Safe Learning Plan (2021-2022)

Carondelet Catholic School has been carefully monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 situation. After reviewing the mitigation strategies recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health, the CDC, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, we have developed the following plan for this upcoming school year. The primary objective of our Safe learning plan is to keep our students and staff safe, while also providing students with the in-person learning experiences so vital to their development.

Our COVID response team (Paula Leider and Kathryn Martin) will continue to monitor our community and partner with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure the safest possible learning environment for our students and staff. If case numbers begin to pose a significant threat to our community, or if government agencies enact new mandates, some portions of this plan may change according to the evolving situation. Carondelet will keep parents informed of changes as they may occur.

COVID MONTHLY CASE REPORT>>

Learning Model

All students will learn in-person daily. Carondelet will not offer distance-only instruction with the only exception of quarantined students. Students who have tested positive and are required to quarantine will learn virtually DURING their quarantine. Students who are required to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19 will learn virtually DURING their quarantine.

Mask Policy

Since the majority of our students are ineligible for vaccination, Carondelet Catholic School will require masking for all students, staff, volunteers, and visitors during school hours. Parents are asked to provide several properly fitted masks per day for their child. 

Carondelet will use several key metrics to assess the need for masking, including, but not limited to, the COVID positivity rates in Hennepin County, infections in children, and exposures in the Carondelet community, and may consider a shift to voluntary masking of vaccinated students and adults should the situation support such an action. 

Additionally, masks will also be required on busses for after school transportation, athletics, activities, and field trips. 

Please note that, per MDH guidance, students who are wearing properly fitting masks are only considered close contacts when within 3 feet for an extended period of time. However, if an exposure happens at lunch or in an unmasked situation (like snack) students may still be quarantined.

Lunch/Recess/Snacks

Students will be physically distanced during lunch time to avoid spread of COVID-19 while unmasked. Masks will be worn at recess to allow students to engage in typical, developmental play. Classrooms will remain cohorted during these activities. During snack time, cardboard or plexiglass desk shields will be used.

Drinking Fountains and Water Bottles

Our drinking fountains will remain closed for the upcoming school year. However, each campus is equipped with multiple water bottle fillers. All students should bring a water bottle to school daily to ensure proper hydration throughout the day.

Cleaning and Sanitization

• Classrooms will be disinfected daily.
• Common areas and high-touch areas will be cleaned daily.
• Hand sanitizer, facial tissues, gloves and masks will be available for use as needed.

Attendance Policy

Students must stay home if any of the following symptoms are present:

• A fever of 100.4 or higher**
• A new or worsening cough**
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath**
• New loss of taste or smell**
• Sore throat
• Chills
• Severe muscle pain
• Severe headaches
• Nasal congestion/stuffy or runny nose
• Extreme fatigue
• Nausea 
• Diarrhea

Students who are suffering from two or more of the above symptoms or any ONE of the starred (**) symptoms are required to have a PCR COVID test before returning to school. Parents must provide documentation of the result of the PCR test.

Parents must notify the school by calling the office if their child stays home with any of the above symptoms OR if students have 

• flu-like symptoms 
• have tested positive 
• are awaiting test results 
• has a known exposure to COVID-19.

Parents must notify the school by emailing covid19@carondelet-mpls.org if their child has an exposure to COVID-19 so that the school can determine when the student is eligible to return to school. Carondelet will determine the length of quarantine based on circumstances of the exposure using the current MDH decision tree.

If students or staff test positive for COVID-19, they will be required to leave school and undergo a quarantine determined by the school according to the current MDH decision tree. Test results should be reported to the school by emailing covid19@carondelet-mpls.org. Parents are asked to work with the school to determine a return date after quarantine.

Carondelet will notify MDH of each positive diagnosis and track all cases of illness, exposure and quarantines.

Additionally, all other guidance for illness outlined in the parent/student handbook apply for the 2021-2022 school year.

Activities and Athletics

Students will be offered a variety of activities and athletics throughout the 2021-2022 school year. COVID-19 mitigation strategies will be developed for each activity to facilitate safe participation and in accordance with MDH’s youth activity guidance. Masks will be required for all bussing to and from events. Updates will be shared with participants as they occur.
 

Visitors and Volunteers

Carondelet will restrict visitors and volunteers to essential activities only. However, volunteers are an integral part of our program, so some volunteers will be necessary. Volunteers and visitors will be required to mask while in our buildings. Volunteers will be HIGHLY encouraged to be fully vaccinated prior to volunteering in our buildings.

COVID Coordinators

Carondelet Administration will serve as the COVID Coordinators. Please direct all questions regarding this plan to Paula Leider at covid19@carondelet-mpls.org.

Flexibility and Cooperation is the Name of the Game

The fluidity of the COVID situation will continue to require our community to be flexible and nimble, adjusting to the ongoing challenges as they occur. Most importantly, keeping our students and staff healthy and safe from COVID-19 requires our entire community to work together as a team. When we all do our part by reporting illness and exposures, keeping our students home when they are ill or have been exposed, encouraging proper hand washing and masking, practicing good habits outside of school and maintaining a positive disposition, our students will have an exceptional year. 

What do I do if my child is sick or has been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19?

My child is ill:

Please do not send your child to school if they are ill. If your child is experiencing any illness, such as congestion, allergies, sore throat, etc., please call the office to report your child’s absence. Please include all information about the symptoms your child is experiencing when leaving a voicemail or talking with Mrs. Phenow or Mrs. Barborak.

My child has two or more less common or one more common symptom of COVID-19:

If your child has two or more less common or one more common symptom of COVID-19, please do not send them to school and keep all siblings home from school as well. Report the illness by calling the office. The office will connect you with the COVID response team, who will help you determine next steps from the school side. Affected students and siblings should remain at home until a PCR COVID test result can be obtained and provided to the school.

If a quarantine is necessary for your child and their siblings, we will gather materials and devices for your child and they may access online class with their teachers for the length of their quarantine.

Quarantine length will be determined using the current MDH decision tree

My child has a known exposure to COVID-19:

If your child has a known exposure to COVID-19, please keep the exposed child home from school. Please call the office or email covid19@carondelet-mpls.org to report the exposure. Siblings may attend school. Please seek out a COVID-19 test and report the result by emailing covid19@carondelet-mpls.org.

The school will work with you to determine the length of quarantine based on the current MDH decision tree. 

We will gather materials and devices for your child and they may access online class with their teachers for the length of their quarantine.

Students must stay home if any of the following symptoms are present: 

• A fever of 100.4 or higher**
• A new or worsening cough**
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath**
• New loss of taste or smell**
• Sore throat
• Chills
• Severe muscle pain
• Severe headaches
• Nasal congestion/stuffy or runny nose
• Extreme fatigue
• Nausea 
• Diarrhea

Students who are suffering from two or more of the above symptoms or any ONE of the starred (**) symptoms are required to have a PCR COVID test before returning to to sc school. Parents must provide documentation of the result of the PCR test to Covid19@carondelet-mpls.org.