Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians:
There is a great deal of important information in this email and in the supplemental links. We ask that you read the material closely.
All students in grades 10 and 11 will take the PSAT exam on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Classes will be canceled for all other students. Details on the schedule and room assignments will be posted at a later date.
In recognition of the tremendous work and sacrifice that faculty and staff have made to launch and sustain the PREP H.E.L.M. program, we are declaring Friday, October 30, 2020 a Faculty and Staff Appreciation Holiday. All classes are canceled and all offices will be closed on Friday, October 30, 2020.
The School is transitioning school wide liturgies to evening programs. The liturgies are integral components of the way we live our mission. Using an evening program allows our Campus Ministry team to be more innovative and engaging in developing our liturgies. Additionally, the evening services provide an opportunity for families members to join in the prayer life of the Prep community.
Parent–Teacher Conferences for grades 6 -12 will be held via Zoom during school hours on Monday, November 30, 2020 and Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Details on signing up for conferences will be shared at a later date. These days will be asynchronous remote learning days for students. These days will also be used to administer required COVID-19 testing for all faculty, staff and students (see below). Synchronous classes for students grades 6-12 will resume on December 2, 2020 with Day 6 and Cohort B on campus.
The School has revised the policy regarding travel to "high risk" states and re-entry to St. John's. The revisions were vetted, discussed, and endorsed by members of the SJP COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group. The revised policy is part of The PREP COMMUNITY COVENANT. All faculty, staff, students, and parents are asked to review and comply with the revised policy.
The School will no longer accept rapid testing. All COVID-19 testing results submitted to the School must be PCR tests. This requirement has been reviewed and endorsed by members of the SJP COVID 19 Medical Advisory Group. This change in policy is effective immediately.
The School continues our commitment to the PREP H.E.L.M program following Thanksgiving break. To mitigate risk and provide for the well-being of our community, the School is initiating an enhanced testing protocol from November 28, 2020 - December 18, 2020. Details on the testing protocol can be accessed here. The School will be using "pooled saliva" testing provided by Mirimus. The requirements of the testing protocol are as follows:
The School is working with members of our COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group to develop an Early Warning Indicators document that outlines protocols based on virus data in towns that are part of the SJP community and our internal testing data. The School will launch a testing dashboard following Thanksgiving break.
Thank you for making the time to review this information and for all you are doing to support our students and advance our mission in the midst of challenging times. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Headmaster
Keith Crowley, Ph.D. Principal / Associate Head of School
Cindy Fanikos Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operations Officer 72 Spring Street • Danvers, Massachusetts 01923 • 978-774-1050 |