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  

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 

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).

DESE Protocols

Covid Protocol Flow Chart

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.

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 

Re Opening Plan 2021-2022

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.