Important Date · Please utilize this time to become familiar with our school ... have an iPhone, I have created a screen-cast to assist you in creating a bookmark on your home screen:

I am prayerful that this newsletter finds you staying safe and healthy as we prepare to walk intothe new school year As we prepare for the new year we will welcome teachers back to thebuilding on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday next week for professional development Additionally we have established times for new families to drop into school to visit our facilitiesand drop off classroom supplies Those days and times for new families are

Wednesday August 12th from 4 to 6 pm orThursday August 13th from 3 to 5 pm orFriday August 14th from 11 to 1 pm

We ask that our new families to choose one day and time to come in to visit the facilities and dropoff items in their childs classroom Please utilize this time to become familiar with our schoolfacilities and the rooms your children will be spend their day in Please know that our teachers willnot be on hand during these hours as this is purely to visit our facilities and drop-off supplies

For our returning families we invite you to come in during the following times to drop off itemsto the classrooms

Friday August 14th from 130 - 330 pm orMonday August 17th from 11 to 2 pm

We ask our returning families to choose one day and time to come in to drop off items to theirchilds classroom Just as with our new family drop-in our teachers will not be available during

these hours as this is purely to drop-off supplies

When you do come to the school the following requirements will be in place to keep all of our staffmembers and families safe

All families must take our health screening at stascreencom prior to entering the buildingEach family must stop at the office to show Mrs Clinton or Mrs Krusky their green checkprior to proceeding into our facility This will allow us to track who has entered our facilityand where they have gone All individuals MUST wear a mask to enter our facility

As you prepare to join us sometime over the next week and the next school year I invite you tobookmark our health screening tool now to make it easier for you to find each morning If youhave an iPhone I have created a screen-cast to assist you in creating a bookmark on your homescreen

Additionally this tutorial will walk you through our quick health screening that must be answeredeach morning prior to your students coming to school The green check that will be displayedmust be ready for the administration andor staff member to view prior to your students exitingtheir car each morning or as you come in over the next few days to drop off supplies In addition to the information provided above you will find in the main body of Tartan Times links to our Class Lists for the 20-21 school year our updated calendar for the 20-21 school yearand our Return to School document as well as updates to several questions I have received Icannot thank each of our families enough for taking the time to thoroughly review our documentspartnering with us by following our new strict policies regarding illness at school and putting thesafety of our students and staff first Please look for my next update on Friday August 14th andmay God continue to bless and keep all of our families safe

Yours in Christ

Meghan K Loughlin-Krusky

Important Date

New Family Drop-In - Wednesday August 12th from 4 to 6 pm or Thursday August13th from 3 to 5 pm or Friday August 14th from 11 to 1 pmReturning Family Supply Drop-Off - Friday August 14th from 130 to 330 pm orMonday August 17th from 11 to 2 pmFirst Day of School - August 18th - We cant wait to see you - 12 day with dismissalat 1130 amPicture Day - Tuesday August 25th

EXECUTIVE ORDER UPDATE

Due to the Governors new Executive Order signed this week children in child-care centers ages 4and up need to wear a mask or face covering while in common areas and indoor hallways Whenchildren enter and exit the building walk through the atrium and walk to the multi-purpose roomthey must wear a mask or face covering When children are outdoors they do not need to wear amask Once children are in their individual classroom they do not need to wear a mask or facecovering Our goal is to provide a safe environment for all staff and students Please practice withyour child how to put a mask or face covering on and off Talk about how important it is to nottouch your nose mouth or eyes Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these newpolicies

I look forward to seeing you all in just 11 days Tuesday August 18th for our first day of school

God BlessJenny Rule

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Dear Preschool Families-

We are so excited to begin the new school year with your little one Please review the newPreschool Protocol document as this will give you all the details about our day to day procedures

in preschool Each preschool class will have a Shutterfly website If you have not already receivedan invitation please email me a jruleelatholicsorg or Mrs Jones at jjoneselcatholicsorg

Shutterfly is how we will send weekly newsletters messages post pictures and general preschoolinformation If you have any questions at all please let us know we would be happy to help in any

way

Enjoy these last days of summerJenny Rule

To access the Preschool Return to School Protocol please click on the image above

Additionally we ask all preschool families to take a moment to fill out the following surveys to helpus prepare for the new year

Current Preschool Family Survey

Preschool Virtual Learning Feedback

The time has arrived Please click on the image above to view the class lists from the 2020-2021 school year Please scroll across the bottom of the sheet to locate your students grade andthen click on the grade level tab to view your childs class list

As we enter into the new school year we have removed many of the traditional events weparticipate in throughout the year Additionally after review of the MSU plan to not return tocampus after Thanksgiving break due to the heightened spread of illness I discussed this optionwith our Safety Committee and Parish Education Council As with every decision I am making thisyear I want to put the safety of our students staff and families first In following the lead of MSUto stop the spread of communicable illnesses between Thanksgiving and Christmas we will planto go virtual for those 3 weeks if we are not already in phase 3 This decision is being made sothat we can continue to meet the needs of our students and families while supporting eachindividual familys decision to see relatives during the holidays

If you are planning on joining us for Tartan Club this year please take a moment to complete theattached survey by clicking on the image above Thank you

Please click on the image above to link to the St Thomas Aquinas Parish School - Return to SchoolDocument Our document details all aspects and areas of safety as we look to welcome ourstudents and staff back to school On behalf of the faculty and staff of St Thomas Aquinas ParishSchool THANK YOU for taking the time to review our document and abiding by the new policiesand procedures as we continue to keep our students and staff safe in the year ahead Togetherwith Christ we can do this

1) Are you following East Lansing Public Schools like snow days No we will not be followingELPS this school year as the public schools are very different from the small community we havehere at St Thomas Aquinas Parish School You will receive updates directly fromthe administration on ifwhen a closing is happening through our emergency broadcast system Tartan Times Facebook and updates via news outlets

2) Does canon law override executive orders No canon law does not override theexecutive orders As I have shared on several occasions we will abide by the executiveorders released by our Governor on behalf of the State of Michigan

3) Does the most recent executive order affect schools No the most recent executive orderlimiting the number of individuals inside a building does not affect schools Further our diocesanattorney shares The new language on events is unchanged from the prior language limitingindoor events While indoor organized events are limited to 10 people the rule does not apply toa workplace which is governed by a separate executive order Workplace requirements set nolimits on the number that may attend an in-person meeting Rather they say to keep people 6

feet apart to the maximum extent possible and to wear masks in in-person meetings andhallways

4) Because you are non-public you can do what you want right No we must abide by all lawsand executive orders At this time all schools including non-public schools will follow thegovernors guidelines and must submit a phase 4 phase 5 and distant learning plan to theState Superintendent for approval On behalf of all Diocese of Lansing schools our Officeof Education is submitting plans for our reopening

5) Will the aftercare program be happening Yes We will have aftercare this year but with manychanges as well This year we will not allow drop-ins to our program and students must be signedup to attend a minimum of 4 days each week For additional information on Peeps and TartanClub please use the following link prepared by Ms Claudia Peeps and Tartan Club Protocol

6) Will ELPS still be providing special services such as speech and OT This is a great questionand one that unfortunately I do not have an answer to I will be contacting the Director of SpecialEducation for ELPS and hopefully have an answer by next Friday for our families who receiveELPS services As for our reading interventionist yes Mrs Leone will be picking-up where we leftof last year and students will be reevaluated for services after our fall NWEA testing

7) Is it possible to keep the kids in their classroom for lunch Can you require all kids to bring acold lunch and stay 6 feet away and NOT in a common room No as our safety committeerecommended lead by our medical professionals we know that we have the space needed toproperly social distance our students in their cohorts during lunch time Additionally we haveseveral students who receive free and reduced lunches In order to support all families we will notmandate that students bring cold lunch from home

8) What is the morning procedure for kids who walk For students who are walking to school theywould need to have their screening check mark visible for the administration or faculty member toview prior to coming into the building It would be best for them to approach the administrator orfaculty member outdoors for review prior to entry into the school

9) How do you plan to handle band Band and choir will not be practiced at school this year However in order to help our students continue with the practice that they need students in 7thand 8th grade will be playing their instruments and or singing at home and providing recordingsfor Mrs Murphy Additionally there may be sessions where students bring in their bandinstruments to practice the fingering of the instrument without actually playing their instruments As we continue to prepare for our reopening please look for updates direct from Mrs Murphy

MaskFace Covering Reminders

Mask GuidelinesAll masks or buffsgaiters must be a solid color of black navy blueSpartan green or redMasks must not have a logo or design unless purchased from Squad Locker with theSt Thomas Aquinas Parish School logo (see Squad Locker link below)

K-2 - It is preferred that K-2 students have buffs or gaiters to ensure that thepiece stays on the child and is less likely to be lost

In response to the mask guidelines I have received a few questions that I would like to answerthose for all of our families

1) Can we purchase the gray face covering from Squad Locker Yes any mask purchased directlyfrom Squad Locker can be worn at school However we will not permit other gray or light coloredmasks for cleanliness reasons

2) Do I have to purchase from Squad Locker No - In fact I encourage you to purchase a maskgaiter or buff that best fits your child and works for your family This is just a fun STA option forthose families who would like one

3) What about the disposable paper masks You are absolutely welcome to purchase disposablepaper masks as long as they fit the color requirement Amazon has a great selection and they canbe found by clicking on the hyperlink provided here Black Disposable Masks As a reminder if youchoose disposable masks they MUST be discarded at the end of the day and a new mask must beworn each day to mitigate the spread of all illnesses

4) I just cant find any masks that meet those color requirements You are in luck because Ihave several links to share with you Not only can you purchase simple black masks from MeijerTarget and Walmart from between $399 and $599 Amazon and other online retailers have greatoptions too Here are several options to help you find a mask that will fit our color requirements

EtsyEtsy - Navy Blue Child Face MaskEtsy - Red Child Face MaskEtsy - Spartan Green Child Face MaskEtsy - Black Child Face Mask

Amazon Amazon - Navy Blue Child Face Mask Amazon - Red Child Face MaskAmazon - Spartan Green Child Face MaskAmazon - Black Child Face Mask

Other Providers Old Navy 5 Pack with Navy Child Face MaskOld Navy 5 Pack with Red Child Face Mask Levi 3 Pack with Red and Navy Child Face Mask

Los Angeles Apparel 3 Pack Masks

Gaiters and BuffsEtsy - Childs Neck Gaiter Mission Cooling Neck Gaiter

Again this is a small sampling of all the great options out there In addition to what you can findonline or in stores near you Educational Outfitters and Lands End are also selling masks andgaiters to pair with our uniform As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate toreach out for clarification Mrs Clinton and I are always happy to help

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