Health and Safety Protocols
Dear Elms Family:
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! This week we celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican order. The School’s Mission statement refers to our Dominican tradition and reflects how it is lived at the Elms every day:
Our Lady of the Elms, a private Catholic school rooted in the Dominican tradition, educates girls and young women to live their lives boldly with purpose, confidence, kindness, resilience, justice and faith.
In these unusual times, this statement – along with the Dominican pillars of study, preaching, prayer and community – guide how we structure our school days.
Two factors were key as we updated our COVID-19 safety protocols for this new school year. Our primary objective, every day, is to keep safe every member of our community. In addition, serving a community that spans ages 3 through 18, it’s not one size fits all. We have invested endless hours in assessing last year’s protocols and how our results impact the opening of a new school year. I would be remiss if I did not share two important facts with you:
There have been no instances of spread within the Elms community, including this year’s summer camp program, which ended today.
Test scores indicate no loss of learning at the Elms; rather, the academic growth within our community met or exceeded expectations.
As a community our protocols for the opening of school will reflect different levels of care based on the age of the students. For the Lower School, where all students are under the age of 12 and not eligible to be vaccinated, we ask that students come to school every day with a mask. We will expect them to be worn throughout the day as students enter and exit the building, transition through the hallways and in classrooms so that students can work in groups with less regard than last year for social distancing. Masks will be optional when: class activities are outside and students are socially distant; during recess; and, while eating and drinking during lunchtime.
The Upper School represents a wide range of ages (11 through 18) and requires us to think how best to serve our students while ensuring the safety of all. Much like the Lower School, we ask that students come to school every day with a mask. We request they be worn while entering and exiting the building, while transitioning through the halls between classes and when social distancing cannot be maintained during class time. Mr. Kevin Kelly and I are encouraging every Upper School teacher to evaluate and assess how often she/he can move classes outdoors so that students can take advantage of our amazing campus, the pleasant weather and experience a greater level of freedom and less concern for health and safety protocols.
In both buildings, where we have adults in our community who have health concerns, those individuals may ask students to mask-up while in their classrooms or spaces. On buses, for athletics or field trips, the CDC requires students to wear face masks. When visiting the Dominican Sisters at the Motherhouse, students will be required to wear face masks.
As we believe our ability to keep our community safe last school year was directly tied to health and wellness assessments completed as the girls arrived at school, we will take temperatures of all students as they enter the buildings. Students will not be permitted to attend school if they have a temperature above 100 degrees. Please do not send your child to school if she is feeling sick.
Our commitment to air filtration throughout both buildings continues, and our practice to sanitize desks and classrooms between classes and at the beginning and ending of each day will continue. Also, we have taken new measures this summer to clean and sanitize the buildings, which includes new carpeting in many classrooms.
We are not offering a virtual option for this school year. All students are required to be in school in person. If a family experiences a COVID outbreak, students will be required to remain home and quarantine based on Ohio Department of Health (ODH) guidelines. We will, on a case by case basis, ensure no loss of learning for those students.
Mr. Kevin Kelly will share videos early next week to help students visualize our protocols and plans for the start of school. Please know our intention is to keep everyone safe and healthy, and to remain flexible. The situation regarding COVID-19 is fluid and evolving; it is our responsibility to operate with that in mind and to modify plans as needed.
Kindergarten – Grade 12 enrollment for fall is higher than it has been in more than a decade. Your daughter will have a chance to meet new students and faculty in the next few days – and Mel the goat who joined Elms Farm in June.
Thank you for entrusting your child to us – we are honored to partner with you in her education.
Blessings,
Deborah Farquhar Jones
President