A Message from the Office of Catholic Schools
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April 6, 2020
Dear Parents:
As I reflect back on these past three weeks, I continue to be in awe of the incredible job our administrators and teachers have done in making the change from face-to-face instruction in a brick and mortar school to virtual classes, many of which are held at your kitchen table. The creativity and ingenuity shown by the staff in your child’s school in finding ways to deliver instruction is absolutely mind-boggling. I am so proud of their work and continued dedication to ensuring quality education continues for your child(ren).
As we know from the Governor’s recent Executive Order, all school buildings in the State of Michigan are closed to instruction for the remainder of this school year. After consultation with our principals regarding the impact of this Order on our schools, the following will be in place for all schools within the Diocese of Kalamazoo:- Virtual instruction or other alternative means of delivering instruction will continue, with staff always looking for ways to refine our delivery.
- Spring Break begins for our school at the end of the day today, and classes will resume the week of April 13. Friday, May 29 will be the last instructional day for the school year, with the week of June 1 being reserved for teachers to finalize grades and to meet with their peers to begin planning for next fall. High school seniors will keep their previously-published early dismissal date.
- All schools will go to a four-day instructional week with the fifth day being reserved for review or catch-up; no new work will be assigned on this day. Teachers will use this fifth day to catch up with students, if needed, and to do necessary planning for the upcoming week. The non-instructional day may vary from school-to-school; it will be determined at the local level and communicated to you by your building principal.
- Student work will be graded through the final day of instruction, using the same rubric as prior to the March closure. It is recognized that some assignments (such as review or homework) may be acknowledged as credit/no credit. All assignments assessing mastery of knowledge or standards will receive a grade as usual; these grades will count towards the student’s final grade on their end-of-year report card.
- All standardized testing for the spring of this year has been canceled.
- All school events have been canceled through the end of the school year which includes sports, theater, etc. If possible, all High Schools are asked to arrange some type of graduation ceremony/recognition to honor their graduating seniors at a time prior to August 15.
- Final exams for high school students will be given in the five core subjects of Theology, Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts. High school student's grades and exam scores will count towards their GPA.
Some of you have expressed concern that, in this bleak economy, you are having difficulty meeting your tuition expenses. If this is the case, please speak with your school administrator or pastor to make any arrangements necessary.
If new developments arise in this very fluid situation that affect our schools, we will get all necessary information to you in a timely fashion. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me at this email address.
Holy Week begins on Sunday, and I pray this final week of Lent will be filled with many graces and blessings for you and your family. Although public liturgies and services have had to be canceled, the Diocese has put together resources to help you dedicate some time to prayer to celebrate the Easter mystery and to pray for those who have been so adversely affected by this worldwide crisis.
Sincerely,
Margaret Erich
Superintendent of Schools / Diocese of Kalamazoo
