SJB Infection Prevention & Response Plan 

The SJB Infection Prevention and Response Committee recommended a three-step coronavirus plan.

1. SJB is currently following step one, a prevention plan. The school continues to follow good-hygiene practices recommended by SJB health professionals.
2. If the virus spreads into our area, SJB will take additional preventative measures under step two. The school will begin to seek parent support and cooperation for stronger anti-infection measures.
3. If confirmed COVID-19 cases occur in our community, the school may close voluntarily for a week or more. A decision to close could come at the request of the state or county health department to prevent the spread of the virus. Step Three focuses mostly on ensuring that student learning occurs throughout a closure.

 Prevention Practices in Place Now

Next Steps in Prevention 

• Asking parents to send in a table napkin or place mat (disposable or take-home) for their child's lunch
• Spreading desks so that there is more space between children
• Seeking parent cooperation in keeping children home from school when they are showing signs or symptoms of illness
• Seeking parent cooperation in retrieving children who show signs or symptoms of illness at school
• Seeking parent cooperation in notifying the school when their child has been in contact with anyone with the coronavirus illness or with anyone who has traveled to any of the following countries: China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy

Step Three Contingency Preparations

• Teachers select standards that would be best suited to distant learning plans.
• Teachers plan and prepare four weeks of learning for students in the event of an extended closure. All teachers have received e-learning expectations. 
• Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade would be assigned reading and would work mostly in packets provided by the teacher.
• Students in grades 3 and 4 would have a combination of packet work, readings and responses in their Wonders textbooks, and online assignments and practice.
• Students in grades 5-8 would have assigned readings in textbooks and online assignments, which would be submitted digitally and assessed.
• In preparation, parents would check their access to the Parent Portal, which would become the primary avenue of communication during a closure. 
• The school would communicate its decision by email and text and would, if possible, give parents time to retrieve notebooks, folders and textbooks from the school.
• The school would provide parents with a plan for consistent communication throughout the closure.
• The school would explain the ramifications of a closure decision. The facility would be off limits to extracurricular activities, and parents would be discouraged from assembling groups of students.

The prevention and response plan could change with developments. Our parish pastor, Father David, and the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Washington have been consulted and continue to monitor the situation and advise the school on next steps in  prevention and response. A letter from Archdiocese Education Secretary William Ryan was sent to parents last week. A resource packet was provided by the Catholic Schools Office, which has its own central committee for addressing coronavirus.

At school, the students have heard a calm, consistent message from teachers and administrators. Details of the contingency plan will be discussed with the children when the school is on step 2 of the plan and step 3 seems imminent.

Here are the committee's three essential resources:

SJB To Celebrate 25th Annual Arts & Academics

For two days each year, SJB students bring an assortment of Arts & Academic projects into the gym for a celebration of learning at SJB. 

This will be the 25th year of Arts & Academics at SJB. Students will present projects on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 10 and 11.

Arts & Academics Highlights

Check the Gold Folder Page

Please go to the Gold Folder Page to find out about SJB events and activities.

Father-Daughter Dance Thank You -- This week's Gold Folder includes pictures from the very successful Father-Daughter Dance and a thank-you from the coordinators to their volunteer helpers. 

We would like to say "thank you" to the Father-Daughter Dance planners and coordinators, Karen Schnell (Grace 4th) and Caitlin Morse (Farrah 4th), for the time and hard work they dedicated to create another terrific dance for the dads and daughters.

In addition to the Gold Folder page...

Check the summer camp page for SJB Camp information.

Check the spring play page for updates on rehearsals and the spring play.

Applications for Maryland BOOST To Open Soon

Check the Maryland BOOST Website 

That is where the announcement will be made that applications are open. 

Applications were open in April last year.

Archdiocese To Notify of Financial Aid on March 13

The Archdiocese of Washington, through the Catholic Schools Office and TADS (the enrollment and tuition management system), plans to notify families of their tuition assistance awards on March 13. Notices will be sent by email through TADS.

Enroll By Friday for 2020-21

Learning in First and Second Grades

Learning is fun at SJB in 1st and 2nd grade. Our 1st grade students have been learning about timelines in social studies. Students worked with timelines to connect important dates to events that happened in the past. After learning about how a timeline is created, the class practiced by drawing a mini-timeline based on their life and filling in dates that went with important events.

The 2nd grade also did some digging into the past by working on biographies. Learning about prominent African Americans during Black History Month has been a wonderful learning experience. Each student gathered facts about a historical figure. Over the morning announcements, students took turns giving clues to the student body about who they researched. Next up is another round of "Who Am I?" with iconic women in honor of Women's History Month.

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