Just In Time Information about BK’s efforts to protect our school community from Covid-19
Just In Time Information about BK’s efforts to protect our school community from Covid-19
All updates that have been sent out to our school community are posted in this thread.
Friday May 15th BK Alive with Just In Time Information about:
- The last week of school
- Summer Academic Boot Camps
- Our planning for Fall 2020
- And our “in gratitude” section
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Friday May 8th BK Alive with Just In Time Information about School Closure/Covid-19
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Friday May 1 BK Alive with Just In Time Information about School Closure/Covid-19
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Friday, April 24
Governor Little’s “Idaho Rebounds: Our Path to Prosperity”
Yesterday, Governor Little unveiled “Idaho Rebounds: Our Path to Prosperity Guidelines for Opening Up Idaho.” As we mentioned in our April 17th JIT, this is the guidance we have been looking for.
Bishop Kelly’s first priority continues to be the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community. Stages 1 and 2 of Governor Little’s plan give us the opportunity to have a soft reopening of the building in early May. Our intent and current thought is to not disrupt the daily virtual learning schedule, as teachers and students seem to be in a good rhythm, but rather complement the current learning model and schedule. Our focus would be to provide ways for students, especially those having struggles with this virtual learning model, to connect with teachers, counselors, support teams and each other at Bishop Kelly in a structured and safe manner. We also wish to provide opportunities for our seniors to connect and enjoy these final weeks of their high school experience together safely. We are actively working this plan with our teachers, staff, Central District Health, and Sarah Quilici, our Superintendent of Catholic schools. We should be able to provide more detail late next week.
Graduation
This plan from the Governor’s Office also offers strong hope for a live, traditional graduation (with appropriate distancing and protocols) in mid-June. We will be sending out a survey through Remind today to gather feedback from seniors and senior parents/guardians as to their desires, preferences, and availability. Please help us come up with the absolute best plan to honor and celebrate this amazing Class of 2020!
Enrollment
Finally, we want to update you on our 2020-21 enrollment. We are very appreciative that over 97% of our returning students to-date have registered for the upcoming school year. And we are delighted to currently have a freshman class of 228 students registered for the fall along with 9 students transferring in. These combined put us on track in normal times for our budgeted enrollment for 2020-21 of 864 students, a 5% growth over this year. However, we are aware and concerned that economic conditions are significantly impacting some of our families. We also still have space to serve more students and families.
We would thus like to ask for your assistance in three ways:
- Please know we have sufficient financial aid available to help you, our current families, during these difficult times for the current school year and the 2020-21 school year. Contact Lori Biggs (lbiggs@bk.org) or Joe Fehringer (jfehringer@bk.org) in our Business Office to allow them to help you in applying for tuition assistance.
- Please let your friends who have sons and daughters whom you believe would benefit from a BK education know what a great experience you and your students have had this year (assuming that is true :-), even in these most trying of times. And let them know that we have space in our classes and there is financial aid available. Should they wish to consider BK, have them contact our Director of Admissions, Kelly Shockey, at kshockey@bk.org or by calling (208)375-6010.
- We would ask those of you who are willing and able to help families in need to make an online gift to the Kelly Pride Fund and give to “tuition assistance”. We are using funds given during this period to set up a BK Angels Special Assistance Fund to support students and families in particular need. We encourage you to contribute what you can to this special fund and thank you for considering such a gift during these difficult times.
In this Season of Easter, we concentrate our spiritual energy on the birth of the Church — the transformation of frightened and hidden disciples into bold, strong and fearless apostles and preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray for that same transformation in each of us, at whatever level and to whatever degree, so that we may live our faith boldly and fearlessly, even in the midst of ongoing uncertainty about our future on so many levels. Please know you and your families continue to be in our prayers. We hope and pray you have a relaxing, safe and peaceful weekend!
God bless,
Rich Raimondi, President
Mike Caldwell, Principal
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Wednesday, April 22
Today we sent THIS IMPORTANT EMAIL with lots of information about schedules, finals, AP Exams, etc.
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Friday, April 17th, 2020
Dear BK Parents and Students,
A lot has happened this week at the state level. By now you have likely read or heard about Governor Little’s amended stay-at-home order through April 30, the Idaho State Board of Education’s criteria for public and charter schools to resume normal operations, and the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) announcement that all spring sport and activity seasons and all state tournaments are cancelled.
You may ask how this all impacts us here at Bishop Kelly. Our first priority will continue to be the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community and we will certainly align with the Governor’s orders. However, given we are a private school and not subject to state board oversight, we are not prepared at this time to give up, as the surrounding public school districts have, on the possibility of our students in some form returning to school before the end of May. Governor Little said he would be looking at his decisions and orders in 14 day increments as suggested by state epidemiologists. We will do the same. It is entirely possible for a smaller, more nimble school like Bishop Kelly to adapt and switch to some school-based learning in May if things get back to a more normal controlled state and we are confident we can operate within the guidelines for social distancing that will be in place at that time. Stay tuned.
Idaho High School Activities Association Announcement about Spring Sports, and BK Activity Fees
IHSAA announced this morning that Spring 2020 Activities seasons, and all State tournaments are canceled due to Covid-19. You can read the official statement HERE.
Regarding the cancellation of spring sports and activity seasons, we are very sad for all the students, especially our seniors, and coaches who have worked so hard to prepare for their season and were only able to compete in a limited number of games/meets/matches.
A few of you have inquired about the reimbursement of some portion of spring activities fees. We made the decision back on March 15th when spring sports were suspended to pay our spring coaches for the full season regardless of whether the season was cancelled. The activities fees help to pay a good portion of the coaches’ salaries. We know how much time and effort they give to their teams and student-athletes in both the offseason and during the season, and want to reward and recognize their contributions and dedication.
We would be most grateful if you would not ask for a refund and consider that a donation to the school. We must continue to operate as a healthy business and we have, in addition to paying all of our teachers, coaches and staff through the year, significant additional costs associated with the school closure and with providing a great educational experience now via virtual learning. Should you still wish to be reimbursed for the portion of the season that has been cancelled, that amounts to $67 or ⅔’s of the $100 activity fee, given we completed one month of a three month season. Please contact our business office (lbiggs@bk.og or jfehringer@bk.org) if you wish a reimbursement.
AP Exam Information for Students and Parents
As you have likely heard, this year’s AP exams have radically changed. All exams will be 45 minutes in length, and all will be administered online. Students may use open book/notes for the exams. You will be taking these exams from home on your own computer or phone. There will be no multiple choice questions, only free response. The exams will be given May 11-22. The College Board has done an excellent job of communicating information about the exams on their website and through emails to students who have registered for exams. If you have not been receiving these emails, check your spam file. If they aren’t there, contact Mrs. Crum for assistance. Please take a moment to read the updated information from AP regarding test dates and times, study help using specially developed YouTube lessons, specific details about exam requirements, and areas to be covered on each exam. Updates for AP Students Affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bishop Kelly Specific Instructions
- We encourage all AP students to take these exams. The study hints provided, along with Bishop Kelly teacher instruction give students an excellent opportunity to be successful on these exams.
- If you don’t have the internet, or a device to take the exam, AP will help provide access. Please contact your Bishop Kelly teacher ASAP if you need help with this. All requests must be completed by April 22.
- Students will be emailed a code that gives you access to the exam. You don’t need to do anything special to confirm that you are taking the exam, simply access your exam using this code. All students need to use a non-Bishop Kelly email on your College Board account to make sure that the code gets to you on exam day. If you need to change your email address, this is accomplished by going to the settings tab on your College Board account. Please contact Mrs. Crum ASAP if you need help with this.
- Students will receive an email in late April with information on how to access the testing system on test day, along with video demonstrations to familiarize students with exam day procedures.
- Students must log in to their account 30 minutes prior to each exam to make sure there are no technical issues.
- Students who decide not to take an exam must complete this Google Form to request a refund on your account. We suggest that you wait until closer to the exam date to make this decision. Give yourself time to practice for the exam and to make a thoughtful decision before canceling your test. No refunds will be allowed after the start time for each exam. There is a $9 processing fee for cancelled exams, so the amount of the refund will be $85 per exam.
- Students who have applied for and received accommodations will automatically receive those when they log in to the exam. Contact Mrs. Crum if you have questions regarding accommodations.
- Calculators are allowed for exams, but the test questions are written in a manner such that calculations can be completed with pencil and paper. You may be more comfortable using the calculator, so make a decision that is best for you. Familiarize yourself with the AP list of approved calculators
- Please familiarize yourself with the AP FAQ page.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to Mrs. Crum at mcrum@bk.org
Help Us Get Your Child to the Finish Line
Several students are still adjusting and/or struggling with Virtual Learning, despite our extensive efforts to make this manageable for all. If your child is struggling, they have multiple avenues for support that we strongly recommend they take advantage of. This is a perfect time for you as parents to strongly reinforce that students should be their own best advocate.
- Students should always start by communicating directly with their teachers, requesting help or assistance
- Just like when they are in the building together, students reaching out to other students for help is a great way to get support.
- Our counselors are always willing to give suggestions and support if they are asked!
- Students who are receiving accommodations have a great resource in our Student Support Team. Ms. Kurdy and Mrs. Slaven are ready to help!
- Any students or parents who need additional help are encouraged to reach out to Mr. Caldwell, Mrs. Herrera, or Mrs. Hutchinson for guidance and support.
In terms of Final Exams, we will send out a special Just in Time Communication mid-Next Week to share the plan for the last couple of weeks of school, including clarification on final exams, etc. Be on the look out for that information next week.
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Thursday, April 9th, 2020
Dear BK Parents and Students,
It has been nearly four weeks since we closed our school building, launched our virtual learning plan, suspended spring sports and began frequent, almost daily communication with you. It is an important time to reflect on where we are, the needs our parents and students have, and what we need to focus on going forward. The feedback that 450 respondents gave us in the parent survey was extremely helpful in this assessment and, in this JIT, we will summarize what we learned from your responses and address some of your concerns.
We will use the format of the five goals we set at the outset, and speak today to three of the goals (#2, #4 and #5) in responding to the survey and other feedback we have received.
GOAL #2: Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
Here are the highlights of the survey responses on how your student’s virtual learning experience is going thus far:
- The average rating on virtual learning so far was 3.6/5.0
- Many many comments of “great job” and appreciation were expressed for how quickly we were able to move to virtual learning
- Early concerns cited were technology issues and classwork/assignments
- New schedule was applauded by many and gratitude for the quick and agile changes, which were much needed by all
- Feeling from most all was that students having a schedule, routine, discipline, and connection with teachers and peers are so valued and needed at this difficult time
- Appreciation by many for our care and concern for each student, their education and wanting to make sure they do not fall behind
- Mental well being, anxiety and stress concerns expressed by many
- Some concerns around length of day, especially with homes that have several kids and parents also working virtually from home
- Several expressed concerns for seniors and what they are missing, their emotional state, etc.. Request to pay special attention to them and their needs – graduation, prom, academic awards, etc.
- Finally, many concerns and questions around clarity of expectations, workload, homework and grading.
Bishop Kelly Learning and Grading Expectations
As mentioned above, we have had some questions and concerns from students and parents regarding Bishop Kelly High School’s position on learning, grading and academic expectations. We realize that our surrounding public school districts have different policies and expectations but it’s important that we are all very clear on the expectations Bishop Kelly has for our students for the remainder of the school year.
As a school, we are in a very different situation than most of the schools in our area. Over the last 10+ years, we have made a series of decisions and investments that have allowed us to quickly adapt to our school closure situation. We are a 1:1 school with learning technologies and online curriculum in place to continue your child’s education. Additionally, we continue to evaluate, respond and adjust as needed to make this work for all involved. As an example, we’ve pared down our schedule and teachers have pared down the curriculum and workload to fit the schedule and the online delivery. And we will continue to adjust as needed.
While we are sensitive to the current situation and the additional stress and anxiety it may cause, we have a different situation than our surrounding public schools regarding grading, etc. during this time. While our building is closed and we cannot be together physically, we are going to continue to operate as a school in a new environment and will continue to provide a great education for all students.
It’s important that everyone understands that we are still holding students accountable for being present and for doing their personal best on academic work. This work will be graded, and their grades will be on their report cards at the end of this semester. Students need to approach this new learning model with the same level of commitment and self-control as they would at school. This means they should wake up and get ready for school each day. They should have a designated place at home to work on schoolwork and remove distractions (video games, social media, TV, etc). They should also take breaks throughout the day for food and some exercise. The body feeds the mind!
If students are struggling, they have multiple avenues for support that we strongly recommend they take advantage of. This is a perfect time for you as parents to strongly reinforce that students should be their own best advocate.
- Students should always start by communicating directly with their teachers, requesting help or assistance
- Just like when they are in the building together, students reaching out to other students for help is a great way to get support.
- Our counselors are always willing to give suggestions and support if they are asked!
- Students who are receiving accommodations have a great resource in our Student Support Team. Ms. Kurdy and Mrs. Slaven are ready to help!
- Any students or parents who need additional help are encouraged to reach out to Mr. Caldwell, Mrs. Herrera, or Mrs. Hutchinson for guidance and support.
In terms of Final Exams, we are working on that now. We still expect a summative assessment at the conclusion of this semester. The what, how, when, etc. has still not been finalized. Stay tuned for more information.
To sum it all up, we are still “ALWAYS LEARNING”, even if we are doing it drastically differently than what we are used to.
GOAL #4: Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate members of our community
The most important area of focus is graduation where we will honor and celebrate this outstanding senior Class of 2020. We have been working with our senior class on three different scenarios/plans for graduation. All involved – students, families and school – strongly desire to have a live, traditional graduation on Nick Ysursa Field.
Plan A is to have graduation on our scheduled date of May 23rd at 11:00 am. Plan B, should Plan A not be feasible, is to move the date to June 20 or 27. Plan C is to have a hybrid graduation (some live, some online) on May 23rd in our parking lot. We are surveying our seniors and their parents as to their preferences and any other ideas they have that we may not have considered. Our final decision will be based on what the social distancing and large crowd gathering directives are at crucial decision points along the way. We will keep you all updated.
GOAL #5: Deliver predictable, daily communication to our entire community
In the survey we conducted this past week, we asked several questions about our communications during this school closure time. Here are the key points we derived from the survey responses:
- 97% of you strongly agreed (69%) or agreed (29%) that the Just in Time Communication has been helpful and timely.
- Most of you commented that the communication was clear, detailed and concise
- Several of you said that it was sometimes a little long and could be more succinct
- The majority of you felt it was a good time now that virtual learning is up and running to move to once per week – or as needed by topic
- You were supportive of watching a live or recorded video update from us and most would prefer it be first thing in the morning.
We will be moving to one Just in Time Communication per week and wherever possible integrate it within BK Alive (as we are doing today) to minimize the email traffic you are receiving from BK and many other sources during this time of self-isolation. As a reminder, we have archived the past communications and the FAQ’s that have arisen on our Info for BK Families about COVID-19 webpage.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions and/or additional questions by replying to this email. We strongly believe we will be a better school and a stronger community thanks to the efforts of so many through this crisis.
We wish you and your families a blessed and happy Easter, and please continue to take good care of yourselves and be safe and healthy.
God bless,
Rich Raimondi
Mike Caldwell
P.S. If you are interested in a little exercise, quality family bonding and/or community service this weekend, Our Lady’s Garden at Bishop Kelly would benefit from some community service. Consider stopping by BK sometime this weekend, take a walk through the Garden and pick a few weeds along the way! The roses should be in bloom very soon!
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Monday, April 6th, 2020
Dear BK Parents,
Thank you to the over 400 of you who took the time to fill out the survey to provide us feedback on our Just in Time Communications and how Virtual Learning is going so far for your sons and daughters and you.
One consistent theme in your responses was that moving to once per week JIT communication is great now that we are rolling with virtual learning – unless something comes up that needs a more timely communication. Well, today that something happened.
This afternoon the Idaho State Board of Education voted unanimously to extend the “soft closure” of all public schools to the end of this school year or until local and state social distancing orders have been lifted and re-entry criteria established by the state board have been met. The soft closure prohibits instruction in school buildings, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but still allows school districts to continue remote learning.
Bishop Kelly High School is well prepared to continue virtual learning through the remainder of the school year, or until the school community has met the criteria to come together again. Once the criteria has been released by the State Board, Bishop Kelly will evaluate our ability to begin having students return to campus. We would love for that to happen, but if it does not, we will continue to make virtual learning a positive educational experience for all.
We appreciate your continued support of our school. We are all very committed to our mission as a school of “educating and developing the whole student …” and in making this virtual learning period a success for all students. Thank you for your understanding. We strongly believe we will be a better school and a stronger community thanks to the efforts of so many through this crisis – including our parents.
Finally, we were struck by the Surgeon General saying yesterday that this week is the “Pearl Harbor Week” for our nation, meaning that it is the most important week yet for us to do what is necessary as a country. Well, Holy Week is the SAME on the spiritual level, the most important week for us as Christians since this is the week we mark the salvation God won for us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, let us all do what is necessary to root our faith in the Resurrection as deeply as possible in our lives and the lives of our families.
God bless,
Rich Raimondi Mike Caldwell
P.S. We will be sending another Just in Time later this week with updates on how virtual learning is going, what we learned from the survey responses you gave us, and any tweaks/adjustments we will be making based on your feedback and that of our students and teachers.
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Today, April 3rd, 2020, we’re surveying our parents about our first week of Virtual Learning. Please give us your feedback.
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Click here for our school-wide community update from Wednesday, April 1st.
In it we cover the earthquake that shook BK on Tuesday, March 31st, and how we’re doing on goals #2 and #4:
- Goal #2: Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
- Goal #4: Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate members of our community
Stay Safe BK!
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Our Update for Today – Friday, March 27th – is pretty long. So CLICK HERE to read the email we sent to parents.
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Tuesday, March 24th Update
Dear Bishop Kelly Community,
We wanted to inform our entire community that Bishop Kelly will remain closed through Monday, April 20th and we will continue with our virtual learning through that time. This decision is in line with the March 23rd directive from the Idaho State Board of Education that all school districts and charter schools implement a soft closure through Monday, April 20th. Regarding activities, no decision has been announced as the IHSAA Board meets next Tuesday. However, they are most likely going to move the activities closure date to April 20 also.
This decision is in line with two of the five objectives we set for this uncertain time we are in:
- Prioritize the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community
- Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
While we are well prepared for virtual learning through this period – or longer – and this decision is not unexpected by us or our community, it will be challenging for families, students, and faculty and staff. We will be looking at ways to lessen the burdens on all BK community members and we must always remember the most powerful enemy of this COVID-19 virus is prayer. Tomorrow is the feast of the Annunciation. Pope Francis is calling for all Christians to pray the Our Father tomorrow at Noon. Let’s have the BK community join all of our brothers and sisters around the world.
We must also reemphasize to our entire community the importance of social distancing, healthy habits such as handwashing, and not gathering in groups. This is particularly challenging with young people, many of whom do not see this as their issue. Treasure Valley students, including I am sure BK kids, are still congregating in close quarters at area parks and in other common areas. While spending time outside is healthy, particularly in our current situation, the circumstances by which the kids are spending time together is not. Instead of hanging at the park where hundreds of people may be, go for a run/walk/hike with one or two friends on a trail. They can also utilize technology to stay connected i.e. Skype, Zoom, etc. Netflix has also rolled out a way to “watch movies together as a virtual group”. And they should not be out at all if they have any of the following conditions – fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, loose stools, or loss of smell or taste.
As we know from information from China, Italy, and here in the US, kids and young people in their 20’s can be infected with COVID-19, can be hospitalized, and, in very rare situations, can die from this disease. This is on top of the fact that young people, even if not significantly ill, can spread the disease to those who are even more vulnerable. Those groups are not just the “very old”, they are individuals in their 30s on up, both with and without underlying medical conditions. Thanks to each of you for your support in this area to minimize the community spread and keep our children and our families healthy.
Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. We will send another Just in Time communication on Friday, March 27th, with more details and reminders on virtual learning and we hope to be able to answer any additional questions you may have.
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Today we combined our weekly BK Alive Newsletter and our Just In Time Update. This newsletter is dense with information about Virtual School beginning on March 30th. Please CLICK HERE to access the archived email.
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3/19/2020 Update
Dear BK Parents and Students,
Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s husband. Talk about someone whose plans changed! The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary’s pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself to be great. He accepted what the angel of the Lord told him – “ ….do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. ” (Matthew, 1, 18-21)
May we not be afraid as our plans for school, sports, work, spring break, etc. change. And remember during these challenging times that God is with us.
Speaking of God being with us, our Chaplain, Fr. Greg Vance, has written a letter to our community on suggestions of what things we – both Catholics and other faith denominations – can do without Masses or worship services. As you have likely read, Bishop Peter Christensen asked for all public Masses to be suspended as of this coming Saturday and Sunday (March 21st and 22nd). We now enter an even more challenging time for our lives of faith in Jesus Christ. Here is the link to the letter.
It is important in these daily communications to remind our community of the five goals that we set for the uncertain period we are entering and that are guiding our decisions and actions::
- Prioritize the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community.
- Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
- Maintain the strong sense of community we have here at Bishop Kelly
- Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate members of our community
- Deliver predictable, daily communication to our entire community
Students coming back to gather supplies and meet briefly with teachers over the last two days went very well. Students were scattered throughout their two hour time slots, keeping appropriate social distancing and never gathering in groups greater than five or so. They seemed to truly enjoy seeing their teachers, getting what they needed, taking some makeup tests, and seeing some of their friends. And as we mentioned yesterday, we loved seeing them. We miss them. A school without students just is not right – but it is our reality for the foreseeable future.
Toward that end we will be sharing with you tomorrow in our Just in Time Communication the details of our plans for virtual learning for the week of March 30th – April 3rd. It will include class schedules, student expectations, and processes for counselors and student support services.
A final note – there are many wonderful things happening in the midst of this crisis. We have seen BK students step forward to help take care of their siblings while their parents work … community members offering to help pay a student’s tuition because of tough financial situations … teachers uncomfortable with technology stepping up to embrace virtual learning because they know it is important to continue providing a great education for their students … our new softball dugouts and backstop project completed due to the hard work of many – especially Coach Missy Nichols, past parent Jim Redinger, our Director of Buildings and Grounds, Chad Blue, and the generosity of our community … and, the entire BK team – teachers, staff, and administrators – working collaboratively all week to ensure we are ready to go live on Monday, March 30th, with virtual learning. We will be a better school and a stronger community thanks to the efforts of so many through this crisis.
We are archiving these communications and future FAQ’s that arise on our Info for BK Families about COVID-19 webpage. Please let us know if you have any additional questions by replying to this email with your questions or calling the BK front office at (208)375-6010.
God bless,
Rich Raimondi, President
Mike Caldwell, Principal
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3/18/2020 Update
Dear Parents and Students,
Thank you for your continued support, feedback and questions regarding the decision to close Bishop Kelly for regular school through March 30 due to the COVID-19 disease. From the many comments we have received, we trust that you are still finding these daily communications on our school closure helpful. You should expect to see them each day through this Friday, with one Just in Time Communication sent out late next week prior to our return from spring break. We are archiving these communications and future FAQ’s that arise on our Info for BK Families about COVID-19 webpage.
As a reminder, the five goals we set for the uncertain period we are entering:
- Prioritize the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community.
- Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
- Maintain the strong sense of community we have here at Bishop Kelly
- Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate members of our community
- Deliver predictable, daily communication to our entire community
Today’s visits by students went very well. Students were scattered throughout their two hour time slots and they kept appropriate social distancing and never gathered in groups greater than five or so. It was wonderful to see students on campus and every student we talked with truly enjoyed seeing their teachers, getting what they needed, taking some makeup tests, and seeing some of their friends. And we loved seeing them. We miss them. A school without students just is not right – but it is our reality for the foreseeable future.
We will add two FAQ’s today based on some decisions we have made and repeat two we need your help on.
REPEAT QUESTIONS
Q: What if I don’t have the tools, equipment or WIFI infrastructure at home to have my son/daughter be successful with virtual learning?
A: We are committed to providing a great education for all students via virtual learning. To do that all students and families must have the necessary tools at home to be successful in a virtual learning environment. We would ask that you click on this link to take a survey as to your technology needs. We have laptops we can provide as loaners and will seek to provide solutions for Wifi connectivity and other equipment to students and families that need them.
Q: What are the dates and times again for my son/daughter to come to BK tomorrow (March 19th)? What are the expectations for their time here at BK?
Thursday, March 19
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am: Last names M-R, and ALL Bus Riders (Busses will provide pickup and drop off for this window of time)
- 10:00 am – Noon: Last names S-Z
The bus schedule for Nampa, Eagle, and Meridian busses for Thursday morning are:
- Nampa pickup: 7:00 am Depart from BK: 11:00 am
- Eagle pickup 7:00 am Depart from BK: 11:00 am
- Meridian pickup : 7:00 am Depart from BK: 11:00 am
Today students needed anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes to get items out of their lockers, visit their seven classrooms and teachers (if needed). This was a bit longer if the students needed to finish an exam, etc.
They can arrive anytime during their designated time, but suggest they get to BK 30 minutes before their session ends. They should not plan to “hang around” school and visit with friends. Social distancing continues to be one of the most important things we can do to stop the spread of the virus – both here at BK and during their spring break.
NEW QUESTIONS
Q: When we will know what the schedule is for the week of March 30 upon our return from spring break?
A: We are finalizing plans and schedules for that week and will communicate this Friday, March 20th, our final decisions. It will include the class schedules, student expectations, and process for counselors and student support services.
Q: With the various events that were planned this spring, can you provide an update on the status of each event?
- All Spring Sports- Postponed until further notice. Earliest possible re-start would be practicing April 5th, Games on April 11th.
- Irish Fest- Postponed with possible reschedule around Cinco de Mayo Weekend (May 8th or 9th)
- All School Mass- April 3rd -Cancelled
- Prom- April 4th -Postponed Indefinitely
- Service Learning Day April 9th- Postponed Indefinitely
- Scholarship Luncheon April 15th- Postponed Indefinitely
- Senior Retreat in Cascade – April 25-27- Undetermined
- Senior Mass- 5/1- Undetermined
- Graduation 5/23- Undetermined at this time.
- New Orleans Service Trips- Late May/ Early June- Undetermined at this time
We continue to be very grateful that our BK community is pulling together through this unprecedented time. We appreciate the resilience, patience, and partnership exhibited as we work to safeguard the health of our students, faculty/staff, and our community and seek to Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning. Please join us in achieving these goals with your actions, attitude, and spirit. And please share your ideas with us on how we can accomplish these as a community.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions by replying to this email with your questions or calling the BK front office at (208)375-6010
*******************************************************************************************3/17/2020 Update
Today we sent out THIS EMAIL to parents.
The FAQ section of the email can now be found HERE IN THIS FAQ DOCUMENT. We will continue to add Questions and Answers to the document, and will alert parents when we do so.
Mr. Caldwell send THIS VIDEO to students today as well.
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3/16/2020 Update
3/16/2020 Update
Dear Parents and Students,
Thank you for the support many of you have expressed for the difficult decision to close Bishop Kelly for regular school through March 30th.
We met this morning with all of our faculty and staff and I wanted to share the five goals we set for the uncertain period we are entering:
- Prioritize the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community.
- Continue to provide a great education for all students via virtual learning
- Maintain the strong sense of community we have here at Bishop Kelly
- Find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate members of our community
- Deliver predictable, daily communication to our entire community
Please join us in achieving these goals with your actions, attitude, and spirit. And please share your ideas with us on how we can accomplish these as a community.
Our teachers and staff have been working all day today and will continue tomorrow preparing for the possibility of virtual learning on Monday, March 30th, after spring break. We will continue to evaluate the need to be closed beyond spring break as conditions develop and we receive additional guidance, but are under the assumption we will begin virtual learning on March 30th.
For the remainder of this week, students and parents should do the following THREE things:
1) Students are expected to continue to work on any and all assignments, papers, quizzes, tests, etc. that were in motion prior to this week. If the students have questions about any of this, they can anticipate seeing communication from their teachers sometime tomorrow or can proactively reach out to their teachers this week. Unless told otherwise by their teacher, all work assigned prior to this week should be completed by this Friday, March 20th.
2) In order to help accommodate students getting materials from school and their lockers, and meeting briefly with their teachers if necessary, we have developed a plan for students to come to Bishop Kelly on Wednesday, March 18th, and Thursday, March 19th , in a staggered and organized manner. If students have tests, or quizzes that that need to be made up, this is an optimal time to do that as well.
We will split the student body into four groups by alphabet (not by class) in order to dilute the study body into smaller, manageable groups. If parents do not wish to send their child back to school during this time due to health concerns, it is not required. Students should only go during their assigned times and should not linger around after their assigned time.
Wednesday, March 18
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am: Last Names beginning with A-E
- 10:00 am – Noon: Last names beginning with F-L
Thursday, March 19
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am: Last names beginning with M-R, and ALL Bus Riders (Busses will provide pickup and drop off for this window of time)
- 10:00 am – Noon: Last names beginning with S-Z
Students will be asked to stop by each of their seven classrooms during this time to see if their teachers need to see them. Each teacher will have a note posted on their doors indicating whether or not a student A) Must or is strongly encouraged to see the teacher; B) Is encouraged but not required to see the teacher; or, C) Should not see the teacher. As an example, all English teachers need students to come by to pick up a novel for each class.
3) Finally, we want to make sure that all students and families have the necessary tools at home to be successful in a virtual learning environment. We would ask that you click on this link to take a survey as to your technology needs. We have laptops we can provide as loaners and will seek to provide solutions for Wifi connectivity in homes that need it.
With regard to activities, the Idaho High School Activities Association, in response to COVID-19, and to best serve member schools, student participants, coaches and Idaho families, has announced:
- Suspension of sanctioned sports and activities for all of its member schools effective Tuesday, March 17th, through Sunday, April 5th. The SIC conference has built in a five day practice window from April 6th – 10th, with a startup date for all competitions of Saturday, April 11th – depending on conditions with COVID-19 in the area.
- Cancellation of the IHSAA State Cheer/Dance Championships. This event will not be rescheduled.
- The IHSAA State Debate Championship is still postponed as IHSAA works on the possibility of combining with the State Speech Championships.
Please let us know if you have any questions by replying to this email with your question or calling the BK front office at (208) 375-6010.
We would ask that we all continue to pray for those impacted by COVID-19 and know that during these challenging times that God is with us. Together as a community we will get through this!
Kind regards,
Rich Raimondi,
President
Mike Caldwell
Principal
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3/15/2020
Dear Bishop Kelly Community,
“Fear not beloved you are safe; take courage and be strong.”
Daniel 10:19
With the recent confirmations of COVID-19 cases in Idaho, we have been discussing what to do over the weekend with our colleagues in other Treasure Valley School Districts, our Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Central District Health, and the Governor’s COVID-19 Working Group. We have made the decision that in order to decrease community spread and keep our students and faculty and staff safe, Bishop Kelly High School will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 16th.
Teachers and staff will come in tomorrow (Monday, 3/16) to prepare for the possibility of online instruction on Monday, March 30th – after spring break. This helps us to be prepared for effective delivery of virtual school in the event of an extended school closure. We will continue to evaluate the need to be closed beyond spring break as conditions develop and we receive additional guidance.
Bishop Kelly will not hold regular school at all this week, however are developing a plan for students to come into the school over the next few days in a staggered but organized manner to get needed materials, clean out their lockers, and meet briefly with their teachers. We will communicate that to you, our parents, and our students by end of day tomorrow.
All spring sports are suspended effective Monday, March 16, to minimize contact and be consistent with our school closing. This involves practice and games until further notice.
In the meantime, please help us to reinforce the importance of social distancing, and keep your student(s) off campus.
Over spring break we will be doing another deep clean of the school. During that time we will also be communicating with all of you as we have information to share. Please look for emails and Remind texts, and check our Just In Time blog post about Covid-19 on the BK website for current information.
In the midst of all the confusion and fear, the God of the Resurrection calls each of us to attend to his words of love, care and protection at this time. Let us remember that.
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Dear Parents,
In response to Corona Virus (Covid -19), please be assured that Bishop Kelly as well as the Catholic elementary schools are working to keep our students and staff as safe as possible. Please review the following information closely.
Shared Responsibility in Preventing the Spread
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Keep hands away from the nose and face
- Keep sick children home,
- Cover all coughs and sneezes with a bent arm or tissue and wash hands afterwards
Bishop Kelly Custodial staff are making it a high priority to disinfect touch points throughout the schools.
- Areas of high impact that are disinfected regularly include:
- Door handles, crash bars, doorknobs
- Entry windows
- Office counters and surfaces
- Handrails
- Sinks and drinking fountains
- Dispensers
- Anything else that is handled frequently by multiple people.
- Additional hand sanitizer stations have been placed in key locations throughout the school.
- We are also setting aside time each day this week to have an all school “wipe down” of desks, laptops and cell phones.
Additional Ways our Parents and Community Can Help:
- Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs with the routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. These include doorknobs, light switches, handles of faucets and sinks.
- Encourage your child to regularly disinfect the things they bring to school each day, especially their laptops, cell phones, and water bottles
- Wash clothing regularly, especially after a workout (PE, Athletics, etc.)
- Practice good hygiene by showering and washing hands regularly and thoroughly.
- Stay home if you have flu like symptoms.
- Please make sure your student is getting adequate sleep and is eating a balanced diet.
Upcoming Travel Considerations (Spring Break, Etc.)
Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision yesterday to postpone organized student trips over Spring Break. The CDC advised that students traveling out of the country could face “unpredictable circumstances, travel restrictions, challenges in returning home, or accessing health care while abroad.” It was just a few hours later than the new travel restrictions from Europe were announced, which just reinforced our decision. As disappointed as we all are, I hope all involved understand why staying in the country is important right now.
Many of our families travel out of the valley for spring break. If you or anyone in your immediate household travel to a highly exposed area, we would expect you to be extremely conservative on your returning to school and would ask that you are transparent with our administrative team in your possible exposure.
Coronavirus Impact on College Visits
The counseling office is receiving word from colleges and universities regarding closures due to the coronavirus outbreak. Many schools are moving to an online format for admitted student weekends, as well as for campus visits. While we typically encourage students to use Spring Break as a time to visit college campuses, this year we are urging caution in that area. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling “Admission events that usually occur at this time—such as campus tours, information sessions, and open house events for admitted students—may be cancelled or moved online. Please check college websites for the latest information.” It is also possible that ACT and SAT test centers may be affected in the future, so please check their websites for updates on information. While we know that nothing compares to an actual campus visit, there are options for students to take part in virtual tours through Scoir. If your student needs help accessing Scoir, please have them email Mrs. Crum.
THIS LINK to College Kickstart is a good place to check for college visit campus closures.
Thank you for your continued support in working together to keep all of us healthy!
Sincerely,
Mike Caldwell and the Bishop Kelly Leadership Team
Events and Activities Impacting the BK Community that have been Cancelled or Postponed:
State Debate – Postponed
State Cheer – Postponed
Irish Fest – Postponed
Idaho Catholic Youth Conference – Cancelled
The BK Spring Play Performances are happening as scheduled, with the theater seating being disinfected after each performance.
Spring Sports practices and games are happening as scheduled.
