St. Mary's Families,
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all. I hope you wore green today...
Distance Learning Day 2. I'd summarize the feedback so far as, a handful bumps in the road here and there, but overall things are going as we anticipated. Keep being patient with us and with each other. Keep having your students check their e-mail. Not all of our teachers are using e-mail as their primary communication tool, but all our students should still check their e-mail at least once every day as a minimum. By the way, we are still receiving inquiries from families looking to transfer here, even though it's the middle of the semester and while we're engaged in distance learning. That's pretty remarkable.
COVID-19 coronavirus. If you're reading the CDC website, then you know the current recommendation is for cancellation of gatherings of 50+ people for 8 weeks starting last Sunday (March 15). The CDC assesses the current level of community transmission danger in Colorado as "undetermined." The measures St. Mary's is already taking with regard to community transmission of COVID-19 are appropriate even if the CDC issues an assessment of Colorado as being in the "moderate" and/or "substantial" risk categories. For example, the CDC says "consider implementing distance learning" if we rise to a moderate risk, and then "implement distance learning" if the community transmission risk is raised to "substantial." St. Mary's has already implemented distance learning. In other words, we are being even more cautious than current CDC data recommends.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
More "What's Next?" The real answer to "what's next?" is no one knows for sure. We are looking at everything on our calendar. As of today, the suspension of high school athletics in Colorado was extended through *April 18*. The NCAA has canceled all spring college sports, the NBA season is suspended until further notice, Major League Baseball is canceled until April 9 and they are publicly talking about starting after Memorial Day. We're already looking at the impact if the suspension/cancellation of activities keeps moving later. We are planning for all options as the CDC's ongoing community gathering guidelines impact things like our Gala scheduled for April 18 and will likely have an impact on events planned for May.
How You Can Help. Ask your technologically empowered teens to sell their raffle tickets! I heard from a parent today whose student texted their extended family and it turned into a bidding war among the relatives for who was going to buy the most tickets. That sounds like it was fun...
Prayer. If you haven't read today's daily Mass readings yet, I'd encourage you to do so. Pay attention to Azariah's humble plea for God's mercy, and to the words of Jesus as they pertain to forgiveness. This is certainly a good time to humbly consider the health of our relationships with God and our neighbor.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031720.cfm
THE MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen.
Respectfully,
Rob Rysavy
President
St. Mary's High School