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  • Updated Covid Guidelines

    Posted by Amy Burke on 9/27/2022

    Saints Academy Families:

    We have had many children complain about sore throats, stomach aches, allergies/cold symptoms, as well as some Covid cases in the past couple of weeks and wanted to include some information for your reference. In August 2022, the DPH updated their Covid-19 Isolation period. We have included a chart and current DESE/DPH Protocols (attached).

    Please keep us informed of any changes that could impact your child's mental and/or physical health. Our goal is to keep our student's safe, healthy, and ready to learn. We appreciate your efforts in keeping your children home from school if they are sick. 

    You will be able to reference these materials on the Nurse's Blog later today: https://www.saintsacademy.org/domain/126

    Thank you and please call with any questions or concerns.

    In good health,

    Kelly Gray, RN

    Sian Jones, RN  

    Comments (-1)
  • September Update

    Posted by Amy Burke on 8/30/2022

    Saints Academy Families;

     

    We would like to welcome you to The Saints Academy for the 2022-2023 school year. We have many new families joining us this year and want to wish them a warm welcome.

     

    We are looking forward to getting back to some normalcy this year regarding Covid-19 and the many restrictions it has placed on our school community, extra-curricular activities and sports for the past 2 years. 

     

    DESE and DPH have released the most recent guidance in conjunction with the CDC. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is no longer recommending universal mask requirements, testing of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracing or test and stay testing in schools. 

     

    There is no longer a statewide mask requirement in schools, except in school health offices. Children will be required to wear a mask before entering the nurses office. (The nurses will be wearing one as well.) 

     

    Vaccines continue to be the best way to protect an individual against Covid-19 and it is strongly recommended by DESE and DPH to vaccinate all faculty, staff and students who are eligible, including children ages 6months-5 years.

     

    Isolation and exposure precautions maintain that a person who tests positive for Covid-19 should isolate for 5 days and wear a mask for the next 5 days.  (isolate for 5, return to school on day 6 and continue to wear a mask until day 10.) According to DESE and DPH, no asymptomatic person should be excluded from school as a result of exposure, regardless of vaccination status or exposure setting.

     

    In addition to getting vaccinated against Covid, it is important to ensure as many children and adults receive a flu shot to reduce the number of students and staff who need to stay home due to illness. 

     

    Please keep your children home from school if they are not feeling well. A child must be kept home if they have a fever of 100.4 or greater and cannot return until 24 hours without fever reducing medication. 

     

    A few reminders while we are still enjoying the warm summer days: 

     

    Please make sure your child wears sunscreen to school daily as the children spend a good amount of time outdoors, weather permitting. It is still tic season so make sure they are protected. 

     

    Please send your children to school with a water bottle daily! We have water in the nurse's office for emergencies only. We purchase these with our budget and run out quickly when we have to give them out continuously.

     

    We are looking forward to a healthy, happy and safe school year. Feel free to call the nurses office with any questions or concerns.

     

    In good health,

     

    Kelly Gray, RN

    Sian Jones, RN 

    Comments (-1)
  • Mask Update

    Posted by Amy Burke on 2/25/2022

    A reminder that, as of Monday, February 28th, The Saints Academy will be mask optional as the Governor, DESE, and the Catholic Schools Office have dropped the mask mandate. We have also just been informed that the CDC has lifted their requirement for buses and Beverly Public School Buses will be mask optional as well.

    We know that this is very exciting for some and others might be nervous.  Mask optional does not mean mask prohibited.  Many of our students and staff will choose to continue to wear masks during the school day. Everyone must do what is best for their family.  Please discuss this with your children as we need to respect everyone’s choice.

    There are protocols we must follow: 

    • Masks will be required in the nurse’s office (medical office). 

    • Students and staff who are returning from isolation will still need to be masked for five days.  Please consult with school nurses regarding the specifics around these timelines (covid quarantine/isolation protocols).

    Comments (-1)
  • DESE Protocols

    Posted by Amy Burke on 1/24/2022
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  • Covid Protocol Flow Chart

    Posted by Amy Burke on 1/24/2022
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  • Mask Update Effective through Feb 28, 2022

    Posted by Amy Burke on 1/18/2022

    From The Catholic Schools Office: 

    On January 10, 2022, medical experts and state health officials agreed to an extension of the mask requirement in public schools as an important measure to keep students safe at this time. After consultation with Cardinal O’Malley, the Archdiocese of Boston will also extend the mask requirement through February 28, 2022, for all parochial and RCAB-related schools.

    Effective through February 28, 2022: School students (age 5 and above) and staff in all grades are required to wear masks indoors in schools, except when eating or drinking or during mask breaks.

    • Masks are not required when outdoors.

    • All visitors are also expected to wear a mask in school buildings.

    • Masks should cover an individual’s nose and mouth.  

    • It is strongly recommended that students younger than age 5 also wear a mask in school.

    • Mask breaks may occur throughout the day. If feasible, breaks should occur when the windows are open, or students are outdoors.

    • Masks may also be removed indoors when necessary to participate in elective classes, such as the use of wind instruments in band.

    • Masks are required for any sports-related activity for student-athletes and coaches when indoors, in alignment with guidance provided by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).

    • The mask requirement includes a medical exemption.

     

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  • Health Reminders

    Posted by Nurses on 10/7/2021

    Saints Academy Families,

    We would like to send out some friendly reminders now that we have made it through our first month of school and are into the fall season. 

    With a busy travel season fast approaching, we would like to remind everyone to please continue to be cautious and vigilant in keeping yourselves and your children safe. There are currently no travel restrictions, but the CDC recommends that all people who travel should be vaccinated. Mass.gov is a great resource for travel guidance and all things Covid-related.

    Please send us a copy of your child’s vaccination record as soon as it becomes available. This can be sent to myself or to Sian. 

    Cold and flu season is around the corner and as the temperatures drop, sore throats, allergies, colds and the flu are more prevalent. We ask that you follow the daily Attestation Form and check temperatures before coming to school. If your child has a fever or is sick, please keep them home from school. A child must be fever free without medication for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Refer to your child’s pediatrician if you are unsure about whether to have them tested. 

    Please call the office if your child will be out of school for any reason. We make calls daily if there are absences that we are not aware of. Thank you in advance.

    If your child requires a Covid test, we ask that you please keep them home until the results are available and send us a copy of the results. We want to keep everyone safe at school as well as in the community.

    According to the Massachusetts Department of Health and DESE:

    • Interactions that occur outdoors do not count toward the definition of a close contact.

    • There are individuals who may be exempt from any quarantine or testing protocols in school and who should not be asked to take a test or to quarantine:

      • Asymptomatic, fully vaccinated close contacts

      • An individual who is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in the classroom while both individuals were masked, so long as the individuals were spaced at least 3 feet apart

      • Individuals who are masked on buses when windows are open

      • Close contacts who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days

    • If a student tests positive, it is rare that the entire classroom will be identified as a close contact, as most students will not have been within 3 feet of the individual for more than 15 minutes, while masked, or within 6 feet of the individual for more than 15 minutes, while unmasked. In practice, it is likely only the individuals sitting immediately next to the student who will be identified as close contacts.

    We will personally (by phone) contact anyone considered a close contact.

    We appreciate all of your efforts in keeping your children home if they are sick. If we continue to follow the guidelines we hope to have another successful and healthy year.

    In good health,

    Kelly Gray

    Sian Jones 

     

    Comments (-1)
  • Fall 2021 Mask Policy

    Posted by Amy Burke on 8/28/2021

    Saints Academy Families

     

    I apologize for the delay in sending out a decision about masks. We all hoped that we would be in a much better place starting school this year.  We are not quite there yet.  I had been waiting to see where our local numbers were, what the Beverly Health Department would suggest, and how all of you felt from our survey.  

    The Catholic Schools Office is following the state mandate for masking in schools until October 1st.  At that time, they will re-evaluate this policy reflecting on state and federal guidance, updated health data, and input from schools and parents.  Therefore, The Saints Academy will comply with this guidance and that of the Beverly Health Department, Mayor Cahill, and DESE.  We will start the school year requiring masks to be worn by all inside the building.  We will  continue to work with all of these agencies and let you know if anything changes.  If your child is vaccinated, please let our nurses know by sending in an updated immunization form or a copy of their vaccination card.  It is also federally mandated that all students wear masks on buses. 

    Masks are not mandated for anyone outside.  Teachers have been encouraged to take classes outside when it is feasible.

    We are going to bring back many things we were without last year: offering the monthly lunch program, before and after care, moving to specialists (art and technology) instead of them coming to the classrooms, mixing up our middle school classes, working together and sharing classroom items, returning tables to science lab and Kindergarten, enrichment clubs and hopefully sports programs, and family events.  We are also going to keep many things we implemented as well: washing and hand sanitizing often (should be done anyways), eating lunch outside as much as possible, stairwells between 2nd and 3rd floors being one way, and music class outside when weather permits.

    I know this is not going to make everyone happy, but we kept our entire school community safe last year and we want to continue doing that.  If guidance changes, we will amend what we are doing.  There is no travel mandate or advisory, but we ask that everyone is cautious and diligent when traveling.  If a student is ill, keep them home.  Please note:we will only offer remote learning (at this time) in extreme circumstances.  We will deal with this on a case by case basis if needed, but students are entitled to a “sick” day or more to recover and recuperate.  

    Please see the attached re-opening plan for more information.    Re-opening plan 2021-2022 (2).pdf

    We can continue to move forward and through this together.  I am eternally grateful for all you, as families, did last year to keep everyone safe.  I know we can continue to work together to make sure our students have a great school year academically, emotionally, and physically.

    Thank you

    Kelly Fernald

     

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  • Re-Opening Plan 2021-2022

    Posted by Amy Burke on 8/27/2021
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  • New Mask Guidance for Outdoor Recess

    Posted by Amy Burke on 5/17/2021

    The Saints Academy will follow the new guidance from the Governor:  "On May 17th, 2021, after consultation with the MA COVID Command Center’s Medical Advisory Board, the Governor announced that given the low rate of outdoor transmission of COVID-19, students no longer have to wear masks when outdoors, even if distance cannot be maintained. Effective May 18, this guidance update applies to recess, physical education, youth sports, and outdoor learning environments. Adults must continue to wear masks outdoors if distancing cannot be maintained. At this time, adults and students must continue to wear masks indoors."

    I will announce to the students in the morning, and will also remind them that it is ok if anyone chooses to continue to wear a mask.  

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