Provide adequate time for the improved physical health of our student body while mitigating further spread of all illnesses (flu, colds, COVID, etc.)

• We are pleased to report that we have had only one additional positive student COVID-19 case beyond the six we reported last week and this was from a family situation, not from school. All students who were awaiting test results have had those tests come back negative.
• We have had one staff member test positive but they had no close contacts here at school who need to be quarantined.
• We have heard from numerous parents and students that many students are feeling better, the extra sleep without commute time has helped, and their children are excited to do whatever they need to do to get back to in person school next week. A strengthened immune system is key to good health as we enter the late fall and winter months.
• One other note – we have heard some rumors in the community that “BK closed due to a COVID outbreak”. That is simply not true. We have had only nine positive student cases in the first almost nine weeks of school. In our analysis of the nine positive cases we have had only one situation where there was transmission to another student. And that likely happened in interactions outside of school. Our protocols overall are working well and we are not having an outbreak.

Provide adequate time and focus on adapting and improving current instructional and operational plans.

• Our sports teams’ protocols have been slightly revised and a strong reeducation took place for each fall team the past two days. Here are the highlights of the changes and points of emphasis by every coach and our AD, Tom Shanahan, and these will be reinforced at every practice:
  • Reinforce they represent themselves, their school, and their sports team with their actions.
  • Masks are required in the training room, inside school, and in parking lots after practice.
  • Only six athletes are allowed in the training room at a time.
  • You must stay home if you are sick.
  • Anyone not at school during the day should not be at practice.
  • Anyone returning to school from illness in the last 3 days, or any portion of the current day, will have a temperature check performed by an athletic trainer before returning to practice. If their temperature is elevated they will not practice and will be sent home. Thanks to Saint Alphonsus for providing the thermometers!
• Our administration and department heads have made progress in the last two days on improving the Instructional Learning Model, given we will likely see significant absences through the next four to six months. We have a professional development day tomorrow to work through this as a school and by department and will be in a position to communicate to parents and students new processes for accommodating students absent from school this Friday.
• We are narrowing in on steps to redesign lunch practices and protocols as we approach cooler weather and the need to eat inside.
• Finally, we are in the midst of assessing and improving other daily practices such as disinfecting classrooms, transition between classes, beginning/end of day procedures.

Build in time to fix the water main issue that needs to be addressed and will necessitate closure of our school buildings.

• Our Director of Building & Grounds, Chad Blue, and the team from Buss Mechanical, are on track to replace the 56 year old leaking pipe that connects Suez Water to our main school building by this Friday. It will necessitate turning water off to the main building this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with water available only in the Carley Center and the Father Wilson Science and Technology Wing.
• Chad’s Maintenance team has been deep cleaning the entire building, including all classrooms, over these past two days.