2020-21 School Year Updates

School Reopening Guide

Reopening plan updated 9/23/20

Announcing New Mid-Week Student Support Day

Updated 11/13/20

 

Cretin-Derham Hall is adjusting our Hybrid Model schedule to include a Student Support Day on Wednesdays. This new schedule will begin on the first day of Tri 2, November 30, 2020.

The administration, in consultation with the faculty and the Board of Directors, adopted this model to provide students the opportunity to connect with teachers on Wednesday mornings for additional support. Teachers will utilize the afternoon for preparation time and professional development. This is not considered a “day-off” for students. 

  • On Wednesday mornings, between 8:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., students are welcome at school to meet with teachers voluntarily, or at a teacher’s direction. Teachers may also offer group study sessions, lab time, or other structured learning opportunities. 

  • Afternoons will be used for teacher preparation time and professional development. A teacher may also request that a student attend a mutually agreed upon study session. Coaches might also require team study sessions. 

Many other schools have utilized a similar model which provides the additional time necessary to address the unique challenges faced by teachers and students under a hybrid structure. Governor Walz recently noted his support for schools to be in-person as much as possible with proper precautions in place. He also recognized that the Hybrid model is not sustainable without alleviating many of the challenges that arise when teaching students in multiple formats, ie some students engaged in full-time distance learning, some students engaged in temporary distance learning due to quarantine or illness, and the bulk of students who are on campus under a hybrid schedule.

 In general, the schedule will follow:

  • Monday - Gold, A-L

  • Tuesday - Purple, M-Z

  • Wednesday - Student Support Day 

  • Thursday - Purple, A-L

  • Friday - Gold, M-Z

The schedule will be posted on the school calendar soon. Student support days will only be offered during five-day weeks. 

Students and teachers will utilize the Enriching Students App to make appointments. Remember this is not a day off. Students will be expected to attend teacher-initiated appointments and will be considered absent if they do not attend. Study space will also be provided throughout the building for students who could benefit from studying on campus. More details and expectations will be communicated in a future letter.

Note: With this new schedule, students will remain in school during Community Time on Gold days. Students will not be allowed to leave campus early.

Full-Time Distance Learning Sign-Up Form

CDH will continue to offer a full distance learning option for students during the second trimester. Full-Time Distance Learning options will be renewed at the beginning and mid-trimester of each trimester for the duration of our hybrid learning model. 

This arrangement will be in effect until the mid-trimester ends on January 20, 2021. Students wishing to return prior to January 20 must receive prior approval from the principal. An option to renew until the end of the trimester will be offered at mid-trimester. Students who participate in full-time distance learning may not participate in any on-campus activities or athletics. They may participate in any virtual activities. 

Students wishing to participate in full distancing learning after the 2nd Trimester begins will need special permission from the principal. Please contact our COVID Coordinator/Registrar, Katie Carroll at kcarroll@c-dh.org to make this request.

Please complete this intent to participate form by Wednesday, November 18. You must complete this form even if your student is currently participating in the Distance Learning Model. 

Renewed Focus on Mitigation Efforts

We will close this communication, as we do often, with a reminder of our COVID-19 mitigation measures:

  • Wear Mask 

  • Stay 6 feet or more apart.

  • Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer

  • Find alternatives to small and/or large in-person gatherings 

We cannot stress strongly enough that our collective compliance with these measures is the one thing that will enable us to continue to have any level of in-person learning at all. The data all points to a very minimal spread on campus, but we lose the benefit of such containment once we leave this controlled environment. We ask all families to have tough conversations about expectations surrounding mask-wearing, social distancing, and proper hand hygiene. The science tells us that social gatherings outside the school and your household are the biggest spreaders of the virus and we encourage parents to take an active role in managing the social needs of our students in ways that comply with current Minnesota Department of Health guidelines for social gatherings.This is definitely not easy, but the magnitude of cases in our broader community leaves little doubt that it is necessary.

CDH also continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation in case it becomes necessary to move into a full distance learning environment. Our work with the MDH supports a site-based decision based on several important factors, including but not limited to the level of positive cases within our counties, spread within our school community, and our ability to effectively implement mitigation measures. We are aggressive about contract tracing and have confidence that our mitigation efforts thus far have been effective at managing the risk on campus.

Finally, we appreciate your support as we continue to adjust our schedule and implement measures to further enhance the quality and the sustainability of our academic experience during truly unprecedented challenges. We are grateful for the input from our students and families and it helps inform our decisions. We truly appreciate your patience and flexibility. 

None of this would be possible without the dedication of our teachers who have risen to these professional challenges with amazing dedication and commitment. We appreciate all they are doing to provide an in-person educational experience during these extraordinary times.

Thank you once again. Great things happen at Cretin-Derham Hall!  With your support, we can ensure that we continue to do our best for our students!

Previous Information:

November 9, 2020 - Renewing Focus on Mitigation

September 25, 2020 - Synchronous Learning and Block Schedule

September 9, 2020 - FAQs About Hybrid Learning

August 5, 2020 - Our school reopening guide is now available. 

July 30, 2020 - Announcement of Hybrid Learning