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Principal Points, July 10th
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July 23, 2020Dear St. Theresa's Catholic School Families, 
Exile in a Strange Land
As we prepare with optimism for the 2020-2021 school year, it is not without understanding that there is a high degree of uncertainty and anxiety about that very eventuality for all of us. To draw upon a biblical analogy, in many ways we have become like those exiled to Babylon in the Old Testament. It is an odd notion to “feel exiled” in our own homes, school, and places of work, but it is a surprisingly accurate assessment when we pause to reflect upon it. Like the Jews of that time, we have been taken from our old lives and been placed in a very strange and new “land.” Nothing is truly the same anymore for any of us and we find ourselves wishing this would all just hurry up, so we can just go back to “normal.”
I am an optimist. I see the glass half-full, not half-empty. I believe, like Anne Frank, “that people really are good at heart.” This optimism and sense of hope comes from and is sustained by my Catholic faith. As a Christian, I live in the reality that Jesus’ death and Resurrection is the ultimate source of hope. No circumstance here on Earth could ever outweigh His triumph on the cross. Yet, all around our nation, I perceive a great deal of fear from multiple points of view driving the narratives about what school should be like this fall. Fear is normal when facing great unknowns, but it is not an effective tool when trying to determine a course of action for more than 50 school employees, and over 300 students and their families.
To minimize the grip of fear, I am reminded of how the Lord our God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. In addressing those who were in exile for 70 years, the Lord said, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NAB).” This is a very well-known Bible verse that we should take courage and rise up in our current situation. But, as is always with God, there is more! The prophet continues:- When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.
- When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart,
- I will let you find me—oracle of the LORD—and I will change your lot; I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you—oracle of the LORD—and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you.
Even in this “strange land” of COVID-19, the Lord our God has good plans for a future of hope for all of us. In Jeremiah 12 -14, we are given ways to walk through this “strange land.” In these verses, our God invites us to pray to Him and to seek Him. When we do so with all our heart, His promise to us is that He is listening, He will let us find Him, and He will change our circumstances and bring us back from exile.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter our current level of prayer during the crisis we are facing, it is time to double down, it is time for even more prayer. My favorite prayer in difficult times is the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
Survey Data
I am so thankful for the tremendous response to our Return to School survey earlier this week. As of my writing this, we had 241 respondents. This data will guide us in making the very best decisions we can for our Catholic school, and more specifically for the safety of our children.
There are few key data trends I would like to share with you. Currently, 69% of STCS family respondents are ready for their child(ren) to return to school. On the flip side, 8% of our respondents are not ready, with 23% still unsure. However, when asked for your preference of our educational model, an all on campus, in-person learning model was selected by only 59% of respondents with 15% preferring an all eLearning model. The remaining 26% of respondents recommend a mix of the two models. This shift may be explained by the responses to the comfort level for a return to the school building which were 42% very comfortable, 30% somewhat comfortable; 15% somewhat uncomfortable; and 13% very uncomfortable.
Other key trends include that 97% of respondents are able to provide protective masks, face covering, or shields for their child(ren); and 70% of respondents plan to send their child(ren) to school with a lunch from home.
The following health and safety standards received strong support from respondents: Availability of hand sanitizer (79%); Masks worn by teachers and staff (64%); Limit non-faculty/staff presence on school campus (69%); No community sharing of educational items (e.g. pencils, books, computers, etc.) (62%); Create a physical/social distancing classroom/campus environment (per American Association of Pediatrics recommendation) (60%); Daily student health screens (66%); Daily cleaning of school classrooms, common areas, restrooms, etc. (84%); eLearning accessibility for immune compromised students, their family members, or other health concerns (60%). We also received 48 “other” safety standards written in by you to which we will give serious consideration.
It is clear from the many comments shared in the RTS survey, there is no one solution to the many legitimate concerns that will meet the exact needs of each family in our Catholic school. Every possible position has been expressed. Here are just a few:- “The emphasis on in person schooling is a great concern. It is unsafe and a poor choice for an education model at this time.”
- “We absolutely want in person school. It is not good for our children’s emotional and social states to continue to be isolated from their peers.”
- “I selected all on-campus learning, but a mix of on-campus and eLearning would work if done effectively.”
- There were also suggestions to allow families to opt between eLearning or on campus, in-person learning.
Next Steps
In our most recent RTS committee meeting, we were able to consider and discuss the data from the survey. At the conclusion of the meeting we agreed to direct our planning to do the following:- Research the technology necessary to successfully implement a hybrid model of synchronous on campus, in-person learning AND eLearning. Allowing families to choose which model best meets the needs of their child(ren) and family.
- Seek out and invite medical experts to serve as consultants to our planning.
- Produce the basic framework for this hybrid model to share with our STCS families by July 24, 2020.
- Publish the final plan for our hybrid model on July 31, 2020.
- Complete the purchase of our Pre-K to 1st grade iPad educational platform.
This exciting news for our Catholic school and a great step forward in creating the best model of education we can to support the needs of our families in these unpredictable times. St. Theresa, pray for us.
In Christ,
Brian R. Wheeler
Principal
bwheeler@st-theresa.org
St. Theresa, pray for us.