To the Saints Community:

Like many of you, we have been carefully following news about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We have been working with campus leaders, following the guidance of public health officials, and paying attention to the decisions of local schools (public and private) to consider how this crisis could continue to impact our students, their families and the faculty and staff. We are busy developing plans for many different possible scenarios. While there are no confirmed cases of CoronaVirus at Saints at this time, we have developed a plan to deliver our educational program online in the event local authorities recommend school closure.

The plan to deliver curriculum via our learning management system, CANVAS, should be seamless for students as they are already adept at visiting the site for current assignments, resources and gradebook.  Delivering the curriculum will be a little different for instructors who may be employing new distance learning strategies, (chat boards, video links, streaming lessons, etc.) that they have not regularly used as an instructional tool.

If a closure is announced the following will apply:

• We will suspend all in-person classes and transition to the CANVAS online platform until it is deemed safe to resume normal operations.
• We will provide regular updates to the entire community via CANVAS, our website and social media channels.
• We will suspend all extra-curricular activities during the time that the school is closed.
• We do not have a firm plan regarding athletic events and activities as there are outside governing bodies with whom we are trying to coordinate a plan. Two primary ideas being considered include full cancellation or limited athletics without spectators. Details will be forthcoming.  
• Campus hours, in the event of a closure, will be 8-2pm. Campus will only be open to faculty and staff.  The only exception is those needing to use the school’s chaplaincy, academic/college counseling, or business office services.  If you are in this group during a closure you can connect via email and schedule an appointment.  

We understand there will be questions around many issues. Please be assured that answers and additional information will be forthcoming over the next few days and weeks.   We will continue to be diligent in communicating facts and changes to school plans/activities and push notifications to the community using CANVAS, social media sites, the website and emails.

Also, if you feel that keeping your student home from the school is important ahead of any announcement of a school closure, we encourage you to make the choice you feel best for your son/family.  If you keep your son home before a school closure is announced, please call the attendance office to report his absence.  He can use CANVAS to communicate with instructors and fellow students.

Thanks, and please bear with us while we transition through this evolving health crisis.

In the Spirit,

James Horne