent who wishes to have their child wear a mask at all times, should communicate this to their child’s teacher. To be clear, they are not required to wear a
mask in class at all times.
Updated 8/28/20:
Holy Family Holy Name School will have hand sanitizer available for use by students and staff while in school as an effective alternative for cleaning hands if soap and water are not readily available. Hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) is recommended as an alternative to soap and water by CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Parents/legal guardians are allowed to opt their child out of using hand sanitizer by sending a written notice to the school.
Face Mask Guidelines have also changed. Please refer to the Face Mask Info webpage linked here.
Updated 8/20/20:Everything that we are planning is outside of, and well beyond, what we normally do to open a school year. We still have all the other things to plan for and some have to change. For example, school masses will not be the same. The guidelines that we need to follow have been established to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and we need everyone’s full participation and support.
Here are a few things to assist your planning:
- If we are able to safely have students in the school building, students in Grades 1-8 will begin on August 31. These days will be half-days. This will afford us the opportunity to see how this all goes and then meet after the students leave each day to evaluate how things went.
- Preschool & Kindergarten begins on Tuesday, September 8. This begins full-days of school for all grade levels (Pre 3 – Grade 8).
Lunch is a complex issue and we will have another week to iron out the details for that. - All students in grades 1 through 8 are required to wear a face mask. We highly suggest children in P3 – Kindergarten wear a mask but it is not mandatory.
Click Here for more important information on face masks. - Students will sit far enough apart to be within the specific guidelines and remain in their classrooms more consistently to avoid contact with other grades. For example, the middle school teachers will travel to the students.
- The physical distancing guidelines are extensive and will be pushed out in detail with the full plan. The short version is that visitors will be severely limited, and all people in the building must maintain physical distancing at all times.
- Students will be given opportunities to go outside and have mask breaks that are in keeping with the guidelines regarding this.
- Arrival/Dismissal is a huge logistical concern. We are in the process of developing a plan and system that will allow our students to arrive and dismiss in a safe manner, that keeps within the guidelines to mitigate the spread of COVID -19.
- Each classroom will be disinfected daily. Teachers and students will disinfect their personal spaces at minimum at the end of each day and before consuming any food. Disinfection of the halls, rest rooms, etc. will occur after students leave and as needed throughout the day.
- Due to Covid 19 restrictions, extended care will be on a pre-registration/pre-pay basis and will be strictly enforced. After school extended care will begin on Tuesday, September 8th (there has been a change to our calendar). Please use extended care on a true need basis as space will be limited to 30 slots/students per day.
Click Here for the Extended Care Sign-up Sheet (sign-ups open on 8/30/20 at 12noon).
Finally, we too are waiting. The New Bedford Public School and City plans will impact us and we are waiting to hear about those. The Governor continues to refine and adjust his plans. Each day brings new twists, new changes and we must remain as nimble and adaptable as we can. Thank you for your support and cooperation.