By KELLY BONDE
As of Sept. 2, St. Katharine Drexel Academy is officially reopened for in-person learning, per the governor’s mandate that San Diego County remain off the watch list for 14 consecutive days.
SKDA took a phased-in approach by welcoming transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students on Sept. 2, first through fourth grade on Sept. 8, and fifth through eighth grade will begin on Sept. 14. Parents also have the option to continue distance learning for their child if they’d like.
The school’s reopen plan is in accordance with the local, state and CDC guidelines for schools. In the morning, all students will be screened for symptoms and have their temperatures checked. Each grade level has their own designated hand washing station. All students are 6 feet apart in the classroom and have their assigned desk all day. Masks will be worn on campus all day unless the students are eating or playing outside safely more than 6 feet away from each other. In addition to this, the campus will be sanitized every day. No supplies will be shared without sanitization in between and no cohorts will mix.
All of these rules still allow for fun, a love of learning and community. Recess and lunch will have music, and students will still be able to work in groups with the use of Google Meets. Each child will be assigned their own device while at school as well.
We are still hosting clubs on campus, where the students will meet virtually from their classroom with students and a teacher throughout the school, including Lego Club, Craft Club, Future Scientists and Coding, just to name a few. We will also be continuing to hold Mass outdoors, welcoming one grade level a week and livestreaming Mass to the classrooms and to home.
For families who choose distance learning or for children who are quarantined at home but well enough to join class, each teacher will have a tripod streaming their class via Google Meets. The students at home will be able to watch class and unmute themselves to ask questions.
For all classes, all of the curricular material will be available on either SeeSaw for younger students or Google Classroom for third grade and up. This way, the transition from home to school is seamless. We know this year is bound to present challenges, but we want to work with all of our families to make this the best experience we can for the child.
SKDA is still enrolling and has some spots available The full reopen plan can be found on the school website at skda-sd.org. To schedule a tour, contact the main office at 619-582-3862 or email [email protected].
— Kelly Bonde is principal of Saint Kathrine Drexel Academy.
