COVID-19 Response

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall community,

Per today’s mayoral order, we are anticipating a city-wide shelter-in-place at midnight this evening. It is therefore imperative that you come to campus today to pick up any essential resources or materials you have on campus. Our campus will be closed from tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17 until at least April 7.

The campus will be open for retrieval of items until 6 p.m. today. For the Elementary Schools, please let the Administrative Assistants of your respective division know if you need to come to campus today:

Stuart Hall for Boys–Myra Alcaide 415-292-3143
Convent Elementary–Karen Glaub 415-292-3136

Both high school campuses will remain open until 6 p.m. for student retrieval of materials. 

As we anticipate launching remote learning, we ask that you let us know if you do not have access to a device at home. Please be in touch with your respective division head no later than 4 p.m. if you have an essential tech need.

Please stay tuned for additional communications regarding the launch of the school’s remote learning plan.

Sincerely,
Ann Marie

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall Elementary Families, 

We hope you read yesterday’s Thursday Notes from Dr. Krejcarek regarding next steps the school is taking in response to the developments of COVID-19. In case you didn’t, the full message is linked here. We are committed to a plan and a structure for instructional continuance that supports educational goals and allows for flexibility as we engage the unknowns of the current situation. 

I know these are unusual times, and I am holding you, your children, and our teachers in my thoughts and prayers as we navigate this uncertainty. Additionally, I want to share with you what Dr. Krejcarek shared with our faculty today when she said, “I see [this] as a great adventure and spot on with what we have called forward in our Strategic Plan that the future will need from us and our students - critical thinking, problem-solving, agility, and engagement with ambiguity.”

We are working on developing a grade-level specific plan with our teachers on Monday that will be communicated to parents on Tuesday. Today, students brought home physical materials needed for our distance learning that will commence on Wednesday. Parents of students not in attendance today can pick up these materials in front of the Flood Mansion on Tuesday afternoon between 1:00 and 3:00pm.  In anticipation of next week, we hope the following bullets will be helpful:

• There will be no instruction/no virtual classes on Monday or Tuesday, March 16 and March 17.

• On Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17, ASP is open to K-8 Convent & Stuart Hall students. Details were sent by Andrew Hoffer and are included at the end of this email.

• On Wednesday March 18 - Friday March 20, students will launch our distance learning plans for their classes. Details on these plans will be published on Monday/Tuesday next week. Students in Grades 4-8 will be expected to follow their regular schedule on the 8-day cycle. Students in Grades K-3 will receive a modified schedule next week.

• Distance learning plans mean students stay home and follow their course schedule with an online/at distance delivery. Course plans may involve meeting times in which students conference into their class with wifi and a web application (likely Zoom, which will be available in every student’s Google Suite). 

  • We ask families to be in touch as soon as possible if you have wifi/internet access limitations or constraints at home. 

• School closures are intended to create an opportunity for increased social distancing. We, therefore, ask you to be attentive to the importance of social distancing in the lives of your children. Closure of school should not be seen as an invitation to large group social activity. Expectations for how students are encountered off-campus and on-line remain grounded in the values of Sacred Heart education.

• Emails from school administrators will be the official modes of communication regarding any next steps. Please take care to read official communications and please direct questions to a member of the Elementary Leadership Team.

We have deep confidence in our capacity to work together and to engage this time with a deep sense of community partnership. As we are charting new territory and we expect to learn as we go. We, therefore, ask for your patience and understanding as we launch these new learning platforms next week. 

In summary, we expect your child to be “digitally” present on Wednesday at their first class at 8:45 a.m. for Grades K–4 and 8:15 a.m. for Grades 5–8. We will update you on plans moving beyond March 20 as next week develops. 

Best,
Angela

Details regarding ASP for Monday and Tuesday:

ASP will be open from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and students may be dropped off between 8–8:30 a.m. If you have special requests for drop off or pick up times, please let us know in advance and help us ensure that drop off and pick up on Broadway runs smoothly. 

Lunch will be provided by SAGE, breakfast will be available for purchase with prepaid lunch cards as usual and snacks will be provided by ASP.  

The two days of care will include arts and crafts, outdoor games and movie time. We will also schedule rest time for our kindergarteners.  

There is no registration or payment required for this care, as we are sensitive to the circumstances our families are experiencing.  

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall,

I appreciate the opportunity to be in conversation with so many of you about the spread and impact of COVID-19. We know that this situation has created many unknowns and we recognize that uncertainty has an impact on a person’s energy and well being. It is my deep hope that every member of our community is remembering to take care of themselves physically, spiritually and emotionally. In the spirit of Sacred Heart, I hope that everyone engages in Espacio, prayer, or a form of calm and spiritual retreat every day for as long or short of a time as you can fit into your day.

At this time, we have had no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community and our steps are in preparation for, not in reaction to, something that has happened in our school population.

I hope it is clear that we are taking a balanced approach and we are putting the well being of your children, our community and the greater Bay Area at the forefront of our decision making. Indicators suggest that the impact of COVID-19 will last for several months, and our planning is taking the long view into consideration. 

These past weeks, academic department chairs gathered the essential curricula from faculty that would need to be delivered in the next few weeks. Our technology department has tested and developed multiple electronic/digital platforms both for the delivery of a curriculum at distance and for the potential of a hybrid situation in which a portion of our population could be in attendance and a portion might not. 

In an effort to prepare our campus and our faculty for a continuance of learning that might extend into the next several months, we are going to suspend instruction next Monday and Tuesday in order to activate our next phase of planning. We do not expect students to attend school next week, but we understand that many of you need to have your children in a supervised setting and that you cannot arrange for alternative care in such short order. Campus will remain open on Monday and Tuesday, and we will hold ASP for our elementary students who need care and supervision. We ask you to seek alternative childcare arrangements beyond Tuesday. 

The high school campuses will be open Monday and Tuesday for students to work independently on course assignments and projects — again, they are not required to be on campus but the campus is open to students.  

To reiterate, we will use Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 for our professional community to engage with digital platforms and there will not be any instruction these days. Starting Wednesday, March 18 we plan to activate distance learning strategies and will begin to conduct school remotely from Wednesday through Friday, March 20. This initial phase of conducting our days at a distance will inform our future plan. 

For those of you who are hearing news of multiple school closures and are concerned about school attendance tomorrow, please note #3 below where we invite families to make the choice to stay home tomorrow if this is the right choice for your family. 

I hold each of your children and you in my heart and want the best for our community. I know that we can weather these times together, developing in all of us the important skills of agility and critical thinking in the face of ambiguity. I hope our community continues to be blessed by the vision of our founding mothers who encountered so many unknowns as they established this education around the world. I hope you will join me in sending prayers for our community of schools around the globe. 

Sincerely,

Ann Marie, 
President, Convent & Stuart Hall

If you have questions please send them to questions@sacredsf.org and a member of our leadership team will respond. Additionally, your Division Heads will be in touch tomorrow with grade specific information.

We want to share with you below the actions and precautions we have considered as attentive and preventive measures to support our families now and into the emerging future:

1. Request students to remain at home if there are any symptoms related to this virus or any others
2. Allow our families who live with elderly or at-risk family members to refrain from sending their children to school
3. Allow flexible attendance for students who elect to stay at home out of concern for the virus
4. Prepare a distance learning experience to grades K-12 in service of students who are staying home
5. Consult with the Department of Public Health and follow suggested protocol (currently closure for 14 days) in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our student, faculty or staff community
6. Require any member of our community who has come into contact with someone who is confirmed for COVID19 to let the school know and for that individual to self-quarantine for 14 days
7. Continue the practice of social distancing (no large group events, including chapels and assemblies)
8. Continue to clean and disinfect surfaces throughout the day in addition to deep cleaning every evening
9. Teach and require regular and effective hand washing

Dear Convent and Stuart Hall Community,

We have received several calls this afternoon following an announcement made by the Archdiocese of San Francisco that they will be closing all diocesan schools from March 12th until March 25th. That closure does not include Convent & Stuart Hall since we are not within the network of diocesan schools. As you may know, there have been a few confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the diocesan schools, so the decision communicated in the letter from the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco was a reaction to specific situations within the Archdiocesan schools.

We do not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our school, and we are continuing to deep clean and sanitize our buildings as well as take measures to create social distancing. As we evaluate this situation, school heads from across the state are collaborating and sharing information. The Marin County Office of Education provided a forum last night and the following was shared and seems to be a logical and tiered approach:

1. School closures: Marin County Public Health Officer, Dr. Matt Willis, is clear that closing a school is an extreme measure. There is very little evidence of benefits from preventative closures, as they bring with them unintended risks (e.g. when students aren't in school they will congregate elsewhere, a huge disruption to families with smaller children, medical workforce must stay home to attend to children, etc.). When asked directly, he said this is their steps/scenario to a school closure:

A. A student or staff member is likely exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19. 

B. That student or staff member immediately self-quarantines. 

C. The student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. 

D. The school is closed and all students and staff are self-quarantined for 14 days (usually symptoms appear within 3-5 days, but 14 days is the most conservative.) 

E. During that time the school is totally disinfected. 

F. After 14 days, asymptomatic students and staff return.

2. Surfaces: Surfaces are not high risk for transmitting COVID-19, rather it is droplets from sneezing or coughing. Proximity to someone ill with the virus is the biggest risk. 6 feet of distance from someone coughing or sneezing is the safe distance. That said, we are being vigilant about cleaning surfaces, but our greater need is to be hypervigilant about staying home (students and staff) if you are sick.

3. Large Groups: Marin County is now recommending canceling indoor events of 100 people or more.

We are inclined to keep the school open as long as we deem it to be a safe and productive environment. We understand there are many unknowns, but we are taking prudent and thoughtful action and keeping the safety of students and our community first. 

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your attention to the numerous emails I’ve sent on this developing situation and I hope this most recent communication is helpful. Here’s hoping we all stay in good health!

Sincerely,
Ann Marie
President, Convent & Stuart Hall

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall Community,

At this time we look forward to continuing to hold classes as usual and hope the measures below may help reduce the community exposure of the COVID-19 virus. I want to reiterate the importance of keeping students home if they are sick, even mildly.

We want you to know that as a precaution, we are engaging faculty in preparing for curricular continuance via electronic methods if the school needed to close; hence, heads and academic department chairs will be working in collaboration with faculty in the development of distance and virtual teaching plans if needed.

In line with yesterday evening's decision by the San Francisco Unified School District to suspend athletic practices and competitions, we are making the decision to postpone extracurricular athletic activities (practices and competitions) from today until Sunday, March 22. We are also applying this activity restriction to Grade 6–12 school musical rehearsals.

Additionally, with respect to the CDC’s guidelines for social distancing, we are postponing external field trips and on-campus events that invite external audiences, including parents. (See the list below.)

We are taking this step to ensure essential school functions, and hope that limiting extracurricular activities and social gatherings is a prudent step and will be a benefit to everyone. We will continue to monitor future developments and communicate any other decisions along the way, including plans beyond March 22. 

Feel free to consult the informational webpage, or ask any questions at questions@sacredsf.org. 

Postponed Events  

• All school-sponsored athletic practices and competitions K-12
• Grade 6–12 school musical rehearsals
• All external field trips
• Tuesday, March 10: Convent Gr. 3 International Day
• Tuesday, March 10: Stuart Hall Gr. 4 Parent Meeting
• Wednesday, March 11: Convent Gr. 3 International Day
• Thursday, March 12: Convent Gr. 6 Parent Coffee
• Friday, March 13: Celebrate Spring
• Saturday, March 14: Celebrate Spring
• Wednesday, March 18: Convent Gr. 3 PACT meeting
• Thursday, March 19: Stuart Hall Gr. 6 Parent Coffee
• Friday, March 20: Gr. 4 Improv Showcase
• Friday, March 20: Stuart Hall for Boys Alumni Basketball Challenge

Sincerely,

Ann Marie
President, Convent & Stuart Hall

Good afternoon Convent & Stuart Hall community,

Celebrate Spring News
Yesterday, the City of San Francisco’s Department of Public Health released aggressive recommendations in the hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19. The recommendations addressed suspending large social gatherings like concerts, conventions, and large community events as well as offered guidelines to follow for events that aren’t cancelled including:

• Do not attend if you are sick

• Have hand washing capabilities, hand sanitizers and tissues available

• Frequently clean high touch surface areas

• Create physical space to minimize close contact as much as possible

In light of these recommendations, we are working to postpone our Celebrate Spring events and are currently communicating with the gala venue in the hopes of rescheduling. If we cannot reschedule with that venue we will seek another alternative. More information will be forthcoming. But we do invite you to support the school and participate in our On-Line Auction.

Schools
In the communication from the city’s Department of Public Health, recommendations for schools were included as well. They are listed here. These mirror our course of action over the past two weeks.

• If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at the school, the Department of Health will work with the school to determine the best measures to follow

• Do not send your child to school sick

• If your child has chronic health conditions, consult your doctor about attendance at school

• Equip school and classrooms with hand sanitizers and tissues

• Recommend rescheduling or cancelling medium to large events

• Explore remote teaching and online options to continue learning

• Schools should develop a plan for citywide school closures, and families should prepare for potential closures

Updates - Best Source for Communications
We plan to keep our school recommendations and event updates on the school’s website. Official school communications like this one, as well as information already shared via Thursday Notes, are the best sources for information. We will post all electronic communications to the website on our COVID-19 page. Our parent volunteers and Trustees are being approached with questions, however due to the nature of the real-time decision making, it is best to consult our website for information. You can also write to questions@sacredsf.org and someone from the school’s leadership team will respond.

This Weekend
High School Track Meet - As scheduled
Outdoor event and has minimal contact among attendees

Pinewood Derby - As scheduled 
We have tested the conditions of this event against the considerations communicated by the city and since it is held in a large space with minimal contact among attendees we are moving forward as scheduled. We will be adding sanitizing wipes, tissues and cleaning table surfaces regularly.

Next Week
Service Visit to Elder Care Facility - Cancelled
Celebrate Spring Events - Postponed

Sincerely,

Ann Marie Krejcarek
President, Convent & Stuart Hall

Sarah Leffert
Chief Advancement Officer

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall Community,

As we continue to monitor developments in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, in addition to intensive cleaning of our building every night, we have added cleanings throughout the day in high-density areas. We have also added sanitizing wipes and stations throughout the campus.

SAGE, our food service provider, has proactively increased their already thorough protocols for health and safety including some additional procedures listed here:

• cleaning and sanitizing the entire buffet, shelves and decor items twice a day after the break, and lunch

• changing out all publicly-handled serving utensils every 15 minutes

• encouraging students to use the provided hand sanitizer before entering the servery

It is also critically important with the recent confirmed cases in the Bay Area that any member of the community who is subject to any of the State Department travel advisories follow the prescribed quarantine recommendations. We also ask that anyone who may have been in known proximity to an infected individual follow required protocols and take great care to stay away from campus until it is known that the individual is virus-free.

We know media attention has been high on this issue and much of the media is focused on the declarations of emergency by the city and the state but, as stated by public officials, these declarations are meant to prepare for the possibility of widespread infections. At this time public health officials report that the high impact populations are the elderly and individuals with underlying medical conditions. Reports claim that children and young people seem only mildly affected by the virus.

At this time, we anticipate the ability to continue to hold school. In the event we would need to close school for an extended period of time, we have contingency plans in place. 

Sincerely,

Ann Marie
President, Convent & Stuart Hall

Dear Convent & Stuart Hall Community:

As a school we are paying close attention to local, national and international updates about flu season and COVID-19. We regularly review information provided by the CDC, WHO, NAIS and SFDPH to guide us in best practices. Currently, these sources, including recommendations from our local government, suggest increased attention to handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes and paying close attention to early signs of fever. Per our handbook, please avoid returning to the school community until 24 hours have passed without fever. 

In response to the current events, we are encouraging more frequent and thorough hand washing in our entire community as well as engaging the custodial staff in higher level of sanitization of all surfaces. 

Below are resources that may be helpful to you:

Preventive guidelines regarding COVID-19 contamination along with other viral illnesses: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

In regard travel, and re-entry protocols, we ask our community to follow the State Department’s travel advisories: https://travel.state.gov

We recognize this is a developing story and we are balancing the need to be responsive with the desire to avoid undue alarm or panic. We will continue to evaluate the situation and our institutional response. At this point, given current and local conditions, school operations are as normal with the added attention detailed above. If there are significant changes, we will be in touch with any significant updates.

Please contact the school with any pertinent questions at: questions@sacredsf.org

Sincerely,

Ann Marie
President, Convent & Stuart Hall