High schools’ reopening plans: Fluidity is the key

Academy of Our Lady
    

The Academy of Our Lady (AOL) will begin with a hybrid schedule. To limit the amount of people on campus at one time, each grade level will attend classes on assigned, alternating days, twice a week, and will be given course work to complete at home on the other two days. All grade levels will participate in online distance learning on Fridays.
    

In September, AOL hopes to resume a traditional schedule with all students on campus for instruction. 
    

AOL is following all guidelines and safety protocols issued by the Centers for Disease Control, the state and the Archdiocese of New Orleans. While on campus, all students, faculty and staff members will be required to wear a mask. 
    

Some important safety measures include professional sanitizing of the entire campus, hand-sanitizer stations placed around campus, Plexiglas dividers in the science labs and library, classroom seating arranged according to social distancing protocols, desks cleaned after each period, one-direction travel in classroom buildings and temperature checks each morning. Students with a temperature of 100 degrees or above will be asked to go home.
    

The school calendar and other important information are available at theacademyof­ourlady.org.
 

Academy of the Sacred Heart
    

The Academy of the Sacred Heart opened for in-person instruction this week (for most students) and will open Aug. 17 for the Little Hearts. Daily health and safety protocols employed during the summer will continue, in addition to reconfiguring spaces on the Mater and Rosary campuses to maintain safe physical distancing. The school has developed a plan outlining the strategies and technology resources it will utilize in the event there is a required shift to remote. The plan is available at: https://bit.ly/2F3RaQ7.
 

Archbishop Chapelle
    

Archbishop Chapelle High School welcomed students back to campus for full-time classes this week. School Masses will be celebrated for the student body in person and virtually. As seniors begin their final year, eighth graders and new students will be “inducted” into the Chapelle family with a “pinning ceremony” in the Chapelle gymnasium. 
 

Brother Martin 
    

Brother Martin High School’s reopening plan prioritizes the school community’s health and safety and also is mindful of the impact of the pandemic on school families. The school year is scheduled to begin in the hybrid learning model. Curriculum has been adapted to maximize instructional time and to ensure that all skills and content within a course are covered to meet the requirements as set forth by the state Department of Education.
    

“The trust that binds our relationship is forged through the realization that we must adapt to these unusual circumstances we face as we prepare to meet the needs of our changing world,” said principal Ryan Gallagher.
    

More information is available at https://bit.ly/30B38ZB.

Cabrini
    

Cabrini High School intends to begin the school year on campus for in-person instruction. The first days of classes will be staggered by grade levels so that students can learn the new routines of campus life. After one week of staggered days, the entire student body will come together for the first official full day of school. 
    

Cabrini is implementing numerous safety protocols to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff by partnering with the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine for medical advice and review of its protocols. As information about COVID-19 is updated, the institute will monitor conditions and offer advice about any potential changes to the plans.
    

If it becomes necessary, Cabrini is prepared to offer virtual and hybrid/virtual learning. Principal Yvonne Hrapmann also serves on the Archdiocesan Task Force for Reopening Schools. 
 

De La Salle
    

De La Salle High School is opening with a hybrid model of learning in which approximately half of its student body is on campus experiencing in-person learning while the other half is at home, participating via distance learning. The two groups will rotate on a daily basis.
    

De La Salle plans to employ this system for the first three weeks of the school year before moving all students back to campus on the Tuesday (Sept. 8) after the Labor Day holiday. The school is offering full distance learning to families who have specifically requested it. School Masses will be celebrated virtually. For details on De La Salle’s back-to-school plan, please see Peter Finney Jr.’s column on page 2.
 

Mount Carmel Academy
    

Mount Carmel Academy has implemented safety procedures to support the health and wellness of all students and adults on campus. All persons entering campus will first have their temperature checked at one of the infrared body temperature scanning kiosks/hand-sanitizing stations.
    

The “3 Ws” – “Wear your mask”; “Wash and sanitize your hands”; and “Watch social distancing” – will be emphasized in the daily routine. Surfaces will be disinfected regularly, students will be in small groups and spaced out appropriately to maintain social distancing, and the campus traffic flow will include one-way hallways and stairwells as well as staggered class and day-end dismissal times.
    

To accommodate family needs and/or health needs, students will have the ability to access their classes remotely if needed. Mount Carmel Academy will adjust guidelines as necessary based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mandates from civil and state authorities.   
 

Pope John Paul II
    

Pope John Paul II High School will open with all students on campus in Phases 2 and 3. “Safe Return to School” guidelines are being put in place, which include the following: temperature screening; hand-sanitizing stations; HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters; controlled class sizes; a self-quarantine option with ZOOM into live on-campus classes; and trained teachers for the COVID-19 environment.
 

St. Paul’s School
    

Following health and safety protocols established in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, students, faculty and staff returned to school wearing a new addition to their required school uniform: a temperature-measuring bracelet. 
    

The bracelet facilitates a quick temperature check by flashing red if the temperature is above 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If this happens, the school’s COVID-19 protocol will be activated. If a student forgets his bracelet, he will have his temperature taken with an infrared forehead thermometer. The school has made an initial purchase of 1,200 temperature bracelets.
    

Under the guidance of Children’s Hospital’s medical experts, the faculty and staff are also being trained in best practices for infection prevention, including personal protective equipment and keeping the school environment clean.  
 

Ursuline Academy
    

Ursuline Academy has implemented its fall 2020 reopening plan for students from Toddler 1 through 12th grade. The Academy’s Soeur Teresita Rivet, OSU Early Childhood Learning Center has been deemed an essential business – meaning it will remain open in Phase 1. This learning center serves Toddler 1 through kindergarten. The Academy’s elementary division, grades 1-7, is scheduled to begin on Aug. 17 with full-day, on-campus learning.

 

The high school division will begin Aug. 17 with a hybrid model. Students in grades 8-12 will learn on campus for two days and at home virtually for two days. Elementary and high school students (grades 1-12) have the option to choose 100% distance learning. Academy administration continues to monitor updates as they pertain to the pandemic. For more information, visit uanola.org/covid-19.