SCA COVID-19 Update

Dear St. Cecilia Families, As we continue to monitor the evolving Coronavirus situation, I wanted to update you on our preparation and response plan. Though we hope we won’t need to move to online classes, we do want to have such a plan fully in place in the event it is needed. To that end, we will have a teacher preparation day on Friday, March 13 to prepare for a potential extended school closure. Students will not come to school on Friday, unless they need to make up a missed test. Make-up tests may be taken between 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the lecture hall on Friday.

This teacher preparation day will provide time for academic departments to prepare concrete plans to maximize student learning online. On Friday, we also will be preparing any needed video tutorials for students; among these will be a short instructional video on how to turn in assignments on the portal. This video will be posted on each teacher’s portal page for quick student reference. If they have any difficulty, students can email the teachers for assistance.

Please let us know if there are any pressing technology needs in your home that would prohibit your daughter from accessing the school portal and participating in classes online. Send an email information@stcecilia.edu with any concerns and we will respond as soon as possible.

Beginning today, students will be encouraged to start taking their books home so that by Thursday afternoon, they have everything at home they would need if we were to have remote learning after Spring Break. Again, we hope this is not the case but want to take prudent steps in the event that the un-hoped for thing does indeed happen. Please also note that during Spring Break the school will have a deep cleaning, so all facilities will be closed to students, teachers, and families during this time.

Please be mindful of upcoming travel. SCA and Overbrook continue to refer families to the Centers for Disease Control and the State Department travel warning. If you are traveling to a zoned area (especially Level 2 or 3), please consider a 14-day self-quarantine for you and your family, even if you are not symptomatic. Please continue to visit CDC, World Health Organization, and the State Department for up-to-date information.

We also ask you to share with us any connections to confirmed or quarantined COVID-19 cases. After school hours, email information@stcecilia.edu. That account will be monitored 24 hours a day and will help provide current information to us.

Please be in touch with any questions or concerns and be assured of my prayers for you and your families. May God bless and protect us as we journey through this unknown terrain together.

God bless you,

Sister Anna Laura, O.P.