Dear Catholic School Families,
Classes have now been in session for more than two months for most of our schools. Through your ongoing partnership and the hard work of our teachers and staff members, we are fulfilling our commitment to safe in-person learning. We have received praise from the region’s education and public health leaders and most important, from you, our families.
While we appreciate how far we have come in a short and difficult time, the gains we have made could be lost if do not continue to follow the important health and safety guidelines put forth at the beginning of the year. In every instance where a cohort has been quarantined, or in-person instruction has been paused the infection has been traced to a social activity away from the school where participants did not adhere to guidelines on physical distancing and mask wearing. These have included carpooling, dance classes, sports leagues, multi-family parties, etc. As the Chicago Commissioner of Public Health pointed out yesterday, these are also the causes of widespread increases in infection rates across the state and nation.
The pandemic is forcing us to make significant sacrifices for the common good. With four children in Catholic school, I can relate to the effort required to follow protocols and rules, as well as the disappointment and frustration of forgoing favorite athletic and social activities. To be clear if we are to keep in-person school a reality for our students, we must limit our exposure to other households, we must refrain from some of our normal social activities and we must be steadfast in distancing and mask use in general. This is particularly important as pandemic fatigue sets in, the weather cools and the holidays approach.
If we, as a faith community committed to each other’s well-being and as school communities committed to the social/emotional value of in-person instruction, buckle down over the coming months we will continue our success. It will be hard, but with God’s grace and a love for our children, we will do this together.
Finally, I once again invite you to take a minute to complete our Safety Pulse Survey. Tracking your opinions over time will help the Office of Catholic Schools and your school’s leadership focus on areas in need of improvement. This survey will be open through Friday, Oct. 23.
Yours in Christ,
Jim Rigg, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools
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