Saint Ursula Community,
Lelia and I remain committed to staying attentive and present to daily COVID-19 updates from Governor DeWine. We believe that ongoing COVID-19 updates ensure that we maintain regular and transparent communication with the SUA Community. Now that Governor Dewine has put forth a framework for educators for the Fall 2020, we can confidently share our 20-21 At a Glance calendar and first quarter schedule. We have taken great care to ensure our 20-21 schedule offers the exceptional academics you expect from Saint Ursula, even if the school day looks different than previous years.
Calendar
Our calendar has been designed to ensure a safe and smooth transition back onto the SUA campus. On August 12, the Class of 2024 will be welcomed to campus for their first day of orientation. Class of 2024 orientation will run from Wednesday, August 12 through Friday, August 14. On August 17, SUA will welcome 2021, 2022, and 2023 students. The 20-21 At a Glance calendar is available on the
Family Resources page of our website.
Schedule
The daily schedule, also located on the
Family Resources page, has been built to ensure the following three priorities:
-Safety
-Personal Well-being
-Increased Instructional time
Safety: SUA will continue to closely monitor the movement of COVID-19 throughout the summer. Any necessary changes to this schedule will be shared if and when needed to ensure the safety of our students, families, and faculty and staff.
Specific details about safety protocol, student standards/guidelines/expectations, faculty guidelines, and logistics will be sent out over the next few weeks (masks/logistics/spacing/social distancing/programming and so much more). We are working hard to ensure that we prioritize the safety of our community members, physical and mental wellness, and instructional needs. We are working with the Hamilton County Educational Services Safety and Security Director, Shawn Riley, to not only ensure state and county compliance, but to make sure that everyone feels comfortable.
Wednesday distance learning days: In order to facilitate a deep clean in the middle of the week, we will have distance learning day on Wednesdays. Teachers will have the option to work at school or at home on Wednesdays. Each bell on these days will be 45 minutes long with a 15-minute break in between bells. Skinny classes will be half of the time (around 20 minutes for a check-in). Students will have opportunities to come to campus on Wednesdays to work as needed.
Non-academic bells: Each class will be assigned one Zero Bell per week for grade level specific programming (i.e. freshman class Mass, sophomore group counseling sessions, etc.). Freshmen should plan to be on campus for Zero Bell on Mondays, Seniors on Tuesdays, Juniors on Thursdays, and Sophomores are Fridays. Zero Bells are required class meeting times. Bells marked as formational time on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons may be used for mixed-grade level programming such as clubs, organizations, etc. Students not participating in these events may leave campus after their academic bells have concluded.
Instructional time: The schedule has been built to ensure that students and faculty have increased face-to-face instruction during the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Full bell classes are 100 minutes; skinny courses will be roughly 60 minutes. The addition of time for both full bell and skinnies classes will increase time for direct support to students.
The schedule also includes academic support time. From 1:15-2:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, girls who wish to take advantage of extra academic support may set up times with teachers. Students may also be required to use this time to work with teachers or in a special study hall facilitated by Mr. Moran if they are struggling.
Student expectations/guidelines: Students will be given clear school-wide expectations and requirements regarding safety protocol, logistics, consequences for failing to adhere to protocol, and distance learning expectations and requirements. We will provide families with the same information as we get closer to the first week of school.
This is just the first communication of many regarding the fall. Decisions about the second semester will not happen until we get the first semester underway and have a better idea of the reality we are living in.
Athletics
Our coaches are committed to providing opportunities for athletes to participate in training and conditioning. All SUA athletic activities will adhere to the Ohio Department of Health requirements and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) guidance. Here is what SUA is doing to provide programming that supports the safe athletic activities.
-Students and coaches must complete the Wellness Check-In form upon arrival at an SUA summer athletic session. While individuals are able to self-report whether they have a fever, we will try to take a temperature check of individuals when they arrive for all sessions.
-Students and coaches who are not feeling well or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should not attend athletic sessions.
-Coaches will enforce physical distancing when athletes are not participating in drills or activities where physical distancing is not practical. For example, when students arrive at the facility or are stretching, the students should be adhering to physical distancing norms; however, students that are actively doing a three on three soccer drill may not be able to maintain 6 feet between themselves.
-Last week, the ODH used the term "scrimmage" differently than the OHSAA has traditionally defined "scrimmage."Games or activities with another school are not allowed. Athletes from the same school may "scrimmage" as part of that team's training session.