To our Parents, Students, Faculty and Staff,
I want to start by recognizing how helpful everyone has been in opening school and throughout the past three weeks. In particular, I want to acknowledge the spirit of cooperation during these trying days.
I understand that people on and off campus continue to be worried about COVID and its consequences. I am as well. We have had a good three weeks in person yet must remain vigilant and aggressive in mitigating the spread of the virus. The health of our community remains our top priority.
From our earliest planning sessions, we have said that we would follow the data and guidelines from the State and take action if COVID posed a threat to our community. I believe, because of our precautions and protocols, we have remained in good health. I also believe our partnership with you and the Youngstown Health Department has permitted us to keep moving forward.
I am happy to report that Student Council elections have taken place, seniors are planning Ursuline Week (see Mrs. Cadman’s updates below), and our Mooney musicians are performing publicly. It was nice to hear the band at the football Senior Night on Saturday. Last Wednesday, Fr. Celuch, Pastor of Holy Family, celebrated Mass for the freshmen and sophomores. Next week we will celebrate Mass for Juniors and Seniors. These are all good signs of a healthy community.
As one of few schools to open in-person, we remain convinced it was the right decision for several reasons. In-person instruction is a better way for most students to learn. Our safety protocols for classrooms have worked; to date we have no evidence of any transmission from any school settings. Additionally, it is better for students to have some structure in their lives, with lots of visible messaging about health protocols, and access to daily checks. The health protocols we have put in place on campus seem to be effective, suggesting that we can conduct instruction safely.
We will continue to watch the data and be guided by advice from medical and public health professionals and make decisions in consultation with the Board of Director’s, and the Office of Catholic Schools and school leadership.
In addition, we have watched closely the experiences of other peer schools across the region and have done our best to gather information that might inform our approach. It’s natural to compare Mooney with what other schools are permitting/allowing and to ask: Why not us? While it is tremendously difficult to change behaviors, we understand that a small percentage of any population can have a big impact because infection transmission multiples quickly. That makes a strong partnership with our city and you more important. We will continue to make decisions based on Mooney’s needs rather than what other communities are doing or not doing.
I want to close with a statement to our students. Thank you to everyone who has been following our protocols. I know it is not easy. I know you wish life as we knew it would return. We have no choice but to believe that it will. I’m grateful that you care so much about our community and are working with us to finish the first semester in-person and on a trajectory toward a more traditional high school experience.
A Note About Our “Customer Service”
Most organizations genuinely want to provide excellent customer service. Some are better at it than others. Here at Cardinal Mooney, we are making customer service one of our highest priorities — and to deliver it more consistently, I need your help.
Over the summer we added leadership capacity in administration, the athletic office, facilities, counseling, and communications to better serve you, our students, and each other.
If questions, issues, or concerns arise, our Leadership Team is equipped to address them. I believe that most of these can be addressed within the department from which they arise. However, you should never hesitate to contact me. The best way for us to improve and to provide you with the best experience is to know how we are doing from the customer perspective.
Please let us know how we are doing — what we’re doing well, what we can improve at, and what we’re not doing well.
Click here to download our full September 20th, 2020 bulletin (PDF Format)