Details added in steps toward school opening
Dear Cardinal Mooney Family:
In March, Governor DeWine closed schools due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, Cardinal Mooney has responded to the pandemic and continues its planning for the reopening following State of Ohio and CDC guidelines.
The COVID-19 pandemic creates a unique challenge for our students, their families, faculty and staff as we strive to meet our educational and formation missions. Pandemic conditions require Cardinal Mooney to adapt how we teach, learn and work in order to mitigate health risks for our community.
We are continuing to meet weekly to plan for the reopening of school. We have drawn on the guidelines set by the State of Ohio, CDC, and American Academy of Pediatrics. While we continue to plan in this very fluid time, Cardinal Mooney is taking the following measures to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community in preparation for providing high quality teaching, learning, and co-curricular experiences for our students.
These measures and what may become temporary policies will continue through the duration of the pandemic or as required by DeWine.
For Fall 2020, we are preparing to open in person, adapting our operations consistent with the five guidelines handed down from the State. Our path forward lays out our commitment to highly engaged and close connections appropriate under our current conditions. The following guidelines outline measures we will be taking to advance the health and safety of our community. These measures are part of a coordinated public health planning effort with County Health, peers in secondary education, the Office of Catholic Schools, and area health care providers Dr. Shannon McNally-Velasquez and Dr. John Venglarcik.
Health and Safety
Cardinal Mooney will implement the guidelines handed down by the State: social distancing, face covering requirements, hygiene practices, disinfecting protocols, and adaptations for both classroom and co-curricular spaces, including the cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium, and outside gathering places.
By diligently adhering to the practices of physical distancing, good hand and personal environment hygiene, appropriate mask wearing, and daily monitoring of symptoms, we can significantly reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Adherence will also improve our chances for providing in person instruction.
It is important to realize, however, that elimination of all risk is not possible. A return to campus, like all aspects of life, carries with it potential risk. We can mitigate, but not eliminate all risk of transmission.
Other action items: We will have one or two quarantine rooms. We are planning on adding an additional nurse.
Face Covering and General Requirements
Cardinal Mooney will provide a mask to every member of our community: students, faculty and staff. Contract workers, visitors, vendors, and others who are on campus will be required to enter with masks. A supply of masks will be available to all.
When in the school building (including entry areas, hallways, restrooms, and other shared spaces), everyone will be required to wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth. Classrooms will be included IF we can’t create physical distance.
When outdoors, face coverings may be removed only when an uninterrupted 6 feet of distance can be maintained.
Community Effort
I share Governor DeWine’s plea that we all contribute to stopping the spread of the virus. Our ability to flourish through fall will depend on the commitment each member of the Cardinal Mooney family makes to one another’s health and safety. Through education, beginning with orientation and regular health messaging across campus, we will reinforce that everyone must follow the guidelines, including mask-wearing, physical-distancing and hand-washing.
We will rely on parents to also monitor symptoms at home, notify school with any concerns related to the virus, and to adhere to universal precautions and protocols regarding self-quarantine, testing, etc.
Last week we began including student input into our planning. We will continue to add their voice, concerns, and ideas as we plan for the fall.
In this bulletin you will find the latest updates from OHSAA.
Sincerely,
Thomas Maj, President
Click here to download our full July 19th, 2020 bulletin (PDF Format)