Dear Parents,

In this first summer edition of ParentConnect, I am delighted to welcome our Class of 2026 parents to our reading community. We are very pleased to onboard you to ParentConnect as your Jr. Bill commences his four-year SLUH formation adventure. You will want to bookmark two web pages, our general parent and freshman parent dashboards. Both will be important resources as August 16 approaches.         

Things are hopping on Oakland Avenue while we are in summer mode. As we edge toward the end of our first summer school session, Upward Bound, dozens of coursework sections, myriad camps, and various projects keep us well-occupied. Even off campus many of our students are busy completing service and global education programs as well. 

During our usual summertime work preparing for the new year, next month we will move the administrative and main office staff, along with the school and college counselors, to the beautiful new Dill Center for Academic Success. The Dill Center is located where the old cafeteria once existed at the south end of our main building. The current space for the main office and student support services will become a media and communications hub for the school. This transformation is a part of our successful Go Forth campaign. Please see more about these exciting projects here.  

During the school year, we distribute ParentConnect weekly on Sunday afternoons. However, this being summer, we will release the next issue on July 31 in which I will brief you on our new bell schedule, advisement program, and some of the exciting new programs for AY 2023.  

Have a blessed week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

Dear Parents,

We’ve made it! The 2022 school year is wrapping up this week with semester exams and graduation activities. Congratulations to our seniors and their families. We look forward to seeing them set the world on fire.  

As we prepare to wind down, this will be the final ParentConnect for our families of seniors (unless they have younger Jr. Bills as well). We will publish only two editions during the summer, June 26 and July 31 (the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola).  The Class of 2026 parents will join ParentConnect with these summer editions.    

Thank you for all the ways you’ve supported our Jr. Bills and faculty this year. Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday and Godspeed with your summer plans.     

Have a blessed week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

Dear Parents,

Four dances in three weeks, the seniors having checked out, the juniors receiving their commission to senior year, and activities and athletic seasons winding down – we are near the end. This is the penultimate AY 2022 edition of ParentConnect, and we will say farewell to our senior parents next week. 

This is our last week of classes. Friday will be an exam prep day, followed by exams on May 23-25.

We are experiencing a significant increase in new COVID cases in the St. Louis region, and we continue to carefully monitor our SLUH community. We have had 14 cases thus far in May, with four (4) current as of Monday morning. 

Cases are generally mild. Testing and staying home when feeling ill remain the best courses of action to prevent spread of this easily transmissible variant. Many social events are tied to the end of the school year and holiday weekend, so please remain vigilant. 

Have a blessed week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

Dear Parents,

Happy Mother’s Day, SLUH. We are grateful for all those who help nurture and guide our Jr. Bills. 

The Junior Ring Ceremony and Dance were wonderful events. They were a nice book-end on Friday for the seniors last day and the juniors beginning the transition to greater leadership roles. While the seniors have wrapped up classes, they continue with finals and AP exams. Their graduation practice and prom night is this Friday, May 13.

Semester exams for the rest of our students run May 23-25. Amidst all these exams and activities, sports playoffs add additional complexities. We cannot control the scheduling of many post-season games, so it is important to be proactive in communication with teachers and event organizers. Athletic and academic successes of SLUH can bring conflicts that require patience and good will.

Have a blessed week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

Dear Parents,

As we move deeper into the fourth quarter, our activities are tilting toward end-of-year rituals. Dances, Junior Ring, exams and graduation. We also find our athletic programs powering to strong finishes in preparation for playoffs. 

During the many challenges of our times, SLUH sports provide an inspiring outlet for joy, camaraderie and personal achievement. Take a dive into our athletics tradition with the recent episode of our Insignis podcast. This beautifully produced program is entitled Spirit in Sports.    

This week will feature our Awards Assembly and also Mass of Praise and Gratitude. They will be wonderful opportunities to look back at the outstanding achievements and experiences of our SLUH community. You’ll find a summary of the awards in the upcoming edition of Prep News.  

We’ve updated our pandemic safety plan, shifting from broader metrics determining school Conditions to benchmark case counts triggering our safety protocols. Please take a look at this new document.  

Our COVID cases remain very low, and we appreciate all the commitments that have helped us through the pandemic. We have one current case and just 15 in the past 85 days.

Have a wonderful week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

Dear Parents,

There is an old joke about St. Louis weather: Here in the Gateway City, we do actually have a spring season, and it is a really nice week-end. As the weather finally turns from late winter chills and gloom, our campus is abuzz with activity. Please take the chance to enjoy our ten spring sports and myriad activities.

Posted below is the Archdiocesan survey for the All Things Made Newdiscernment process regarding schools. This is an important opportunity to provide feedback and perspective. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

Next week is Holy Week, and we will pause for Holy Thursday through Easter Monday. Please share this time with family in gratitude for all of God’s blessings in our lives. Some of the most beautiful and powerful liturgies of the year occur during the sacred Triduum, so please check your parish or church for details. 

To honor this time, we will not publish ParentConnect next week. Our next issue will be Sunday, April 24. Have a peaceful Holy Week, and know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

Dear Parents,

The sophomore class spent time during its retreat last week preparing for their upcoming family counseling coffees. Each sophomore and his parents or guardians will meet with a faculty member for a mid-point review in April. The conversation is an important reflection on a Jr. Bill’s first two years and a look toward the next two. The conversations are a highlight for my year.   

Also happening this week, our juniors will take the ACT, theology classes will hold Lenten reconciliation services, and our community will participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Week projects. 

We are grateful to everyone who helped plan and deliver CASHBAH, as well as everyone who participated. This important annual event is a labor of love that provides accessibility to so many students. Thank you!

Because of our successful shift into Condition I, we are removing the weekly Coronavirus section. Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details.  

Know of my daily prayers for your family.
  

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

Dear Parents,

It’s Spring Retreat week at SLUH. In the next few days, we will send out over 300 student retreatants and dozens of faculty leaders. Kairos 102 will be the first such opportunity for juniors, and the Wilderness Retreat will find God amidst the grandeur of creation. The Class of 2024 will enjoy their retreat together this Thursday and Friday. Please pray for our young men as they take time to be with God and their classmates.

Our Prep News team has created a time capsule worthy extended edition looking back at the pandemic on the two-year anniversary. This is an amazing journalistic effort that you will surely want to read and save. You can find this edition of the Prep News here. 

This Saturday we will hold our annual CASHBAH evening. Great thanks to all who are planning, operating and attending this important event. CASHBAH helps bridge the gap in the cost to educate our young men, as our tuition only covers about 90% of it. Although tickets to the dinner and in-person auction are sold out, you can still participate in the auction event from home. Please see the details below.  

As we welcome the first days of April, know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 4th Quarter. I hope your family has been able to enjoy some time together.

As we continue to experience great success in our Safety Plan at Condition 1, we have made a few adjustments to our way of proceeding. Starting tomorrow, Monday, March 21:
 

• We will no longer screen students and adults for temperature or daily health surveys.
   
• Drop-offs will now be at the top of the circle drive. Students will enter the building through the switchboard entrance by the St. Ignatius statue or via the locker room door entrance.
      
• Students should monitor their daily health and remain home if they are feeling unwell.
   
• We will no longer offer virtual classes. Students missing school because of COVID, other illnesses, or any other reason will make-up work via Canvas. Students must contact their teachers for instructions on this work.
   
• Although masks are generally not required in the building in Condition 1, students should carry one with them for spaces and circumstances that necessitate a mask.
   

We are grateful for the diligence of our SLUH community and its care for all. Coming from over 100 ZIP Codes and over 1,000 households, our Jr. Bills and educators have navigated the past two years so well. While we continue to monitor the data and care for our population, we are moving forward with important projects, such as:
 

• Holding a Voices of SLUH program on Tuesday, March 29, to reflect on the past few years and share experiences and expressions of thanksgiving. In large and small groups, everyone will have the opportunity to offer reflections and prayer.
   
• Distributing a parent survey to record your reflections on SLUH pandemic responses. You can find that survey below. Thank you for completing it by Monday, April 4.
   
• Archiving our photos, documents and communications from this historic time. Please let me know if you have any photos you would like to contribute to our school archive.

In the next week, we will ask the parents of athletes to complete a short survey regarding their sons’ experiences in our 19 athletic programs. You should fill out one survey for each of your son’s (or sons’) sports.    

Additionally, we will post 3rd Quarter grades by midweek. Please see the note below regarding these progress reports and the Parent-Teacher conferences this Thursday, March 24.

Enjoy the early days of spring and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition I of our safety plan. Masks are recommended but not required, for students, educators or visitors while indoors. Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 52 adult and 261 student positive cases.

Dear Parents,

As we prepare to close 3rd quarter and enter Spring Break, we are grateful for so many wonderful moments in the past few weeks:

• Hockey and racquetball both won state championships, their fourth and 22nd respectively.
   
• Basketball and riflery continue their postseason competition as well.
   
• During the closing of the winter athletics season, 10 spring sports sprung to life this past week.
   
• Lent commenced with an Ash Wednesday Mass, the first all-school liturgy for the SLUH community in the Si Commons in over two years.
   
• Mission Week navigated around icy weather to raise awareness of teenage homelessness and support service partner Covenant House with more than $6,500 collected.
   
• The Sno-Ball semi-formal dance for upperclassmen provided a wonderful evening at the Majorette.
   
• Live theater returned to SLUH with the Dauphin Players production of The Addams Family.
   
• Two groups of Jr. Bills traveled last week. The Outdoor Adventure Club took their annual President's Day ski trip to Colorado and the Social Studies department led a visit to Washington, DC to explore careers in law, government, and journalism with SLUH alumni.  

You can read more about each of these moments and many more in our award-winning student newspaper, Prep News. If you aren’t already a subscriber to Prep News, be sure to sign up for a free subscription to keep up with all the campus goings-on.

Have a peaceful Spring Break and know of my daily prayers for your family. ParentConnect will take a week off and return March 20.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition I of our safety plan. Masks are recommended but not required, for students, educators or visitors while indoors. Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 52 adult and 261 student positive cases.

Dear Parents,

It appears that we are leaving the wintry weather behind as we race toward Spring Break. We look forward to an end of the meddling of Mother Nature at SLUH. Our facilities team did yet another amazing job reopening campus after three severe winter storms in the past four weeks.

This Wednesday marks the start of Lent, our 7 ½ week journey toward Easter. We encourage our community to enter this holy season with a deliberate commitment to prayer, reflection and action. 

Perhaps you might take on a service commitment or make some adjustments in your daily habits to live more simply. At SLUH we will offer a wide range of Lenten opportunities. Please discuss some of these with your son as your family prepares for Lent.  

• Prepare for the upcoming Ash Wednesday Mass as we launch our community into Lent, marking ourselves with the ashes from last year’s palms from Holy Week.   
   
• Participate in daily Mass at least once a week (7:50 a.m. in the Chapel).
   
• Support “Tech-Free Tuesdays” in the Campus Ministry offices and other spaces around the school.
   
• Pray the rosary every Wednesday during Studium in the chapel.
   
• Attend the SLUH Fish Fry on April 8 with your family.
   
• Join weekly Eucharistic Adoration programs in the Chapel.
   
• Abstain from eating meat on Fridays.
   
• Plan to attend Holy Week triduum services the week of April 10. 

As a fun way to jump-start Lent, this Monday and Tuesday our Student Council and Main Office will sponsor a Mardi Gras challenge. Stop by the main office to anonymously register your Lenten commitment and then take your shot at the Bean Boozled game. The challenge is open to all students, faculty, staff and parent visitors. If you are on campus Monday or Tuesday, take the challenge! Details are here.  

Have a peaceful Lenten season and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
We are currently operating in Condition II of our safety plan. Masks are recommended for students and educators while indoors. Visitors must wear a mask when in the building.  

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 52 adult and 260 student positive cases.

Dear Parents,

We have made tremendous progress in the past month and currently have no active COVID cases or quarantines. Moreover, we are experiencing rapidly declining regional numbers. As a result, we will shift to Condition II of our safety plan in the next week. Please bear with us as we take the final steps to make this move. 

For this week, everyone should continue to remain masked. I will publish details about the shift later this week. We are grateful for your care and adherence to our current Condition III. 

We know that everyone is exhausted by the challenges of the pandemic. In the past two years, we have effectively navigated the complexities of this global crisis, keeping SLUH both open and safe. With the strong momentum our community has achieved in controlling this virus, we are now nearing the time to make the shift.   

Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. Based on our great successes with our plan, we plan to shift to Condition II in the next week. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 51 adult and 260 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

Last week Punxsutawney Phil and our stronger-than-expected winter storm seemed to signal an extended winter. Be that as it may, we continue to stay busy on Oakland Avenue. 

This week we have rescheduled our snowbound NCAA signing day to this Tuesday, February 8 when 14 students will commit to their collegiate programs. We have also rescheduled the booster clinic (details below) to this Thursday, February 10, as well as our Black History Month assembly when we will introduce powerful conversations about the experiences of our alumni and students of color.

This week we are also entering the playoffs for our winter sports and welcoming the Class of 2026 to campus for the first time. Go Jr. Bills!      

Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. Our new case numbers have dropped significantly in the past few weeks and we are once more exploring options for moving to Condition II. As you are well-aware, we are located in the City of St. Louis, which has a mask mandate. There are complex legal questions and challenges being proposed, and we are in active conversations with the Archdiocese and City.

You can learn more about obtaining vaccines and boosters here.  

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by a faculty or staff member. Masks must be three-ply paper or SLUH-produced cloth masks. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and two (2) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 51 adult and 259 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

After several consultations, it is becoming clear that the CDC is NOT going to shift the definition for “fully-vaccinated” in the near future. This seemed imminent just a few weeks ago. 

Therefore, we are canceling our plan to make boosters a part of being fully vaccinated. Two doses of Moderna/Pfizer or one dose of J&J will continue to be considered fully vaccinated.

In the coming months, there will likely continue to be booster requirements for some travel and program participation. We encourage everyone to consider receiving a booster, and SLUH will sponsor a Pfizer clinic on Thursday, February 3. Please find the details here.

Please submit any vaccine updates to this form. NOTE: There is no need to resubmit forms if they are not updated since we will not be making a March shift in our definition of being fully vaccinated.

This week will feature an activity fair, Black History Month assembly, and our entry into February. 

Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. Our new case numbers have declined from an average of five per day to half that rate in the past week.  We continue to evaluate the conditions regionally and at SLUH.   

With our early January pivots, we have successfully navigated the rise of the Omicron variant. We updated our quarantine and isolation protocols on January 18, and we will be reviewing our safety plan metrics in the next few months. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 93% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

You can learn more about obtaining vaccines and boosters here.  

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by a faculty or staff member. Masks must be three-ply paper or SLUH-produced cloth masks. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and nine (9) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 51 adult and 258 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

Our new virus case counts continue to plateau with 17 in the past seven days. This is well below our December 20-January 6 spike of nearly 90 new cases.  

Next week we will post details on the campus booster clinic and start collecting vaccine cards with booster details.

We completed another retreat this week, as a group of juniors completed their three day program at La Salle Retreat Center. Our delegation to the March for Life departed for Washington, DC and will return this evening. The seniors completed their Grande Projects with wonderful results and returned to the classroom last Thursday. 

As our campus returns to a more regular order for the next few weeks, we look forward to a busy February filled with exciting activities.

Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. Our new case numbers have declined from an average of five per day to half that rate in the past week.  We continue to evaluate the conditions regionally and at SLUH.   

With our early January pivots, we have successfully navigated the rise of the Omicron variant. We updated our quarantine and isolation protocols on January 18, and we will be reviewing our safety plan metrics in the next few months. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 93% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

As a reminder, we will —

• Begin collecting vaccine records with booster shots on January 24. 
   
• Shift to a booster shot requirement to be considered “fully vaccinated” after March 21. 
   
• Permanently delete our current securely stored vaccine records after March 21, since they will be obsolete at that point.
   
• Hold a booster clinic on campus in late January, and you can learn more about obtaining vaccines and boosters here.  

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by a faculty or staff member. Masks must be three-ply paper or SLUH produced cloth masks. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have one (1) faculty/staff and twelve (12) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 49 adult and 247 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

Given the declining Coronavirus cases on our campus, we will shift to incorporate the CDC quarantine and self-isolation protocols into SLUH’s context. Our case counts were extremely high from Christmas until January 5 and plateaued until January 11. Our cases have been diminishing through today. 

The buffers of our virtual week and the extension of our 10-day quarantine and isolation protocol helped prevent spread on campus. While the number of cases in the region remains high, we have been a spread-free zone because of your diligence and our SLUH layered approach to safety. My team has worked heroically to power through these challenging weeks.  

Please review the new quarantine policy carefully. This policy will go into effect this Tuesday, January 18. Here is a summary:

• Unvaccinated persons considered a close contact will quarantine for five days, must show a negative test five days or beyond after the last close contact with the case, and be symptom free upon return.
   
• Vaccinated persons considered a close contact will monitor for symptoms and can remain on campus.
   
• Positive COVID cases will isolate for five days, returning after being fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications and showing improvement of symptoms.
   
• Please note that Day 1 of the five days is considered the 1st full day after last contact for quarantine cases. For positive cases, Day 1 starts with the first full day after symptoms develop or a test specimen was collected for asymptomatic cases.

Tests for ending quarantines and the monitoring of symptoms will be critical. There are two options for testing. Students may either 1) bring a test to school for live administration or 2) schedule ahead a test for the appropriate date. If at-home tests or appointments are not available, students may otherwise return after the 10-day quarantine period.

Our community has been simply amazing in keeping us informed and safe. Thank you for helping us reach this adjustment. 

Important Transition Date – 

• UNTIL March 21, SLUH will consider those with two doses of Moderna or Pfizer, or one dose of J & J, to be fully vaccinated. 
   
• AFTER March 21, those without a booster shot will no longer be considered fully vaccinated.  

We will start collecting updated vaccine records with the booster shot next week. On March 21, we will permanently delete our secure file of all currently submitted vaccine records. While this will be an added task for you and for my team, it will keep us all safer. 

We will host a booster clinic later this month and strongly encourage all to receive a booster. I will share more details next week.

This past week featured a tremendous return to campus. We held two Kairos retreats, along with our exciting freshman class elections. I was blessed to help lead Kairos 100 (which I call KC, for a nerdy Roman and Greek pun), and this was my 38th such retreat. 

Last week we also hosted our annual visit from the Jesuit province as a part of our sponsorship process. Our annual “check-up” was a rousing success. Finally, we dealt with the year’s first wave of inclement weather. Next week we have junior retreats and our trip to Washington, DC for the March for Life. What a fast welcome back to campus for our Jr. Bills!

Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. So much has changed in the past month, and we continue to evaluate the conditions regionally and at SLUH.   

With our early January pivots, we have successfully navigated the rise of the Omicron variant. We updated our quarantine and isolation protocols on January 18, and we will be reviewing our safety plan metrics in the next few months. Currently we use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. As of now over 93% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

We will start collecting vaccine records with booster shots on January 24. We will shift to a booster shot requirement to be considered “fully vaccinated” after March 21. 

Our current securely stored vaccine records will be permanently deleted after March 21, as they will be obsolete at that point. We will hold a booster clinic on campus in late January, and you can learn more about obtaining vaccines and boosters here.  

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by a faculty or staff member. Masks must be three-ply paper or SLUH produced cloth masks. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have three (3) faculty/staff and ten (10) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 46 adult and 224 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

As I communicated on Friday, we will return to in-person learning tomorrow (January 10). 

Our virtual buffer week following Christmas break served us well; we prevented 78 cases from coming to campus. This number reflects the rapid transmission of the virus in its new variant over the holidays. Our families were careful in their gatherings and diligent in timely reporting. Thank you!

All persons on campus must wear a mask while indoors (except when specifically eating or drinking). Masks must be three-ply paper masks OR our two-layered SLUH-produced cloth masks.

The quality of cloth masks is wildly inconsistent. As a result, we have shifted away from the use of any type of cloth masks, except for our two-layered SLUH mask. It is the ONLY type of cloth mask that will be acceptable. 

We will have a supply of paper masks this week that we will trade for non-SLUH cloth masks. Please shift to three-ply paper masks for your son’s supplies of masks he wears to school if he doesn’t have our two-layered SLUH-produced cloth mask.

We will continue to use the 10-day isolation and quarantine rule for positive cases, although we are currently evaluating the new CDC recommendations. We will have an update the week of January 23 regarding our SLUH isolation protocols. One of our greatest current concerns with the new CDC recommendations is the requisite access to timely tests. Currently, test access is challenging and unpredictable.        

This past month has featured tremendous instability with the rise of the Omicron variant. SLUH has done well with its virtual bridge week, diligent family reporting, and vigorous contact tracing. Our families have shown great care for the entire community, and our SLUH safety team has logged incalculable hours processing cases. 

While there are many opinions about what individuals and SLUH should be doing, we have seen a discouraging trend of incivility in our community’s messaging and social media. We must be better. 

At the beginning of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius wrote, “To assure better cooperation…and more beneficial results for both, it is necessary to suppose that every good Christian is more ready to put a good interpretation on another’s statement than to condemn it as false.” There is far too much harsh division in our world, which can lead to toxic cultures assuming the worst of others. 

We cannot become such a community. Please help us to preserve all that is good and beautiful in our community by not contributing to the polarization that scorches our world today.

We are very pleased that all scheduled campus activities will resume this week with our regular safety protocols, and we look forward to our upcoming Kairos and Junior retreats. I look forward to seeing everyone on campus Monday. As always, please let me know of any questions.

AMDG,

Father Ian Gibbons, SJ
Principal

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. So much has changed in the past month, and we continue to evaluate the conditions regionally and at SLUH.   

With the rise of the omicron variant, we will be updating our safety plan metrics in the next few months. Currently we use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 93% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We are looking at hosting a booster clinic on campus in the next month, and we will start systematically collecting vaccine records with booster shots as the CDC shifts toward booster shots being required for “fully vaccinated” status.

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. Masks must be three-ply paper or SLUH produced cloth masks. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have seven (7) faculty/staff and twenty-seven (27) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 41 adult and 192 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

This is an important update about our start to the Spring Semester. Please read it carefully.

We are all aware that the Omicron variant has hit our region and SLUH community with tremendous speed and impact. The positivity rate in the city of St. Louis is currently 24% and the Ro factor is oscillating around 1.35 and 1.50.

We have had 31 SLUH community cases in December. More concerning is the recent trend –  19 new cases in the past five days. Based upon our published plan, we are past the metrics for entering Condition IV.

As a result, we will hold classes virtually this week beginning Wednesday, January 5, in order to slow the regional spread and prevent campus transmission. Classes will be synchronous and supported by Canvas content. Students may pick up supplies next Monday and Tuesday. Dr. Kesterson distributed details via text for this process earlier today. A sample of the text follows my message. 

The schedule this week for freshmen, sophomores and juniors is as follows: 

• Monday, January 3: No classes.
• Tuesday, January 4: No classes. This day will be a Fall Semester exam make-up day; Dr. Kevin Foy will be in touch with details.
• Wednesday, January 5: Synchronous virtual classes begin.
• Friday, January 7: We will announce our plans for the week of January 10. 

The schedule this week for seniors is as follows: 

• Monday, January 3: Seniors will meet in person at 9:00 a.m. in the Si Commons for the Grande Project prayer service and keynote speaker. More detail follows below.
• Tuesday, January 4: Project sessions will be synchronous via Zoom.
• Wednesday, January 5: Project work will be asynchronous via Canvas.
• Thursday, January 6: Project work will be asynchronous via Canvas.
• Friday, January 7: Project sessions will be synchronous via Zoom. We will announce our plans for the week of January 10.

Our rule next week will be simplicity. With three (3) exceptions, all campus classes and co-curriculars will be virtual through January 9: The Grande Project, admissions placement exam, and athletics will occur on campus with safety modifications as explained below. All other programs will be virtual or canceled. Please contact the program coordinator for details.  

Our SLUH Safety and Wellness committee will meet this week to resolve several important concerns:

• The status for the week of January 10.
• Updates for safety protocols and the onboarding process for campus this semester.
• The new CDC recommendations for quarantines and isolations and our SLUH response. (Unfortunately, the State of Missouri, St.Louis County and the City of St. Louis are not aligned in the application of these protocols.)
• SLUH activities through Spring Break.

Here are a few brief specifics about this week.

The Grande Project will begin as scheduled with modifications. The Monday on-campus event in the Si Commons will require six-foot distancing, our regular onboarding, and mask-wearing. 

Athletics will continue as scheduled with some modifications. Decisions for future trips and tournaments will be made in the coming weeks. Contests this week will be local only. Please contact the coach for details.   

Spring Break trip decisions are being made as quickly and responsibly as possible. This is the current status: 

• International Trips: The Honduras and Cold War Eastern Europe programs have been canceled and the families notified. 
   
• Domestic: The Florida (Band/Choir), Camden, NJ, and Brownsville, TX (Service/Campus Ministry) programs, as well as the OAC trip February 18-21 are still moving forward at the moment, but obviously may need to be canceled if conditions worsen domestically. 

I understand that there are important lessons, programs, speakers, events and projects that will be disrupted because of this pivot, and I apologize for the inconveniences and added challenges. I’m grateful to my admin team, department chairs and program directors who will help us through this necessary shift. 

Nobody wants us to be in this circumstance, but we simply cannot outthink this virus. We have been remarkably safe and on-mission these past 22 months.  

I’d like us to depart virtual lessons by January 10, but we will need to determine that step next week. 

As always, please let me know of any questions. Let’s pray for a strong start to 2022.

AMDG,

Father Ian Gibbons, SJ
Principal

Dear Parents,

Because COVID cases are spiking in the region, Saint Louis University is unable to work with us in a study of our safety plan in operation. With SLUH having one of the highest vaccination rates of any school in the St. Louis region and our successful safety plan, this study would have been a profound public health opportunity for SLUH and the region to demonstrate the efficacy of vaccinations and layered safety measures. We will have a follow-up meeting with the City of St. Louis Department of Health this week to examine next steps.

The significance of the recent Cole County Circuit Court decision, Robinson v. Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services, is still being considered for the city of St. Louis. The St. Louis County mask mandate was promulgated by County Executive Dr. Sam Page, while the mandate in the city has been affirmed monthly by the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The language of the verdict singles out executive policies, not legislated ones. While this can seem like a narrow distinction, we are carefully considering our next steps.  

As we break for the Christmas holidays, let us celebrate the great gifts in our lives: health, family, friends and the rich blessings from God’s providence. We all need a true break from the complexities of the past semester, so I ask that we all refrain from emails and messages between faculty and families so this season may be richly enjoyed. There will be ample opportunity to return to the business of SLUH and Jesuit formation on January 3, 2022.

This will be the last ParentConnect for the semester. We will send you the next edition on Sunday, January 2, 2022. 

Blessings in this sacred season of Advent. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!  Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan and continue to seek a partner for the City’s proposed study of our safety plan. Our tremendous vaccination rate and data-driven safety plan provide a singular opportunity to demonstrate how community care and planning can build a safe and impactful response to a deadly pandemic.  

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work. Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start this new week, we currently have one (1) faculty/staff and two (2) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 26 adult and 123 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

We are living in challenging times. Our families, schools and cities are tasked with keeping us safe while providing the highest possible quality of life.

I wish I could say our region and nation have consistently risen to the trials of pandemic leadership, but there have been too many instances of brokenness caused by partisanship and polarizing assumptions during this global crisis.

The recent circuit court verdict from Cole County regarding public health safety orders is a good example of this challenge. The contexts of executive versus legislative orders in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, the appellate process for the judicial review, and the rising effect of the Omicron variant are all considerations we are carefully reviewing.   

I will have more to report next Sunday. We are meeting with St. Louis City officials and the SLU research team on Wednesday in our ongoing effort to execute the safety plan we developed for the year. For now, let us remain focused as a community on our two prime directives at SLUH: 1) keeping our community safe and 2) providing the world class Jesuit education our school has been delivering for the past 203 years. 

A few months ago I reminded our SLUH community about the Ignatian standard for civility and a presumption of the good in others. In this current maelstrom of confusion, such a standard is exceedingly important. We cannot heal all the pandemic wounds in our region, but we can commit to not violating our own sacred stance for community care informed by our faith and good will. Whether on social media, correspondence or in person, please be mindful of our role in building community.    

I will continue to strive to move SLUH to where our mission and needs for safety compel us to go. Stay tuned for a thorough update next Sunday.  

Blessings in this sacred season of Advent. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!  Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan and continue to work with the City of St. Louis on a research proposal to carefully study our data-driven safety plan as we actualize shifts in our Condition levels. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record vaccination record form. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start this new week, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and no (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 25 adult and 119 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

As we prepare to enter December, I hope your Thanksgiving time with family and friends was peaceful and fulfilling. 

Although we long for the semblances of past normalcy, 2021 has layered graces amidst the complexities. For example, I had a wonderful celebration with our SLUH Brebeuf Jesuit community, followed by time with my sister’s family in Rolla. My brother-in-law is the chair of the electrical engineering department at Missouri S&T, and my nieces are growing like weeds. We celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass via Zoom, connecting my diaspora family in Florida, Iceland and Spain.

Our SLUH retreat week was a great blessing heading into the holiday. The retreats included Service Learning, Philia and two junior programs. The entire freshman class also enjoyed their retreat, led by over 100 seniors and faculty. Our students and families have been completing numerous service projects over the break as well, sharing God’s blessings with those less fortunate.

Today marks the start of Advent, the beginning of the Catholic liturgical year. Advent is a time of reflection and anticipation, which is why the liturgical color is purple (like during Lent). Christmas arrives on December 25 and lasts through January 9 (the Baptism of our Lord). 

I encourage your family to engage this Advent with prayerful activities like simple meals together alongside Advent candles and wreaths. These traditions are explained in the attached resource. 2021 features the second longest possible Advent season, so this season is a wonderful opportunity to prepare for Christmastide.   

Posted below is an Advent resource for your family from the British Jesuits, as well as a beautifully simple English and Latin version of the 12th Century Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”       

We will have Advent programming at SLUH throughout the next weeks, including the sacrament of Reconciliation being offered in all the theology classes, upcoming band and choir concerts, an all-school Mass on the Feast of Immaculate Conception, our annual Adopt-a-Family Drive, and many other Advent activities.

Welcome to the sacred season of Advent. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!  Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan and continue to work with the City of St. Louis on a research proposal to carefully study our data-driven safety plan as we actualize shifts in our Condition levels. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is still essential that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also imperative that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until medically cleared for return. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 25 adult and 119 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

In the midst of so many activities, we are immersed in our admissions process for the incoming freshman class. Thinking about the Class of 2026 reminds me that we are nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century and that the new freshmen of next year will graduate in the second century of our Backer Memorial campus location. This campus is our fourth location. When a school is older than its own state (by three years), there are so many great stories. I’m excited for the memories that the soon-to-be Jr. Bills will create.

Our Open House last Sunday was a tremendous success: Beautiful weather, excited visitors, a friendly camel introducing guests to our SLUH global education program and new partnership with a Jesuit high school in Cairo, Egypt. Aside from our humped greeter, the greatest asset at Open House was our army of enthusiastic students. This is clearly their school, and they proudly showcased the myriad layers of life at SLUH.

This coming Friday, November 19 is our last day of classes before retreat week and Thanksgiving. Please note the details about the freshman retreat that follows in this issue of ParentConnect. 

Next week I’ll be providing sacramental support for the junior retreats, celebrating Mass and hearing confessions at our beautiful White House retreat facility on the bluffs of the Mississippi River.

We won’t publish a ParentConnect next Sunday. Our next issue will be two weeks from now, Sunday, November 28. In the meantime, please accept my best wishes for a peaceful and joyful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan. We are working with the City of St. Louis on a research proposal to carefully study our data-driven safety plan as we actualize shifts in our Condition levels. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

Our SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and no (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 25 adult and 117 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

The past week has been an amazing one on Oakland Avenue. On Monday we held our first all-school event indoors in 21 months, our Solemnity Mass for All Saints Day. It was a beautiful liturgy and a major marker for reopening. 

A junior retreat last week kicked off six retreats in three weeks, and the sophomore class had a formation day on Friday. SLUH Swim & Dive won the MCC Tournament and now heads to the MSHSAA State Finals next week-end, while soccer finished a great playoff run on Saturday. 

I was honored to travel with our SLUH Cross Country team as it won fourth place and several individual medals at the state tournament, and football continues its deep run in the playoffs, overcoming Marquette Friday night and now heading to the State quarterfinals next Friday.  

Our Open House was a big hit today, as we welcomed hundreds of middle school boys to our campus for an exciting and up-close look at the life of a Jr. Bill. This incoming Class of 2026 will be the first to graduate in the second century of our Oakland Avenue campus location. Such depth of history only happens at schools as old as SLUH. When a school is three years older  than its own home state and older than any other high school or university west of the Mississippi river, there is a powerful and often unique story around every turn.

We have a well-deserved faculty retreat day on Monday, offering an opportunity for a peaceful day of reflection and companionship in a beautiful space. Please pray for our hard-working faculty as they attend this program.

Take some time to carefully review the details below for many of our upcoming activities, including our theater production starting on Thursday. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan as we enter November. We are working with the City of St. Louis on a research proposal to carefully study our data-driven safety plan as we actualize shifts in our Condition levels. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in moderate/high contact sports, retreats and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is still very important that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

It is also very important that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated. We are very grateful for your diligence.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and three (3) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 25 adult and 116 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

November begins tomorrow and our temperatures and activities reflect this passage of time. As we enter the post-season for fall sports, our attire has changed from shorts (and blue paint) to sweatshirts and coats. On Friday night, football posted an impressive playoff shutout at the #3 ranked team in the region. The cold and damp weather did not diminish our school spirit. 

Despite a cold and dreary Saturday, our SLUH Soccer team advanced in the District playoffs with a dominant win. Our cross country team finished second at the District 1 meet to qualify for the state finals next week-end in Columbia. 

Also on Friday, our SLUH Swim & Dive team powered through its final regular-season tournament and now prepares for the MCC and state finals on November 3/4 and 12/13, respectively. This has been one of the most broadly impressive fall athletics seasons in my decades of service in Jesuit secondary education. Enjoy the student produced hype video below.  

Meanwhile, our annual campaign, Drive for the Homeless, was a great success, raising resources and awareness for the most vulnerable in our region just as temperatures drop. 

Tomorrow, Monday, November 1 we have an all-school Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints (remind your sons it’s ties and jackets!). In addition, our November retreat-palooza begins with one of our three-day junior programs at White House Retreat Center on Wednesday. By Thanksgiving Day, we will have held six retreats in three weeks, including a program for the entire freshman class. 

As if this isn’t enough, our campus will be abuzz this coming week with the sophomore formation day on Friday and as we prepare for our Open House for prospective parents and students next Sunday. We also commence winter sports this week. Thanksgiving break will offer a great interlude to look back on all this joyful activity. Please read the many details below for all our upcoming activities.

Know of my daily prayers for your family -- and have a safe and happy Halloween.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan as we enter November. We are working with the City of St. Louis on a research proposal to carefully study our data-driven safety plan as we actualize shifts in our Condition levels. 

We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 91% of our students and nearly 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We are examining our vaccine rates and SLUH and regional conditions in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

IT IS CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS ALSO CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have one (1) faculty/staff and two (2) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 25 adult and 113 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

FROM THE PRESIDENT & PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents,

Thank you to everyone who has shared their perspectives on our recent shift from Condition III to Condition II of our Safety Plan.

We truly appreciate how challenging this pandemic has been for all families. The volume of communication made it difficult to reply to everyone and was further complicated by both of us attending the Jesuit Schools Network (JSN) Presidents and Principals Conference in Houston. These important JSN meetings were scheduled two years ago; the timing was certainly not ideal.

The framing and procedural considerations of our recent shift were outlined in ParentConnect in July and had been informed by local data, as well as our own internal data, contact tracing and protocols. SLUH has worked closely throughout the pandemic with the City of St. Louis Health Department, and a key part of the data that we used came from the standards in the October 1 Health Declaration and parameters for the City of St. Louis mask mandate.

Our students, parents, faculty and staff have been the bedrock of our success in managing the complexities of the pandemic. In 20 months, we have had no measurable COVID spread on campus and an incredibly low rate of case numbers. 

We currently have a student vaccination rate that exceeds 90 percent, a faculty vaccination rate of 100 percent, and an overall adult vaccination rate of 92 percent. Compared to the Missouri statewide vaccination rate of about 48 percent, this is a tremendous accomplishment.

Recently, we met with the City of St. Louis Health Department via Zoom and explained the realities facing the SLUH community, as well as the incredible success we have experienced utilizing our protocols. Since we demonstrated leadership with our safety measures beginning last year, we have shared open lines of communication and mutual respect with the City of St. Louis leadership in advancing the common good.

We are grateful for ongoing constructive conversations with the City of St. Louis Health Department. We are even exploring ways that we can partner with the city to educate the public about how schools can navigate the pandemic in light of our exceptional safety measures.

In the meantime, beginning Monday, October 25, we will return to Condition III (mandatory masks indoors) to ensure we proceed with a clarity of understanding with respect to guidance from the city mandate and the Archdiocese. We will return to Condition II as soon as feasible and our Safety Plan allows.

SLUH remains committed to the safety of our school community and the surrounding region. Our mission to be “intellectually competent” ad majorem dei gloriam – for the greater glory of God – pushes us to better understand how we create an environment where we can manage the challenges of the pandemic while at the same time learn and be genuinely present to each other.

God bless,

Alan Carruthers
President

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Following consultation with the City of St. Louis, we are shifting back to Condition III of our Safety Plan with plans to move back to Condition II as soon as feasible and in the best interests of our SLUH community. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 90% of our students and 92% of our faculty/staff are fully vaccinated.

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We continue to examine our vaccine rates and SLUH and regional conditions in order to consider our next steps for safety measures. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, daily onboarding, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 24 adult and 111 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

If you have questions or comments regarding our response to the coronavirus, please contact Fr. Ian Gibbons, SJ (igibbons@sluh.org).

Dear Parents,

I have attached our Safety Plan for the Second Quarter. Please read it carefully. 

As a result of our successful prevention of COVID spreading on campus, low case counts, high vaccination rates, and strong regional numbers, we will shift to Condition II of our AY 2022 Safety Plan I shared with you back in July. The AY 2022 plan is available for reference on our Coronavirus landing page.  

Our layers of safety measures will continue to keep us safe. They include:

• Students, educators and visitors will continue to be screened for temperature and symptoms. Symptomatic individuals will not be admitted to campus.
• Our GPS Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization system will continue to filter the virus from our building. 
• Students will remain at 3’ distances from each other and 6’ from adults.
• All visitors will remain masked in the building. Students and employees will wear masks at inside events with visitors (i.e. sports, fine arts performances). 
• Vaccinations will continue to be strongly encouraged with records collected.  
• Contact tracing will occur for any positive cases, with quarantines assigned for non-vaccinated close contacts.

One of the significant changes in our Condition II Moderate Level Safety Measures directive is that masks are recommended but no longer mandated indoors for SLUH students and employees. However, students will need to keep masks with them. 

There will be certain circumstances that will require the wearing of masks, and students must be ready to do so. Failure to have a mask for such situations will prevent students from attending activities (i.e. sports or concerts) or result in discipline for required campus activities (i.e. a project in a confined space).

Families are expected to make responsible decisions regarding the general wearing of masks inside. All of us are responsible for the care of our community. Many of us will continue to remain masked (myself included). There will be zero tolerance for second guessing or bullying others regarding the use of masks.

We will continue to carefully monitor our campus community and will shift from Condition II if our case counts, quarantines, or regional data dictate this. 

Please understand that our community has many divergent views on every element of our plan. However, we are all in this together. We have been so successful because we have avoided the dysfunctions seen in the losses of civility and good will throughout the world.

If you have a specific question or concern please contact me directly. This plan will go into effect on Monday, October 18. 

Please know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We are currently operating in Condition II of our Safety Plan as we enter the second quarter. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 86% of our students and 92% of our faculty/staff are fully vaccinated. Should we need to pivot back to Condition III due to our data, we will promptly do so.   

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We continue to examine our vaccine rates and SLUH and regional conditions in order to consider our next steps for safety measures. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With Condition II of our Safety Plan, masks are no longer mandated while indoors. However, we ask our SLUH students and employees to make responsible decisions regarding masks. Masks are required for all inside events with visitors (parents, alumni and others). SLUH students and faculty will be required to wear masks at events with visitors (including indoor games and fine arts performances).

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, daily onboarding, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

We have had no new cases in the past 17 days. As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and no (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 24 adult and 110 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

This is the last week of the first quarter, signifying our year being 25% completed. I've found "pandemic time" to be a strange thing. You may recall that our last all-school gathering before the Covid-19 lockdown was our Ash Wednesday Mass on February 26, 2020. That moment feels at least five years distant, while in reality it happened just 20 months ago.

Conversely, three weeks ago our entire student body gathered for the first time since the lockdown for a spirit week pep rally. That rally feels like it just happened. Even the passage of time in this global crisis is complex.

In next week's ParentConnect, I will publish our safety plan for the second quarter. Please carefully read the robust announcements below, including an important update on the Senior Grande Project.

Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We are currently operating in Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 85% of our students and 92% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. We are now working on our safety plan for the 2nd quarter and will announce it October 17. 

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We are examining our vaccine rates and SLUH and regional conditions in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. We no longer require masks to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

While we had a cluster of cases in late-September, we have had no new cases in ten days. As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and no (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 24 adult and 110 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some current quarantines based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

We typically call the last week of September the beginning of the middle. The planning during the summer and the operations of the opening month have gelled into a regular order. While we can put weary pandemic quotation marks around regular, there is so much we have recovered. We look forward to a challenging yet wonderful middle of the school year.    

Please carefully look at the myriad action points and updates below. Senior retreat sign-ups are currently in progress, and it is imperative that the seniors book their retreats since retreat spaces will fill. There are few senior options after the early January Kairos.  

Our food drive is off to a great start. It is a wonderful project for your whole family. We will use the food and money we collect directly for our freshmen service program. Our Jr. Bills famously collect, grow, cook and serve food to the clients of several local drop-in centers all throughout the year. The freshmen start early in their journey to be Men for Others.

Thank you for partnering with us in our formation efforts for our young men. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG,

Ian Gibbons, SJ 

Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We have started on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 84% of our students and 92% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. We are currently working on our safety plan for the 2nd quarter.   

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We are examining our vaccine rates and SLUH and regional conditions in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies. 

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have no (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 23 adult and 107 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

St. Ignatius famously opened the Spiritual Exercises with a powerful reflection called “the First Principle and Foundation.” I’ve posted a copy of this below. Over my many years as a Jesuit, I’ve incorporated the First Principle into my daily Examen. 

The essence of the reflection is that all things are created by God and are filled with the potential for good. How we use these things, however, provides the actualized good. When we use our skills and resources well, we honor God and serve our neighbor. However, if I have skills and resources that I neglect or use for selfish ends, these resources become unhelpful or even destructive.

Social media is certainly a good example of an element of creation that can generate great good. The judicious use of online programs and apps can provide connectivity and structure to our complex lives. Social media can also cause grave harm in the form of bullying, misinformation, and social isolation. 

Of course, at SLUH we are not immune to the challenges of social media. This is where the First Principle is instructional in helping us make wise decisions about technology. You will see below details about a destructive and dangerous movement on TikTok, a video sharing social media program embraced by some of our students. If you look into the newsfeed related to TikTok in the past few years, you will find some really crazy and irresponsible viral challenges that have terrorized communities and sent participants to the hospital or the police station. Please read and discuss the update below from Dr. Kesterson carefully with your family. 

We have also witnessed a trend of uncivil and aggressive posts on our various SLUH social media pages. These pages are an opportunity for various SLUH groups to interact and share experiences. However, there have been some recent instances of messages featuring misinformation and a lack of charity. These types of messages may be an accepted phenomenon in anonymous and unmoderated public forums, but they don’t represent our Jesuit and Catholic values. 

Each of us should reflectively employ an assumption of the good in others throughout all of our words and actions at SLUH. It is also important that we refer to official communications for our information about programs and events. Please contact me if you have any questions. If I don’t have the answers, I will put you in touch with someone who does.

There are challenging decisions and compromises that SLUH and all organizations must make during a pandemic. We’ve seen this with so many of our programs in the past weeks, such as the Back to School Mixer, the Runnings of the Bills, and our Mass of the Holy Spirit. Our Senior Project is also facing challenges and restrictions. Agencies that work with children, the elderly, and vulnerable populations cannot host teenage volunteers for projects like we have done in the past. Please see my important Senior Project update below. 

Despite the limitations of our agencies, we are looking at some possible direct and indirect service opportunities for later in the spring semester with the forthcoming arrival of regional Afghan refugees. There will be many refugee needs that many of our seniors will be able to take leadership roles in providing help, but these structures don’t currently exist. 

In due time, SLUH will be at the forefront of such service programs. However, given current realities, our Senior Project in this pandemic year will be focused on advocacy. Please see my update that follows and know this will be a wonderful experience for our seniors.

Thank you for your prayerful approach to the First Principle this week. We live this critical discipline in all of our thoughts, words and actions as sons and daughters of St. Ignatius. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We have started on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 82% of our students and 92% of our faculty are fully vaccinated.    

Please click HERE to turn in your son’s completed vaccine record.

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.  

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.    

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have one (1) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 23 adult and 105 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

Our theme for the year is Joy. In a typical year, we thematically focus on an element of the “Profile of a Jesuit Graduate at Graduation,” such as intellectual competence or commitment to doing justice. We’ve also centered on one of the Gospel virtues of faith, hope and love. However, this year we want to steer into Joy. 

So much has necessarily changed and been restricted in the course of the pandemic. We cannot and won’t diminish our care for our community, but we will deliberately revel in the joyful moments of community, formation and celebration. See our media log for happenings such as our back-to-school mixer, Runnings of the Bills, weather balloon launch and safe participation in so many athletics and activities. I’m getting in the spirit by moderating a fantastically frivolous co-curricular this year, the coin collecting club. We are going to marvel at the history and beauty of currencies, stamps and even comic books. 

This week will feature Spirit Week, another opportunity for our students and educators to seek Joy together. Please see the schedule below for details.       

My safety team is starting to compile data and complete conversations with our medical and public health consultants for the planning of second quarter protocols. We all want to move past this pandemic, but we also must remain vigilant in caring for our SLUH community. I am grateful for everyone’s efforts that have allowed a joyous start to the new school year.  

Godspeed in embracing joy this week during these waning days of summer, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We have started on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 77% of our students and 92% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. 

We have had a few cases of students attending classes while they were waiting for test results because of COVID-like symptoms. PLEASE NOTE: Any symptomatic student who is waiting for test results should remain home. The potential for quarantines and campus spread is too high if a symptomatic student tests positive while on campus. REMINDER: Any student experiencing symptoms should also stay home as our systems for completing work at home are fully in place.  

We will not require masked and fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.  

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

As we start the week on Monday, we currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and two (2) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health. Both of these current cases are unvaccinated. We have seen a couple breakthrough cases in the past few months. 

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 22 adult and 105 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

As we enter September, we witness many adjustments occurring on Oakland Avenue. Daily routines have developed, activities are springing up all over campus and the beastly heat has turned into beautiful late summer weather.  

We’ve wrapped up our opening activities with ubiquitous pandemic pivots. While nothing is simple in this age of Covid, our creativity and commitment to community prevails. Our Mass of the Holy Spirit changed venues and format several times but was a powerful opportunity to dedicate our year to God’s grace. The Freshman Running of the Bills moved to a soccer game; a shift necessitated by the cancellation of last Friday’s football game because of a Covid outbreak at the school of the opposing team. The spectacular evening featured beautiful weather, a great game, a huge vibrant crowd and a joyful focus on the Class of 2025. As so many know, the Running of the Bills began as a soccer program event, and we briefly returned to our roots in this past Friday’s special evening. 

These pandemic pivots remind us of the challenges in reopening SLUH. It can be easy to drift away from the disciplines that have kept us safe and in session. On this Labor Day weekend, I again express my gratitude for all those medical and public health professionals keeping us safe. I’m also grateful for our faculty and staff who have made so much possible. Have a peaceful holiday and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We have started on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 76% of our students and 92% of our faculty are fully vaccinated.    

Please click HERE to turn in your son’s completed vaccine record.

We will not require fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.  

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts who are unvaccinated.

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health.  

Since we reopened in August of 2020, we have had a total of 22 adult and 101 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

Congratulations to all of our students, families, faculty and staff as we raced through our first full week of classes. Of course, we have been engaged in this new school year since August 4, when we welcomed the rising seniors with our College Application Work Week, as well as our neophyte faculty with their four day New Ignatian Educators seminar.   

As we prepare to enter September, we have already achieved many great successes. Our commitment to safety and impactful formation has provided the opportunity for a joyful student mixer, the start of our four fall sports (Cross Country, Football, Soccer, and Swim and Dive), the induction of our new National Honors Society members, and the Running of the Sophomore Bills. This week we will have our Mass of the Holy Spirit, First Friday Mass, and Freshman Fun Day culminating with their Running of the Bills.

We cannot seem to catch a break with weather for the Mass of the Holy Spirit. After migrating the Mass from last Wednesday to this coming Tuesday because of the dangerous heat, we now face a strong likelihood of rain for Tuesday morning. With the cost of the set-up and equipment rental on the line, as well as the need to hold this Mass for the start of our year, we have made the decision to move the liturgy inside. Since we cannot get everyone safely into one indoor location on campus, we will have two simultaneous liturgies using a regular assembly schedule. You can find the Bell Schedule within Resources & Information.

Here are some of the details for Tuesday:

• The liturgies will be in the Danis Field House and the Si Commons.
• We will be in formal attire (ties and jackets).
• Given the complexities, we will ask students to assist with the transition of the Si Commons to the lunchtime configuration after Mass.

Great thanks to our pastoral team for their flexibility and perseverance, as well as to Mr. Tim Moore and our environmental services team for their great technical leadership.

It will be wonderful to dedicate our school-wide efforts to the Holy Spirit in this Ignatian Year.

Be careful in this heat wave, and know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We are starting on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently just over 75% of our students and 90% of our faculty are fully vaccinated.    

Please click HERE to turn in your son’s completed vaccine record.

We will not require fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, strongly recommended vaccination, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community add up to a pandemic response that works! Please remember that social gatherings have quickly become the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher is sufficient. Delays in responding to positive cases can cause devastating effects for our community. My medical team must make determinations for contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. 

We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not following up with my team.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health.  

Since we reopened in 2020, we have had a total of 22 adult and 101 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Dear Parents,

As we enter our first full week of school, we are locked into the business of regular order. We have our Mass of the Holy Spirit on Wednesday and the sophomore Running of the Bills on Friday. Our first athletic competitions will occur on Friday as well. 

One new feature in our schedule this year is the Studium period. Studium is time for academic and mission-driven pursuits, such as quiz make-ups, meetings with teachers, group projects, class Masses and guest speakers. Studium periods are 30 minutes on A days and 55 minutes on B days. 

We also have Activity periods, which occur only on B days. Activity periods are times for co-curricular and social activities such as club meetings, intramurals, using the rec room and general hanging out. One of the critical lessons at SLUH is time management, and these two unique periods are like labs for practicing time management. Click HERE for the bell schedule and many more daily details.        

The current heat wave seemingly mocks the reality of the end of summer. However, we are grateful for so many things in this new year, particularly the graces of being back together on Oakland Avenue. Know of my daily prayers for your family.
 

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We are starting on Condition III of our safety plan as we begin the school year. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 74% of our students and 90% of our faculty are fully vaccinated.    

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record HERE.

We will not require fully-vaccinated students to quarantine if they become a close contact. They can participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports, and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 22 adult and 101 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

Fasten your seat belts and get ready for launch! Our class meetings begin on Tuesday: Freshmen 8:30-noon; Sophomores 8:00-9:30 a.m.; Juniors 10:00-11:30 a.m.; Seniors noon-1:30 p.m. Coat and tie is the prescribed attire for everyone but the seniors.

This is your son’s last chance to sign-up for the vaccine clinic on Tuesday. The clinic will be in the Danis Field House from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Jr. Bills can register before or after their class meetings, and they will turn in their completed vaccine records after the second dose on September 7. They can of course receive vaccinations in many other locations as well.

Please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record via the form below.  Fully vaccinated students will not be required to quarantine if they become a close contact and may participate in retreats, moderate/high contact sports and travel programs without a COVID-19 test. We will examine our vaccine rates after September 21 in order to consider our next steps for safety measures, including facemask policies.

Our Coronavirus landing page is the best source for updates on our safety plans, schedules, public health briefings, and school details. Older issues of ParentConnect are archived here as well.    

Classes begin on Wednesday, August 18, and we have our Back-to-School Night on Thursday. Please see more about this important event below. In order to attend classes on the 18th, freshmen must have all necessary medical forms and documents uploaded to PRIVIT, as well as be cleared by a member of the SLUH medical staff. See here for more information.              

I look forward to seeing you at Back-to-School Night and throughout the year. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

As we begin the year, we are starting on Condition III of our safety plan. We use the following data to make decisions regarding our status: Regional positivity and Ro rates; COVID cases in our community; spread occurring on campus; our vaccination rate. Currently over 63% of our students and 90% of our faculty are fully vaccinated.    

There is considerable confusion and frustration with divergent safety plans across the nation. The safety of SLUH cannot and will not become a political issue. Our policies and decisions are completely non-partisan and focused on the wellness of our students, educators, and families. 

We have a tremendous team of medical and public health professionals who know us well and help us make balanced and practical safety plans. We understand that families and individuals have strong feelings about many issues concerning the pandemic, and our decisions are focused on keeping all of our 1,200 students, faculty and staff safe. Decisions for households, schools and regions require different measures of evaluation. We are very grateful for our SLUH community’s understanding of these complexities.

With our current Condition III, everyone must continue to wear masks in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the daily survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make learning easy and impactful from home. Our new Studium academic period simplifies contact with teachers daily.  

The SLUH community continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until cleared by his doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 22 adult and 99 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

We are less than two weeks from the start of classes. Of course, our campus has been buzzing with activity throughout the summer. Athletics, activities and retreats have begun, and our faculty have been preparing for many ambitious projects this year. 

In my last (July 25) ParentConnect, I announced our safety plan for the year. Click HERE to view our safety plan.

We will start the year with masks while our community continues to be vaccinated. Fifty three percent of our students have currently submitted their full vaccination status records, as have 88% of our educators. We will hold a Pfizer clinic on August 17, our class meetings day. The clinic is for our students only, and they may either drop-in or register for a particular time.  

Class meetings will indeed take place on Tuesday, August 17. Freshmen will gather that morning from 8:00 a.m.-noon, while sophomores (8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.), juniors (10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) and seniors (noon-1:30 p.m.) will be staggered throughout the day.     

If your son was vaccinated at our May and June clinics (or at another site), please make sure you submit his records. We are not automatically sent those records. On September 21, students participating in our August 17/September 7 clinics will be fully vaccinated. We are striving to downshift our campus pandemic condition to Level II at that point, so please submit those records as soon as possible. 

Fall sports start  August 9. In order to participate, students must have submitted their completed physicals and medical records. Please note that all incoming freshmen must submit a physical to attend classes on August 18, and freshman and junior athletes must also complete their concussion baseline test to participate in our sports programs.

As we move rapidly toward August 18, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

Our first day of classes on August 18 can look like a distant event on the calendar, but we’ve all experienced the summer unfold at a breakneck pace. Even though there are some weeks remaining, they will fill rapidly with back-to-school meetings, shopping and preparations. 

As promised, I have attached our safety plan for starting the year. Please review it carefully. While we would like to be further down the road toward the end of this vicious pandemic, we have a clear roadmap to getting there: Vaccinations and safety measures are key to normalcy. 

Currently over 75% of our faculty and 40% of our students are fully vaccinated. It is time to finish the work of becoming a widely vaccinated population. If you have not done so already, please turn in your son’s completed vaccine record here. For anyone not vaccinated, stay tuned for details on our upcoming student clinic.  

We have marked September 21 as our targeted date for shifting from “masks required inside” to “masks recommended for anyone unvaccinated.” September 21 will be the point in which our August 17 clinic participants will be fully vaccinated. The August 17 clinic will be an easy way to knock out the first vaccine while attending class meetings. Please help us reach this goal together. Being vaccinated will both keep us safe and care for our community.  Vaccinated students will not need to quarantine, be tested or face restrictions on programs and travel.        

Our school calendar is updated with A and B days, non-class days and all major events. I will send a calendar summary in my next ParentConnect on August 8. 

Next weekend marks the feast day of our Jesuit founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Society of Jesus is now celebrating its 481st anniversary. The legacy of Jesuit education and the Spiritual Exercises are treasures for the Church and the world. St. Ignatius’s feast will be celebrated at many parishes next Saturday and Sunday.  

Watch for the next ParentConnect on Sunday, August 8, and then regular weekly issues going forward. 

As we move through our summer schedules, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

Welcome to the final ParentConnect for Academic Year 2021. With this issue we formally say ‘farewell’ to our graduating senior parents. Thank you for the wonderful journey through the past four years on Oakland Avenue.

Our next edition on Sunday, June 27, will welcome the parents of the Class of 2025. We will  publish ParentConnect once a month in June and July, and restart the weekly editions on Sunday, August 8.

As we officially close our Academic Year 2021, we are busy making preparations for August. Click HERE for the daily schedule for next year. Click HERE for a summary of important calendar dates.    

By all indications, Academic Year 2022 will bring us out of the pandemic crisis. While there is much we still don’t know about the fall, we are cautiously optimistic in expanding our reopening. Given the range of complexities, our SLUH schedule for next year will be similar to this year with some important modifications. We will use a block schedule with four classes on A Days and three on B Days. The daily schedule for next year is posted below.  

We will publish a full set of safety protocols in early August as we continue to examine CDC guidelines for schools, local public health directives, virus case counts, and our community vaccination rates. Please note that next year we will not have a virtual option. There will of course be measures in place for students who need to miss particular days for medical reasons, such as we have done in the past. However, classes will all be in-person.

Also posted below is a summary of the calendar for next year. We will add the A and B days to the calendar in early August.  

Great thanks to all who made the Junior Ring and Graduation events so beautiful. The weather provided some formidable challenges for the Junior Ring Mass, but we were able to celebrate well. In one final important update, we errantly omitted the names of the National Merit Finalists in the graduation program, and as a result, I want to acknowledge and celebrate these newest alumni in their remarkable achievement:

• Michael Krausz
• Thomas Matyiko
• John McClelland
• Brendan McLaughlin
• Lucas Missey
• James Morefield
• Alexander Thro

Direction Days begin tomorrow, June 7, with many summer school classes commencing on Wednesday, June 9. Our safety protocols will be the same for the summer as we closed Academic Year 2021 following the shift in the policies of St. Louis City and the CDC.  

1. Inside all SLUH campus buildings we will maintain 3-foot distancing in classrooms and six (6) feet where possible. We will still require masks for all in the buildings. We will make adjustments in the fall based on case rates and vaccinations. This current plan is in alignment with the Archdiocese and represents the ongoing process of teenagers accessing vaccines. 
    
2. Masks are not required while outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult.

As we move into summer schedules, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
A few weeks ago St. Louis City and St. Louis County updated public health regulations. It is important we all remain vigilant with these directives. Masks must continue to be worn in buildings, except while eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. Fall protocols will be announced in early August.     

We strongly encourage all students to be vaccinated. Once your son completes the full vaccine cycle, please submit your record HERE. Our protocols moving forward will loosen and simplify as our community becomes protected. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 94 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must – and will – remain vigilant.

Congratulations to all our graduates! We have had a huge weekend celebrating our rising seniors and departing graduates. Please pray for these young men as they move up to greater projects next year on Oakland Avenue and throughout the world.

Memorial Day week will hopefully bring some opportunity for your family to slow down. At SLUH we will process grades, prepare for the arrival of the Class of 2025 at Direction Days, and hold two Kairos retreats for our rising seniors. The following week SLUH summer school courses begin June 9. Please check the schedules carefully. There are many classes, camps and programs running throughout the summer.   

Our safety protocols will be the same for the summer as we closed the academic year following the shift in City and CDC policies.   

1. Inside all SLUH campus buildings we will maintain 3-foot distancing in classrooms and six (6) feet where possible. We will still require masks for all in the buildings. We will make adjustments in the fall based on case rates and vaccinations. This current plan is in alignment with the Archdiocese and represents the ongoing process of teenagers accessing vaccines. 
    
2. Masks are not required while outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult.

SPECIAL NOTE: Next Sunday, June 6, will be the final weekly edition of ParentConnect for this academic year. We will publish summer editions on the last Sunday of the next two months (June 27 and July 25) and resume weekly publications August 8. 

As we move into summer schedules, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

A few weeks ago St. Louis City and St. Louis County updated public health regulations. It is important we all remain vigilant with these directives. Masks must continue to be worn in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. Fall protocols for those vaccinated will be announced in early August.     

We strongly encourage all students to be vaccinated. Once your son completes the full vaccine cycle, please submit your record in the following document. Our protocols moving forward will loosen and simplify as our community becomes protected. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 94 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

Congratulations to all of our families on another successful school year, navigating your complex family schedules through a pandemic. We have come so far as a school, region and nation.  

This final week of AY 2021 is a crazy one. Final exams run through Wednesday. Junior Ring, Baccalaureate Mass, and Graduation follow. Please see more detail below about the events.

Memorial Day week will hopefully bring some opportunity for your family to slow down. At SLUH we will process grades, prepare for the arrival of the Class of 2025 at Direction Days, and hold two Kairos retreats for our rising seniors. The following week SLUH summer school courses begin June 9. Please check the schedules carefully, as there are many classes, camps and programs running throughout the summer.   

Our safety protocols will be the same for the summer as we close the year following the shift in City and CDC policies.  

1. Inside all SLUH campus buildings we will maintain 3-foot distancing in classrooms and six (6) feet where possible. We will still require masks for all in the buildings. We will make adjustments in the fall based on case rates and vaccinations. This current plan is in alignment with the Archdiocese and represents the ongoing process of teenagers accessing vaccines. 
    
2. Masks are not required while outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult.

We will hold a Pfizer clinic for all of our students and their families this Wednesday, May 26, the last day of exams. Please see below for the details. Our clinic is for any SLUH or Loyola Academy student, his siblings (12+), and family. We are strongly encouraging all students to be vaccinated. Sign-ups are first-come, first served, with appointments from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Participants will sign-up for a second vaccine three weeks later. 

We will hold another clinic in August, but this is a wonderful opportunity to expand your family summer possibilities and peace of mind. The clinic will be in the Si Commons at SLUH. Parking will be available in the Oakland lot. Please enter the building through the Schulte Theater entrance.

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

SPECIAL NOTE: June 6 will be the final weekly edition of ParentConnect for this academic year. We will publish summer editions on the last Sunday of the next few months (June 27 and July 25) and resume weekly publication August 8. 

As we move into summer schedules, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

A few weeks ago St. Louis City and St. Louis County updated public health regulations. It is important we all remain vigilant with these directives. Masks must continue to be worn in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult. Fall protocols for those vaccinated will be announced in early August.     

We strongly encourage all students to be vaccinated. As I mentioned above, we are holding a Pfizer clinic for ages 12+ on campus May 26. Once your son completes the full vaccine cycle, please submit your record in the following document. Our protocols moving forward will loosen and simplify as our community becomes protected. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.    

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 94 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

I’m sure most everyone heard the big news on Friday from St. Louis City and St. Louis County regarding the updated pandemic protocols. For both governances, the national CDC directives will be the guiding principles for public safety. SLUH is working through the documents and will be announcing our shifts for moving forward in three phases, starting today with our plan for now through Direction Days (June 8). 

On Sunday, May 23, we will announce our plans for the summer protocols. Later in July we will address our shifts for the 2022 academic year. Please read the update below on our plan for tomorrow (Monday, May 17) through the end of this school year.

We will operate a Pfizer clinic for all of our students and their families on the last day of exam week. Please click HERE for details on our vaccine clinic on Wednesday, May 26. Our clinic is for any SLUH or Loyola Academy student, his siblings (12+), and family. We are strongly encouraging all students to be vaccinated. Sign-ups are first-come, first served, with appointments from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Participants will sign-up for a second vaccine three weeks later. We will hold another clinic in August, but this is a wonderful opportunity to expand your family summer possibilities and peace of mind.

For the remainder of the school year, we have made some adjustments based on Pandemic Directive 18 from the City of St. Louis.  Please read the following updates carefully; they will be fully enforced through June 8.

1. Inside all SLUH campus buildings we will maintain 3-foot distancing in classrooms and six (6) feet where possible. We will still require masks for all in the buildings. We will be making adjustments for those vaccinated in the fall, but we will finish the last seven days on campus with masks while inside. This plan is in alignment with the Archdiocese and represents the limited teenage access to vaccines. COVID shots are required as a condition of the new CDC policy of the optional wearing of masks.
    
2. Masks are not required while outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult.
    
3. We will be increasing numbers for attending athletic competitions, but the specific venue will determine the limits and regulations. Please click here for details on all our remaining contests.
    
4. Individual teams that are still active will be consulted regarding the testing process. While this will no longer be required, COVID testing may help protect teams from forfeiting playoff games due to positive tests.  

Finally, we notified seniors and their parents that the Science Center has announced its expanded hours during graduation week. Therefore, we are holding all three major events in the stadium at 8:00 p.m. The events include Junior Ring (which was already 8:00 p.m.), Baccalaureate Mass, and Graduation. We apologize for any challenges with this pivot to avoid unnecessary complications.

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family. 

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Last Friday St. Louis City and St. Louis County updated public health regulations. It is important we all remain vigilant with these directives. Masks must continue to be worn in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks are no longer required to be worn outside unless students are in large gatherings or instructed to do so by an adult.   

We strongly encourage all students to be vaccinated. As I mentioned above, we are holding a Pfizer clinic for ages 12+ on campus May 26. Once your son completes the full vaccine cycle, please submit your record in the following document. Our protocols moving forward will loosen and simplify as our community becomes protected. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and is completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 94 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

Happy Mother's Day! In my Masses this morning at St. Joseph Parish, we took the opportunity to offer a communal blessing for all mothers, grandmothers, aunts, guardians and foster parents. I was keenly aware that I haven’t been able to be with my own mother in nearly two years, something that will change once this school year is over. This pandemic has forced so many restrictions, making me all the more appreciative of the roles our mothers have had in the SLUH community.

This is our penultimate week of classes, with the added excitement of AP exams, senior finals, and our 4th quarter Freshman Programming Day. Fr. Matt Stewart, SJ will be the celebrant for the class Mass this Friday, May 14.

Fr. Stewart will serve as our new Director of Campus Ministry next year. He will come to us from St. Francis Xavier Parish (College Church at SLU), succeeding Fr. Joseph Hill, SJ who along with Jesuit seminarian Mr. Michael Mohr, SJ will depart for new assignments next month.

The Pfizer vaccine is anticipated for approval for all teenagers in the next few weeks. As a result we are in conversation with a university medical program to host a vaccine clinic for individuals 12 years and older later this month on our campus. This would be a two-dose vaccine completed within 30 days of the first shot. Stay tuned for more details.    

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Last Monday St. Louis City and St. Louis County updated public health regulations. It is important we all remain vigilant with these directives. Masks must continue to be worn in the building, except for eating and drinking. Masks must be worn outside when less than six (6) feet apart. 

We strongly encourage all students age 16+ to be vaccinated. As I mentioned above, we are making plans for an age 12+ vaccine clinic on campus later this month. Once your son completes the full vaccine cycle, please submit your record in the following document. Our protocols moving forward can loosen and simplify as our community becomes protected. 

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 92 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

. . . and just like that, the calendar turned to May. Despite the profound challenges and losses since August, we are preparing to close out the academic year.

Last week we held our Mass of Praise and Gratitude and Awards Assembly. As with everything in the pandemic, we have modified programs from previous versions to make them legal, safe and impactful. For example, we were excited for the opportunity to convene the entire school in the Sheridan Stadium for the Awards Assembly. This would have been our first such gathering of everyone in 15 months (Ash Wednesday Mass in February 2020). Unfortunately, the forecast was for heavy rain, forcing a pivot to only the upperclassmen in the Danis Field House. We will publish the complete listing of the award winners online and in a special edition of the Prep News.   

This week will feature the start of AP exams and end with our junior formation day on Friday.  The seniors will also have their last day of class on Thursday.   

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by Noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. This means that a return on Monday, May 10, would need to be communicated by noon this Friday, May 7. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 92 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant.

We are rapidly approaching the end of April and are looking forward to the Mass of Praise and Gratitude this Tuesday, as well as the Awards Assembly this Thursday. Despite the many challenges the past 14 months, we have much for which to be grateful. We will release live-stream links for both events.  

I have reposted the form to upload your son's vaccine record after he completes the full vaccine cycle. This would mean receiving two vaccines for Pfizer or Moderna. If you have more than one Jr. Bill, please use separate forms for each. 

We will post the form again over the next few months for parents whose sons receive the vaccine during the summer. (NOTE: You only need to submit the form once.) The record will help us limit contact tracing and quarantines. 

Please use this link for more information on vaccine access. Moderna is available for teens 18+, while Pfizer is tasked for adolescents 16+.

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by Noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. This means that a return on Monday, May 3, would need to be communicated by noon this Friday, April 30. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our tested athletes due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and zero (0) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 92 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

Last week I announced that over 85% of our faculty had received COVID-19 vaccines, and that our next project would be to focus on our students’ vaccinations. Many parents have inquired about the process for submitting vaccine records. We are now ready to start receiving these records once a student’s full vaccine cycle is complete. 

Previously, only athlete and freshman families have had access to our medical records uploading system (Privit). For the purpose of collecting these records efficiently, we want to simplify the process for everyone. Please use this form to upload your son's vaccine record after completing the full vaccine cycle  This would mean receiving two vaccines for Pfizer and Moderna. If you have more than one Jr. Bill, please use separate forms for each. 

We will send the form again over the next few months for the parents whose sons receive the vaccine during the summer. You only need to submit the record once. Having this record will help us limit contact tracing and quarantines. 

Click this link for more information on vaccine access. Moderna is available for teens 18+, while Pfizer is tasked for adolescents 16+.

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by Noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. This means that a return on Monday, April 26, would need to be communicated by noon this Friday, April 23. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

As promised in our pandemic planning timeline, please see the updates regarding SLUH activities which I have posted below. 

While we have many details still to tackle, we want to publish some of the basic information so our families can start making plans. Just like everything these days, there is tremendous uncertainty regarding the virus, St. Louis City regulations, and public safety protocols. Our goal in programming events is to do it safely, impactfully and in balance with our wider school capacities.

I understand that some parents might wish we could guarantee more details now and/or do things differently, but there are deep layers of complexity involved. While some schools and institutions may be doing particular projects differently, each entity operates in a different demographic, local context, and structural capacity.  

The following are featured in this update:

• A confirmation of dates and some basic details for programs;
• A list of events that won’t be able to occur because of safety and capacity concerns;
• An outline of the schedule for next year.

Since January, we have been focused on providing opportunities for our faculty and staff to access a COVID-19 vaccine. Our reopening plan includes moving toward a community centered immunity while the region works toward a herd immunity.  

Over 85% of our faculty have received at least one vaccine, and that number will continue to rise. Our next project is to focus on our students. Currently Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are available for teens 18+ years old, and Pfizer is accessible to those 16 and older. Based on recent vaccine provider filings, during the next months we may see vaccine access for everyone over 12 years old.  

Please see the update below and strongly consider making arrangements for your teenagers (16+) to be vaccinated. All of our efforts this spring and the fall will be safer and simpler if our community is widely vaccinated. Thank you for your diligence in this major step toward wider immunity.

>>> Click here to access important updates SLUH activities for April and May.

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by Noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. This means that a return on Monday, April 19, would need to be communicated by noon this Friday, April 16. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process.

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our sustained ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

In this Eastertide, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

It is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any symptomatic COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. We have shifted away from quarantining our testing athletics due to a very low level of cases. However, we will continue to closely monitor these testing results, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause numerous 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. Please see this document for more details.

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have zero (0) faculty/staff and three (3) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 21 adult (one a vendor) and 83 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must – and will – remain vigilant.

Holy Week commences today, Palm Sunday. We have much for which to be grateful as we prepare for the Triduum and Resurrection. 

We have safely opened our campus to all students, and we progress toward a restoration of programs given the pandemic restrictions. This past Monday we held a vaccine clinic for faculty and staff; now over 80% of our personnel have received at least a first vaccine.  

A year ago last week we returned from Spring Break to the shuttering of our school and the nation. Nearly two dozen of our students and educators have lost family members to the virus, and so many have borne economic and personal costs. It is important that we take the opportunity this Holy Week to restore our relationship with God. Consider making the Triduum at your local church, celebrating Easter well.

We will have an all school Holy Week Mass on campus tomorrow (Monday) to prepare for the Triduum. Please see the important details below. Some of our students will make the Manresa Retreat this Tuesday through Friday. Members of our Jesuit community will concelebrate the Triduum at College Church (St. Francis Xavier at Saint Louis University), while I will assist at St. Joseph’s in Manchester. 

We mailed report cards on Friday. Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place this Wednesday, March 31. Conferences will be via Zoom, and the deadline for registering for a time is this Wednesday at Noon. Please see the details below.

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For our special Holy Week schedule, this means that a return on Easter Tuesday, April 6  would need to be communicated by noon this Wednesday, March 31. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

We will publish the next ParentConnect on Easter Monday, April 5. In the meantime, continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family. 

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have one (1) faculty/staff and three (3) students who have tested positive and are completing self-isolation until cleared by his doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 20 adult (one a vendor) and 82 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

As we previously announced, classes will be synchronous and virtual this week in order to provide a safety buffer for our community. Students are expected to be in attendance at the proper time, ready to begin with cameras on.  

Unlike many schools and universities, we wanted an opportunity for a true break. Since this opportunity can lead to potentially dangerous occasions for viral transmission, all break activities and travel should be concluded by this evening. This virtual week will give us an eight-day buffer, covering the most susceptible window for COVID-19 symptoms to manifest and asymptomatic transmission to occur. Please protect our SLUH and St. Louis communities by adhering to all safety measures. 

Hopefully you had the chance to listen to the Insignis broadcast I posted last week in ParentConnect. This is a powerful account of our efforts to reopen after the arrival of the pandemic a year ago. As we close our break, I add to this recommendation our SLUH Dauphin Player’s remarkable production of Spoon River. This short film is adapted from Edgar Lee Masters’ 1914 classic anthology depicting a fictional Illinois river community’s restless spirits of the Spoon River cemetery pining for redemption, understanding, and a closeness with God.  You can watch our remarkable film Spoon River Anthology here. The music, soliloquies, cinematography, and production value are an amazing SLUH product.  

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, for a return on Monday, March 29, you would need to communicate this by noon on Friday, March 26. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have no (0) faculty/staff and one (1) student who has tested positive and he is completing self-isolation until cleared by his doctors and the department of health.  

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 19 adult (one a vendor) and 79 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 

The fourth quarter calendar update can be found HERE. The updates will be reflected on the school calendar within the next week. Activities are categorized as Retained, Retained with major restructuring, or Canceled. 

We have made every effort to retain events in some capacity. Details about many of these programs are being worked out, as conditions remain fluid several months out. Thank you for your patience and understanding in these programming decisions. Here are a few notes about the updates: 

• All Spring Break travel and programs are to be concluded by Sunday, March 21. We will have a virtual week (March 22-26) following Spring Break just as we did for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. All school activities will be virtual except for athletics. COVID-19 testing for athletes will continue on campus that week. 
   
• The virtual week will keep us all safer because the incubation period for the virus can be as long as 14 days. The highest probability range for presenting symptoms and/or transmission to others is during days 5-9.
   
• Events will happen in May as scheduled. Decisions about the locations and logistics will be announced in mid-April. 
   
• We will work with STUCO and other student groups to plan the modified events in order to hold them safely.
   
• School-sponsored Spring Break trips have been canceled. Rob Chura, our Director of Global Education, will contact the summer travel groups in the next few weeks with updates on the programs. @rchura@sluh.org 

A final note about the calendar: Major events for next year are posted on the school calendar. To see these dates, simply advance the calendar to next August and beyond. Many details will need to be added, but these dates will be helpful for your planning. Once our schedule for AY 2022 is finalized by mid-April, we will add details like types of days. 

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, for a return on Monday, March 8, you would need to communicate this by noon on Friday, March 5. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have no (0) faculty/staff and no (0) students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 19 adult (one a vendor) and 71 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 

We have a very busy week coming up as we enter the last three weeks of the third quarter: Mission Week...Welcome events for the Class of 2025...Our annual Lenten Fish Fry.

Thank you for helping us navigate the challenges of the winter storms the past few weeks to keep everyone safe. Although I grew up in St. Louis with its mid-continent weather patterns, I found the maritime meteorology of New York City much less complicated. Snow day calls at Regis High School were simpler because of the predictability of the oceanic patterns straddling the Hudson River. Our jokes about St. Louis weather shifting every 15 minutes are well deserved. 

Next week I will release our calendar of events for the fourth quarter. While we won’t have details, we will commit to making these events happen in some fashion on those dates. Just like everything at SLUH in this pandemic, we will do our very best with the intersections of safety and partnership with the City and Archdiocese. 

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, for a return on Monday, March 1, you would need to communicate this by noon on Friday, February 26. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 

Happy Valentine’s Day.  

Mark Twain allegedly said, "Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Right now we are remaining proactive about mother nature until we can become an influencer. St. Louis is facing another week of bitterly cold weather with possibly significant precipitation. Please be safe. We will be monitoring conditions as always.

For the past 11 months of this pandemic, we have had no documented cases of transmission. Most open schools and organizations crossed this line of transmission long ago. Unfortunately, we had our first case of spread on campus a few days ago. Our safety measures are working well, but the timing of an asymptomatic positive case created several dozen close contacts, one of whom tested positive. This is an important moment to redouble our efforts. Here are some reminders:     

• Please do not host or attend sleep-overs, parties, or events outside of your household group. We have recently identified several such student events from our contact tracing, and these gatherings are the primary vectors for transmission locally. Despite the best of intentions, these events quickly become mask-free and close contact super-spreaders. We all want to recapture connectivity, but this is not the way to do so. If you must attend such an event, please move to virtual classes for a quarantine period.
   
• Please review our SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures. 
   
• Our SLUH campus is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. If a student doesn’t have an organized activity or program outside these hours, he should not be on campus.

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, for a return on Monday, February 22, you would need to communicate this by noon on Friday, February 19. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have no (0) faculty/staff and five (5) students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health.

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 19 adult (one a vendor) and 68 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must -- and will -- remain vigilant. 

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 
We continue to speed through the calendar, wrapping up our first full week in February. No Groundhog Day time loop for us (like poor Bill Murray, a two time Jesuit student!). The pandemic has certainly felt like that modern classic movie at times.

This past Monday was quite a day at SLUH. We were blessed to start the month with a leadership Mass for the Junior Class with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski. Our new Ordinary stated that these Jr. Billikins were some of the most reverential and participative students he had met in his 16 years as a bishop. See the story here from the current Prep News edition. Please also see below for details on the remarkable Black History Month program we held later that afternoon. 

We are regularly updating our calendar for spring as we adjust to pandemic conditions. Based on the limits of City and public health directives, our events calendar is accurate through Spring Break. 

In the February 28 edition of ParentConnect, I will announce the general schedule of events from Spring Break through Memorial Day updating the school calendar at that point. While we would like to be able to hold all the events of an ordinary year, some may not be possible with the challenges of COVID-19. We will do our best to preserve events to the greatest extent possible. This schedule will include Spring Break trips, graduation events, dances, general programs, retreats, and exams. We will confirm dates and any basic details that we can on February 28. 

On Sunday, April 11, I will provide updates on summer programs, the August calendar, and the academic schedule for next year. Please be aware that there will be some summer school decisions made and communicated earlier than this, but April 11 will give us a uniform expectation for decision points. Some specific details, such as graduation event locations, will be made at this time as well. With conditions as unsettled as they are, we want to create a balance of safety and preserving events.

Our metric for holding events is as follows: A program must be possible (legally and logistically) and safe. Therefore, we should understand that SLUH may be able to preserve some forms of programs and not others. We will preserve all that we can in a safe manner. Just like our graduation events last year, upcoming programs may have major overhauls to make them possible and safe. 

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, for a return on Tuesday, February 16 (Monday being a holiday), you would need to communicate this by noon on Friday, February 12. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 

Tomorrow (Monday, February 1) is a very special day at SLUH with two important events: 

1. Juniors will have a leadership Mass with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski. They will wear ties and jackets, and will enjoy an exclusive Juniors-only dress down day later in the week. 
    
2. As shown on the calendar, all students will attend an eighth period program for Black History Month, and as a result will remain on campus until 3:15 p.m..    

As we wrap up the first month of 2021, we are grateful for the tremendous success in the latest phase of reopening. Since January 11, students who elected to attend class in-person have been able to do so. This obviously took a great deal of planning and adjustment, and our families have worked with us to make this possible by:

• Wearing facemasks in public and around those not in their households;
• Maintaining six feet of social distancing whenever possible;
• Self-quarantining following any close contacts with positive cases;
• Reporting all quarantines and positive cases in a timely fashion;
• Supporting SLUH safety measures on and off campus. 
   

Nobody wants the limitations or challenges of this pandemic, yet we know the path forward is to work together as a community.

As we enter February and the final weeks of winter sports, we will continue with the requirement to self-quarantine for the 48 hours before athletics testing and the period of time until results arrive. With our tactical scheduling of most tests around weekends, we can curtail school quarantine durations to 1-2 days. 

Our logic for maintaining this status quo is as follows: In January we have had two students with positive asymptomatic results from athletic testing. The cases resulted in zero quarantine days for other students or faculty because of our current athletics testing protocols. If the students had beenin classrooms with 3-foot distancing, we would have needed roughly 420 quarantine days for those close contacts based on our case averages. The 420 days would far exceed the current quarantine days our athletes are completing.   

Also in January, we have had four (4) symptomatic positive tests resulting in a large spike in quarantines for our community. Because the four students with symptomatic tests did attend class in the 48 hours prior to symptoms presenting, the quarantines resulted. Please see Friday’s Prep News article for more current quarantine details.    

Next week I will present my timeline for the decision making process for spring, summer and fall programs and structures. There are many decisions ahead, and we want to provide clear and impactful communication. Clarity in a pandemic is a major challenge, particularly as the time horizon extends. 

I receive many questions about graduation, prom and myriad other programs. We can plan far more accurately for events with a three-week horizon versus those scheduled three months away. Our metric for holding events is as follows: A program must be possible (legally and logistically) and safe. Therefore, we should understand that SLUH may be able to preserve some forms of programs and not others. We will preserve all that we can in a safe manner. Like our graduation events last year, upcoming programs may have major overhauls to make them possible and safe. 

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, a return on Monday, February 8, would need to be arranged by noon on Friday, February 5. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have no (0) faculty/staff and two (2) students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in NONE of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 18 adult (one a vendor) and 63 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must remain vigilant. 

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 
Currently we are fine-tuning our return to campus for all who wish to attend daily. There are regular adjustments to our screening, movement and daily populations. Great thanks to everyone who has communicated their movement to virtual or in-person by noon on Friday. The massive operation of keeping everyone safe dictates that we know who to expect in the building.

Last week we had our first case of a symptomatic student on campus who subsequently tested positive. Symptoms can seem mild and general, but we must all err on the side of caution. With our new distancing protocols for classrooms, the case led to a big spike in quarantines. We are monitoring the quarantines carefully and are grateful for the cooperation of all the families.

This week may be the first chance this year for inclement weather. Our “snow day” protocol will be as follows: We will make every effort to declare a closure before 8:00 p.m., and all snow days will feature asynchronous learning. We will not use late starts. With our experience and technology for asynchronous days, this will protect us from unnecessary commuting and falling behind in block schedule classes. We will announce snow days via our SLUH website, phone blasts, and local news feeds. As always, our website will be the best source for updates. 

We are in the process of building a timeline for major decisions regarding events from March through Memorial Day, summer and early fall. I will publish a schedule on Sunday, February 7. Additionally, as promised, we are evaluating the athletic testing protocols and will have an update January 31. As the Prep News so well reported, the complexities abound and recent quarantines reinforce the higher stakes for having three-foot-distancing in the classrooms. We are seeking a balance of reopening sports, having in-person classes, and avoiding viral spread.       

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowrie@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, a return on Monday, February 1, would need to be arranged by noon on Friday, January 29. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org). Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. 

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Our new rules stipulate that it is CRITICAL that students remain at home if symptomatic. ALL symptoms must be reported when filling out the survey. Because of our distancing protocols, we must err on the side of caution. We have the technology and process to make virtual learning easy and impactful. 

Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics because an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for anyone seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. Please see the attached document for more details: SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have no (0) faculty/staff and four (4) students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in NONE of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 18 adult (one a vendor) and 61 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must remain vigilant. 

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 
We have had a successful first week with all the students electing to return to in-person classes every day being able to do so. There were some challenges in places, but generally it was a very good week. In the midst of the return, athletics and activities continue to expand during this global crisis. In addition, I had the privilege of serving on one of the two Kairos retreat teams this week. The spirit of Jesuit perseverance abounds! 

It can become an involuntary reaction to count the losses in times like these. At SLUH, we acknowledge the losses, seek to preserve the good that is possible, and carefully execute plans to carry out our 202-year-old tradition of student formation.  

In all that we do, we seek the care of the individual (cura personalis) balanced against the care for the work (cura apostolica). Inevitably there will be tension and disagreement. What is best for one student and family may cause considerable distress for others and the school. What might be best for the wider community may carry significant costs for one or a few. There are no easy answers, and I have had to make some heartbreaking decisions that satisfy nobody completely. 

Examples of this complexity include the senior and junior class activities last spring. We had to cancel a wide swath of activities that are strong traditions, and reschedule others to great cost to expectations, labor, finance and summer schedules. At times our world can feel like thousands of daily losses leading to frustration and sadness. I will say more about the latest challenge of athletics testing quarantines in the coronavirus update below. Please read it carefully to understand a current complex case involving hundreds of students weekly.  

Wednesday is Inauguration Day, an important date for American democracy. Given the events last week in Washington, D.C., we are in communication with local and state authorities regarding campus security. Currently we have no plans to close the campus, but we will promptly communicate any changes. Parents may of course choose to keep their sons home that day for virtual classes. Doing so will not change a student’s status to virtual learning for the week. 

If you choose to move your son from virtual to in-person classes, you MUST notify Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org) by noon on the Friday BEFORE the Monday of the week you wish your son to return to campus. For example, a return on Monday, January 25, would need to be arranged by noon on Friday, January 22. Given our spacing needs and safety protocols, we MUST know who will be in the building on any given day. Students who simply show up without notice will be sent home.  

Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the City of St. Louis Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org).

Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. We know this is not the school year anyone wanted, and there are many deeply felt beliefs about pandemic responses. This exciting next step will bring us all closer to fully reopening our school.      

Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Because of our new rules it is critical that students remain at home if symptomatic. Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14-day quarantines for those seated within six (6) feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. For more details, please the SLUH Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Tests and Exposures.            

We've spent many hours looking into alternate pathways to the testing quarantine, as everything is subject to rapid change repeatedly. In the past months as we navigated the path to this new stage of reopening, the challenge of athletics testing in the City of St. Louis has been one of myriad hurdles. We only learned in mid-December that the testing practices would definitively continue in the spring semester.  

We are required by the City of St. Louis to test athletes, and our new classroom distancing rules make close contact in classrooms much more likely. In every classroom, there will now be approximately four (4) close contacts for any asymptomatic positive case. From classrooms alone, 25-30 students would need to quarantine for 14 days for each asymptomatic positive case.  

With a typical testing window quarantine of 1-3 days, keeping the tested athletes virtual during that time is a more equitable policy. The 25-30 quarantined students in the classrooms will have had no role in the test or athletic participation. They would be randomly quarantined. We can imagine how popular those quarantine calls will be for those 25-30 families. 

Virtually any policy creates negative consequences, but we needed to find the least worst option here. Since any student or faculty member could potentially be asymptotic positive and cause 25-30 quarantines, the hundreds being tested every two weeks ramp up the potential negative consequences quickly. All of our other asymptomatic tests come from close contacts with positive cases. Eventually we may well have some asymptomatic cases that cause dozens of quarantines, but our protocols make this quite unlikely.    

We have appealed to the City of St. Louis Department of Health to waive or alter the testing requirements; however, the City is deeply committed to this policy. Indeed, there is significant good in that policy, which keeps us all safer. It also adds layers of complexity, challenge and time commitment. We are also exploring testing options that reduce the window for testing results. We will re-examine our testing quarantine policy at the end of the month.  

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are very grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

We currently have one (1) faculty/staff and three (3) students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in NONE of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 18 adult (one a vendor) and 57 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must remain vigilant.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 
Students in the online option may switch to in-person on the first school day of each week. Parents must notify us by noon on Fridays for the following week. For example, virtual students who want to return on Tuesday, January 19, (that Monday is a holiday) need to contact us by noon on Friday, January 15. To do so, please contact Mrs. Renai Lowry (rlowry@sluh.org). Tomorrow we will open our campus for all students who wish to attend in-person. We will need to carefully admit and monitor all students on campus, so only those who have let us know they will attend in person may do so. With our 3+ feet distancing in classrooms, accurate seating charts and attendance are non-negotiable.  

 Students moving to virtual learning for any reasons outside quarantine or isolation requirements must remain online for at least that week and notify us by the Friday before the week they wish to return to campus. Students in isolation and quarantine can return when designated by the Department of Health and our director of health, Mr. Scott Gilbert (sgilbert@sluh.org).

 With our new rules, it is critical that students remain at home if symptomatic. Any COVID-19 test requires a quarantine until the results are received. This includes our testing for athletics, as an asymptomatic positive in such a test would cause dozens of 14 day quarantines for those seated within six feet. While the City of St. Louis-required testing keeps us all safer, the need to quarantine creates additional logistical and quarantine challenges. We understand that these circumstances will require a choice between playing sports and being in-person for testing windows. For more details, please see the attached document.         

 Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. We know this is not the school year anyone wanted, and there are many deeply felt beliefs about pandemic responses.This exciting next step will bring us all closer to fully reopening our school.      

 Please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon the vigilance of all of us.  

 Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.  

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

>>> POSITIVE COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community work! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.  

In late November we started our bi-weekly cycles for testing wrestling, basketball, racquetball and hockey players. Per the mandate of the City of St. Louis Department of Health, all participants in moderate and high risk winter and spring sports will be tested every two weeks. In conjunction with our testing provider, testing will take place on campus in the morning, although other options may be made available to members of our community at various times. 

 As we welcome all students back to campus for classes beginning on January 11, we will no longer be afforded six feet of separation in our classrooms. After consulting with Dr. Echols from the City of St. Louis Department of Health and Dr. Newland from the Infectious Disease medical group at Washington University, it has been affirmed that this adjustment will have an impact on students who get tested and are waiting on results. 

 IMPORTANT NOTE: For the health and safety of the entire SLUH community, the SLUH administration has determined that, for the remainder of the month of January, any student who gets tested -- through athletics or for another reason -- will attend classes in a virtual environment for the 48 hours prior to the test (if possible) and until the test result has been revealed. 

 We make every effort to schedule tests around times (such as Mondays) that will limit quarantine with online classes. We have been in conversation with our testing provider regarding opportunities to potentially reduce the time it takes for results to be delivered and all avenues are being explored. In the January 31 edition of ParentConnect, I will announce either an extension of this policy or details on adjustments to this policy.

 We currently have two faculty/staff and two students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in none of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

 Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 17 adult (one a vendor) and 50 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We must remain vigilant. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 

Next Sunday, December 13, we will announce our plans for returning from Christmas break. We are carefully monitoring the regional pandemic conditions, as well as our own rates and protocols.

Tomorrow (Monday, December 7) we return to our hybrid cohorts for the remaining days of first semester. The cohorts will be on campus as follows:

St. Ignatius
Wednesday, December 9; Thursday, December 10; Tuesday, December 15

St. Xavier
Monday, December 7; Friday, December 11; Monday, December 14

Please note that the Thursday to Tuesday cycle goes Ignatius 1-4, Xavier 5-7, Xavier 1-4, Ignatius 5-7. This switch makes sure students will attend each of their classes in person every cycle. The calendar is posted below.    

We will not have classes on Tuesday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We encourage all students to attend Mass at their local parish. Here is a search program for finding nearby liturgies.

The semester exam schedule is posted below. Please be aware that some exams will be completed in the form of projects during classes. Those classes that will have in-person exams are listed in the update below. Teachers will provide instructions for exams for their students currently attending online.  

As we prepare for Christmas break, please continue to be judicious and intentional in limiting your interactions with those outside your household. Our continued ability to hold classes in-person is dependent upon all of our vigilance.  

Happy Advent, all. Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Thank you for your proactive precautions during our recent break. Retreat week and Thanksgiving were different than in the past, yet we were very successful as a community. The SLUH family continues to demonstrate that we can stay safe together by following our protocols. Distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and limiting interactions with those outside our households and school community works! Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts. 

Over break we started our bi-weekly cycles for testing wrestling, basketball, racquetball and hockey players. Because of the increasing demand for testing, we are facing challenges in this process. However, we will keep you updated on these challenges and our methods for working through them. Just like everything else in 2020, the layers of complexity are profoundly deeper this year.  

The City of St. Louis requires all schools to test medium and high contact programs every two weeks. After testing nearly 200 fall sport athletes and coaches multiple times, and now our first round of over 200 winter sports participants, we have had only seven total positive (and asymptomatic) athletics cases. This is a remarkable result demonstrating the diligence of our community and impact of our safety protocols.  

We currently have no faculty/staff and four students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in none of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 12 adult (one a vendor) and 33 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We are seeing very low case and quarantine levels following retreat week and break, which is outstanding. We must remain vigilant. 

FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
The dates and times for the final exams are listed below. We will mail each student a detailed room schedule for the exams on Monday, December 7.

Starting on Monday, December 7, SLUH will complete the semester with the hybrid cohorts we have been using since September 10. Unfortunately the rates for positivity, Ro and total cases continue to rise, preventing everyone from being able to return. We will make an announcement in the December 13 ParentConnect regarding our start to the second semester.

We are finalizing our semester exam schedule and will release it next Sunday. Here is our timeline:

November 30-December 4
Online classes

December 3-4
Schedule sequence shifts to periods 1-4 and 5-7 for the rest of the semester (access calendar below)

December 7-16
Campus reopens with hybrid format to close out the semester 

December 17-21
Semester exams with make-up day on December 22

December 23-January 3
Christmas break

We are grateful for your patience and understanding during the current challenges of the pandemic. Our care for your sons is a foundational element of our SLUH mission. We continue to put our trust in God’s providence during this pandemic.

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ

Week of November 29

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING
I hope your Thanksgiving was a time for renewal and gratitude. This week we will hold all classes virtually as a way of creating a buffer from possible virus spread that may result from travel during break or close contact with people outside of immediate households.  

We are finalizing details for our announcement on Tuesday, December 1, regarding the rest of the semester. In an effort to support a wider reopening, we have been carefully analyzing the two weeks of regional COVID-19 data since the November 16 pause in our plan to welcome all students who wished to return to campus on November 30. Our Tuesday announcement will cover the status of classes and final exams Monday, December 7 through through Monday, December 21 for exams. Classes end December 16.

We will announce our plans for our return from Christmas break through spring break in the December 13 issue of ParentConnect. We will also post a new school calendar at that time.  

There are still so many uncertainties regarding the spread of the virus: Colder weather, more seasonal activities, and potential logistics for vaccine distribution in the spring (or sooner). While we all want stronger and clearer answers, this Advent season is a powerful reminder of the pause of these four weeks as we await Christmastide. It is perhaps fitting that 2020 has one of the longest possible Advent seasons.       

Happy Advent, all. Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

AMDG

Ian Gibbons, SJ 
Principal

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

It is critical that families take proactive precautions following our break. Please use our virtual week to protect your family and our community from any potential spread. It is far safer to assume all close contacts outside of your immediate family were positive than to presume otherwise. Social gatherings are quickly becoming the source vector for transmission in our region.   

IT IS CRITICAL that ALL positive tests be reported to me, even during breaks or weekends. Please don’t assume that notifying a coach or teacher will eventually result in contact tracing, mandated school reporting, and notifications for close-contact quarantines. We are grateful for your diligence. There is no shame whatsoever in a positive case, but there is substantial risk for our community in not quarantining close contacts.

Last week we started our bi-weekly cycles for testing hockey, basketball, racquetball and wrestling players. Because of the spike in cases and demand for testing, we are facing challenges in this process (please see Athletics Update below). However, we will keep you updated on these challenges and our methods for working through them. Just like everything else in 2020, the layers of complexity are profoundly deeper this year.  

The City of St. Louis requires all schools to test these programs every two weeks. After testing nearly 200 fall sport athletes and coaches at least twice, and now our first round of winter sports, we have had only three positive (and asymptomatic) cases. This is a remarkable result demonstrating the diligence of our community and impact of our safety protocols. 

We currently have one staff member and six students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in none of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of 12 adult (one a vendor) and 29 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases. We will have accurate post-break quarantine data once we return tomorrow.  Before break there were over 50 members of our community in quarantine, an indication of the current spread of the virus in the community. We must remain vigilant.

ATHLETICS UPDATE

Care STL notified us this past Friday that it will temporarily suspend COVID-19 testing at the beginning of this week. Care STL is the Federally Qualified Health Center which conducts COVID-19 testing for our student-athletes in moderate and high risk sports. This suspension of testing is emblematic of the stress being placed on the healthcare system and facilities because of the recent spike in cases of COVID-19. The timing of this decision impacts a round of testing which we had scheduled for the basketball program, the wrestling program, and a portion of the student-athletes in the hockey program.

Upon being made aware of this decision by Care STL, Dr. Echols and the City of St.Louis Department of Health have affirmed the mandate that members of our teams in moderate and high risk sports must get tested in order to compete against teams from other schools.

In conjunction with Dr. Echols, the SLUH administration, and the coaches of the sports that were scheduled to test on Monday, November 30, we are exploring multiple alternative options for testing with the intent of minimizing the number of contests that need to be rescheduled in those sports. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this added external challenge to our athletics program.

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SLUH REOPENING 
We are altering our plan to have all SLUH students return to campus November 30. The basis for our decision is two-fold: 1. The spike in virus cases throughout the St. Louis region; 2. The increased number of SLUH students and staff in self-isolation as a result of positive tests. Currently 11 members of our community are actively positive and in coronavirus self-isolation, and over 50 are in close contact quarantine.  

While we have had no spread on campus and our numbers are lower than the St. Louis region positivity rate, our students and faculty are facing escalating exposure to COVID-19 at home and throughout the region. We have been averaging more than one new positive case a day in the past week.

In order to provide us with the best chance to get everyone back on campus, we will hold virtual classes the week after Thanksgiving break and assess whether to proceed with fully reopening the following week of December 7. Based upon our assessment, we will either return to in-person classes with all students welcomed back or we will resume our hybrid cohorts. Our timeline will be as follows:

• November 23-25: Retreat days, no classes
• November 26-27: Thanksgiving break
• November 30-December 4: Online classes for the week 
• December 1: Announcement regarding the rest of the semester
• December 3-4: Schedule sequence shifts to periods 1-4 and 5-7 for the rest of the semester (access calendar)
• December 7-16: Campus reopens with hybrid or 100% welcomed back format to close out the semester 
• December 17-21: Semester exams with make-up day on December 22
• December 23-January 3: Christmas break

Our decision was a deeply challenging one. We want all our students to be able to return to campus, but it must be done safely. We understand that some will question and perhaps even dislike our decision. However, we are grateful for your patience and understanding during the current challenges of the pandemic. Our care for your sons is a foundational element of our SLUH mission. We continue to put our trust in God’s providence during this pandemic.  

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
We are starting our biweekly testing of hockey, basketball, racquetball, and wrestling players. The City of St. Louis requires all schools to test these programs every two weeks. After testing nearly 200 fall sport athletes and coaches at least twice, we had only three positive (and asymptomatic) cases. This is a remarkable result demonstrating the diligence of our community and impact of our safety protocols. 

We currently have two staff members and nine students who have tested positive and are completing isolations until cleared by their doctors and the department of health. As evidenced by contact tracing, in none of the cases was the virus contracted at SLUH. 

Since we have reopened, we have had a total of six adult (one a vendor) and 17 student positive cases. As has been the case since reopening, there are some faculty and students in quarantine based on close contacts with positive cases away from our buildings and campus. Currently there are over 50 members of our community in quarantine, an indication of the current spread of the virus in the community. We must remain vigilant.

Last week I announced that on Monday, November 30, we will welcome to campus all students who would like to attend classes in-person four days a week. Next Sunday, November 15, I will send a selection form for attending classes in December, either four days a week or online. In December we will evaluate our return of more students daily and make any adjustments over Christmas break for second semester January 2021. I recognize that each family has unique circumstances, and we support those who prefer to opt for online instruction during the remainder of the semester before committing to return in January. Our HyFlex system was designed to support such shifts.

To assist your decision next week, I have attached a report (below) which outlines our data, projections and safety protocols. With our strict mask-wearing, sanitizing, hand-washing, and Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization air filtration system, we are shifting to a minimum of three feet of distancing for students in classrooms. Six feet will be maintained as close as possible throughout the campus, but three feet will be the minimum. All adults will remain at six-foot distances. With our increased winter testing of moderate and high contact athletes, as well as our Johns Hopkins contact tracing training program, we are ready to make this shift, which has been undertaken successfully by many regional and national schools we have studied. While more quarantines might become necessary, we have successfully been contact tracing and quarantining since the pandemic began. 

We are re-measuring all classrooms and spaces for some major adjustments to furniture, desks, signs and equipment November 24-25. We will be asking our Fathers Club and a number of student groups to assist with the moves during the retreat days before Thanksgiving. I’ll share more details about this project next week.

No student should feel compelled to return to in-person classes after Thanksgiving. SLUH will be one of the safest spaces in the region, but we understand the complexities of the virus spikes, as well as concerns about Thanksgiving travel. If your family is planning to travel or being with others outside your small strict social bubble, you should plan on using the online option to quarantine after Thanksgiving. This is a prudent use of our HyFlex system, and students can return to campus by Monday, December 14, with ample time to prepare for in-person semester exams.

Our reopening process of St. Louis U. High will continue by welcoming all students who wish to attend daily classes in-person starting Monday, November 30. The St. Ignatius and St. Xavier cohorts will continue to alternate their days on campus through Thanksgiving, and we will make the transition to a general return to campus the following Monday.

Before we break for Thanksgiving, we will ask families to commit to either online or in-person classes. Students who remain in or shift to online classes after Thanksgiving will have opportunities to reconsider this in the second semester. Students choosing in-person classes will not have the option of attending classes online unless they are in quarantine or have an excused absence that day.  

As you can imagine, there are many details and adjustments we will address in the near-term. We will communicate more about them in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  

We are able to make this pivot because of the flexibility we created in our current system, as well as the strong commitment to safety demonstrated by our faculty, staff, students and families. We will need to be even more vigilant as we make adjustments in our classroom spacing, common areas, and campus migration. Masks, sanitizing, hand washing, and social distancing will be crucial to this next phase of our reopening, as there will be greater possibilities of quarantines with the expanded student population.  

With the colder weather, upcoming holidays and the transition to winter sports and activities, we must take great care to protect SLUH, our families, and our region from the spread of the virus. Schools in general, and SLUH in particular, have been strong examples of how to safely reopen. We will continue to be measured, consultative and proactive in all we do.

Thank you for your support and understanding in this process. We know this is not the school year anyone wanted, and there are many deeply felt beliefs about pandemic responses. The important next step will bring us all closer to fully reopening our school.

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

The first quarter is complete. Report cards have been mailed and parent teacher conferences are coming up this week. A reminder that first and third quarter report cards are progress reports. Only semester grades are reported to colleges.

The weather is getting colder, which means wintry conditions may soon be upon us. As our students know, snow days will largely be a thing of the past because of our new HyFlex system. However, we will still notify families of closed campus days in the same way we have in the past. 

We will announce campus closures via phone-blast, website, Twitter, and local television and radio. In many cases, snow days will feature online learning, which will be communicated in our messaging. 

Conversely, if campus is open on a day of wintry weather, you should always feel empowered to keep your son at home. Simply give us a call and know that we will support your decision.      

Here is a calendar update for the next few months. We will send an additional updated calendar in late November after our November 1 announcement regarding our next shift toward reopening our campus.

Finally, I’d like to share a special message from our Jesuit leadership in Rome regarding the impact of the pandemic on global Jesuit education. Please take special care to view our Jesuit Superior General’s message “The Pandemic: A Challenge and Great Opportunity.” 

Continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

Friday marked the end of the first quarter. Now we are rapidly moving toward November. As promised, we have begun a review of our pandemic response. We are systematically examining our HyFlex model, evaluating what has worked well and what needs improvement. Because no plan can perfectly respond to a global crisis, we take a continual improvement approach at SLUH.

Your feedback is an important part of our review. We have already heard from many families, but we want to make sure we hear every family’s voice. HERE is a survey. Please carefully read and complete it by Friday, October 23. 

In all major decisions during a pandemic, complexities abound. All schools exist in a unique context. Student population, physical plant, and local governance/regulations provide contexts that must be taken into consideration in any pandemic response. I’m happy to discuss these contexts as you prepare to complete the survey. Please add clarifying comments at the end of the survey. Thank you for your participation.

Other voices that we will consult in our review include:

• Student surveys and interviews
• Faculty surveys and focus groups
• Consultations with alumni in the medical and public health fields
• Conversations with the City of St. Louis Department of Health
• Interviews with administrators who have successfully returned all students to their campuses
• Interviews with administrators who have had to retrench or close their campuses
• Interviews with other administrators in St. Louis City and St. Louis County

We will announce our next phase of reopening on Sunday, November 1. As a result, I have appointed a review committee representing broadly our faculty, staff, administrators, parents, alumni and coaches. The group will help me analyze our data and make a recommendation.

There are clearly strong views and diverging needs among every stakeholder in our community. I ask for your prayers in our deliberation, and I appeal for an assumption of the good in all involved. Each voice is deeply committed to the formation of our young men.  

As the air is starting to turn crisper on Oakland Avenue, the campus is still buzzing about the tremendous fun at Spirit Week last week. We’re grateful to Student Council moderators Mr. Bradley Mueller and Mrs. Megan Menne and the STUCO officers for creating an awesome experience. Now we are quickly advancing to the end of the first quarter, just two weeks distant. Despite the innumerable challenges facing us all, time seems to be racing forward. 

With our senior ACT exams this Tuesday, there will be no Faber Day this week. The scope of administering and proctoring the ACT exam for the entire senior grade in pandemic conditions makes classes for the other students impossible. This will be an opportune catch-up day for the freshmen, sophomores and juniors. For most of our seniors, this will be their first and only opportunity to take the ACT exam -- a major activity for the week. Good luck, seniors! 

Last week we asked all freshmen and sophomores to remain on campus until 3:15 p.m. on 8th periods (typically on Mondays and Tuesdays). The upperclassmen are encouraged to remain as well. There are so many activities now occurring formally and informally; we want to support every Jr. Bill in finding his “thing.” Reminder: On Fridays we publish a guide to the growing list of activities, meetings and events occurring the next week. You can find this at the link below as well. Students arriving into the school will need to check-in through the usual entrance by the Schulte Theater.         

Starting this week, all students whose cohorts are not scheduled to be on campus that day will be allowed to come to campus for 8th period (and afterschool) meetings and programs. As a result, a St. Ignatius cohort student could come to events after 7th period on St. Xavier days. This applies to 8th periods on Mondays and Tuesdays (this week being a rare exception with the ACT exam on Tuesday and St. Xavier day being on Wednesday). All students not in quarantine may come to campus after school for sports and activities as scheduled.  

Our pandemic response team has started a holistic review process of the first quarter. The team utilizes five committees to assist with research, recommendations and implementation:

• Safety and Wellness
• Curriculum and Professional Development
• Schedule
• Co-Curriculars
• Athletics

As a result of the review, the team will work toward a decision and announcement regarding calendar, schedule and safety protocols for the second semester. We anticipate an announcement on Sunday, November 1, of any pivots that we will make. Akin to our decision-making process this past summer, we will consult with public health, medical, and education professionals in our discernment. 

Based on our surveys and many conversations, we know our families and students want to be back on campus to the fullest and safest extent possible. We want this as well and will approach our next pivot with the goals of reopening campus and caring for all the members of our community. Our Hyflex system will allow us to make adjustments in January 2021 which will best serve the complex contexts of all of our students, families, faculty and staff. I will provide updates regularly in this newsletter.   

Additionally, we will make a  major announcement in the next few weeks regarding a new health and wellness initiative at SLUH. The program will provide the opportunity for individualized fitness goals and training. All students will be invited to take part in the program.   

It’s time for Spirit Week – a busy and fun week at SLUH!  Get ready for non-stop ‘80s music and craziness, ranging from tailgates, wiffleball, scavenger hunts, open mic night, a drive-in movie and so much more.

Now that we’re halfway through our third week on campus (our cycles run Thursday through Wednesday), I’ve added a weekly section below with Coronavirus updates related to protocols, news and case counts.  Our diligence continues to prevent the spread of the virus at SLUH.  The protocols truly work, and we are grateful for your diligence at home and around the region.`

As we ramp up our student activities and athletics, we are introducing some new pivots for student engagement. Our first few weeks on campus have been hyper-focused on opening safely and smoothly, and now we can shift to rebuilding our legendary SLUH co-curriculars. In order to support this effort, the following will go into effect this week:

• Freshmen and Sophomores are strongly encouraged to stay on campus until 3:15 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. The 8th Period activity period on both days will feature formal and informal activities for all grades.      
• Each Friday we will distribute a schedule of student activities for the following week. These activities will range from before school, lunchtime, 8th period on Mondays and Tuesdays, and after school. Planning ahead will be key to not missing out on great opportunities for fun and brotherhood. 

Over the weekend consider reviewing the Friday activities bulletin and Sunday ParentConnect with your son(s) to help plan your week as a family. Everything in 2020 seems more challenging and we want to help in your efforts.  

In the next few weeks, I’ll share our process of reviewing the first quarter and preparing for planning for Thanksgiving through Spring Break. There is considerable uncertainty surrounding all elements of our region, but we want to create a clear and transparent process for moving forward into 2021. We will be looking at both what’s worked well and what needs improvement. The pandemic puts great constraints on our school and region, but we will be proactive in living out the SLUH mission. 

As we go into our third cycle of on-campus instruction this coming Thursday, September 24, I want to outline our HyFlex model of reopening campus. This model is being used by many of our 63 Jesuit high schools nationally, as well as many private schools and universities. It is a model that provides great flexibility and capacity to pivot to pandemic conditions. In a time of tremendous uncertainty, such a model makes tremendous sense.  You can review the model in greater detail at the link below.

SLUH has used a seven-period day for many years. While we have reviewed other models as a part of our curriculum review process, the 45-minute period schedule has served us well.  

Synchronous online learning with seven periods is daunting for time management and workload. Seven in-person transitions would add considerably more opportunities for viral spread. Block schedules carry equal challenges for in-person and online learning. The key is to find a system that can shift easily to opening or shutting down a campus. Nobody wants SLUH to close again, but not preparing for that possibility would recreate the chaos of last March.   

The HyFlex system allows a school to offer classes all online, all on campus, or with some form of split. While a seven-period day or pure block schedule can work well enough for either online or in-person work, the adjustments necessary to shift from in-person to online are significant.  Current distancing requirements, coupled with the 1,000 SLUH students and building capacity, necessitates limiting students to 500 per day.

Even as we add more students (hopefully sooner than later), there will be some young men who cannot come to campus for chronic health, quarantine or personal reasons. Our HyFlex system has created broadcasting and interactive capacity in all of our classrooms. Teachers can instruct from home, classrooms or elsewhere. While I would not wish the pandemic on anyone, our COVID response HyFlex model is a remarkable achievement. Someday the masks and distancing will be a distant memory, but the innovations of HyFlex will live on.

We have reopened our SLUH campus after a brief supply chain delay for our safety equipment. We appreciate your patience and support for our efforts to keep the SLUH community safe. This past week, our Sts. Ignatius and Xavier cohorts successfully returned to campus. 

It was really great to see the young men back on campus and share their enthusiasm for life at Backer Memorial. I’m thrilled to see my freshman Human Geography class in person for the first time this week. As we finalize the return to campus adjustments, we look forward to restoring activities, athletics, retreats and community service as we are able to do so. Stay tuned for our progress in these areas.

All students will enter school at the Schulte theater entrance. They will either walk up from the student parking lot or down from the circle drive, forming a socially-distanced queue as they pass through the temperature station and virus symptom check-in. Students will need a phone or iPad to complete the check-in. All students and adults must wear a mask on campus except while eating and drinking. 

The St. Ignatius cohort will be on campus this Thursday, September 10, and the St. Xavier cohort will attend class in-person on Friday, September 11.

School supplies this year will include pandemic resources. Please add the following to your shopping list:

• Three washable facemasks (plain colored with no non-SLUH images or writing);
• Disposable facemasks (generally plan on keeping 2-3 in a sealed bag for the backpack);
• 1 oz. refillable hand sanitizer bottle;
• Small packs of facial tissue for backpack; 
• Hand sanitizer at home for refills (we will have stations for sanitizing hands, but not for filling bottles);
• Durable and comfortable backpack (no lockers will be used and all materials will be brought home each afternoon);
• Refillable water bottle;
• Optional items -- face shield, lunch kit, disposable gloves, small pack of wipes.

Before our September 10 reopening, please review our re-opening plan on the Coronavirus update page. There are many important reminders about arriving, departing and being on campus.   

Please continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayers for your family.

I was asked the other day by a parent if we were settling into a routine on Oakland Avenue. “As SLUH completes its first full week of Academic Year 2021, were we moving toward cruising altitude?” I appreciated the question on so many levels: Care for the SLUH community; confidence in our plan and operations; the opportunity for me to retell stories of gratitude. Part of me was also struck by the complexity of the necessary response. Nothing we have been doing is routine. Yet the whole point of our planning, training and safety protocols is to get us back to a routine resembling last fall. 

I’m happy to say that we are moving toward September 10 with great haste. We are thrilled to be able to invite our students back on campus, filling the building with the energy of teenage boys engaged in the formative activities of learning, creating, solving and forming bonds of brotherhood. There are so many pieces we will need to restore: Athletics, activities, service, retreats, projects, dances, global education, liturgies, field trips, guest speakers, labs, pep rallies, concerts, and many other events we have taken for granted. This restoration will take time, but it will certainly happen. 

This year I have traded teaching seniors in AP Economics for freshmen in Human Geography. These are wonderful young men learning how to think, analyze and take responsibility for their relationship with the world. We are formed by our environment -- and it forms us. Our Human Geo journey creates powerful moments of discovery for the freshmen, and I want to share it with them in person as much as possible. We’re getting closer to that reality. 

Welcome to the 202nd opening of SLUH -- Academic Year 2021. As we begin the fall semester with three weeks of online classes, we are greatly anticipating having the boys back on campus Thursday, September 10. Our various teams are making great progress with the safety equipment and new HVAC filtration system despite the supply chain challenges. While nothing seems to be easy or go according to plan in 2020, the SLUH community embodies the “can-do” mentality so important to Jesuit education. 

As we all know, an optimistic mentality combined with strong talent creates a school capable of overcoming daunting challenges. We are blessed to have such a school. In the spirit of gratitude, I’d like to highlight some of those who have helped us to restart at SLUH. We aren’t reopening perfectly, and there will be glitches along the way. However, we have an outstanding community dedicated to the formation of our young men.

As we begin our Academic Year 2021 journey, I’m grateful for the following:

• Our environmental services, grounds crew, and facilities teams for preparing the campus for a new and unprecedented year;
• The curriculum and professional development committee’s leadership in helping us build and deliver a hyflex model of reopening campus with the flexibility 2020 requires; 
• Our schedule committee which developed the structures and details necessary to run classes here or halfway across the globe;
• Our IT department for preparing classrooms with cameras, microphones, and the technology to teach in myriad ways;
• My administrative team for seizing challenges and generating solutions, partnerships and paths forward;
• Alan Carruthers and the school leadership team for helping keep the bigger picture in focus as we work through the details;
• Our families for protecting us all with their optimism, care for community safety, and encouragement; 
• SLUH alumni who have provided technical, medical, public health, pedagogical, material, spiritual and financial support for our reopening because they want your sons back on campus more than anyone -- and they have responded in powerful ways;
• Our students’ work, particularly the senior class and STUCO, this week has been quiet and often unseen, yet the work is building the brotherhood with encouragement, kindness and care for our younger students;
• The faculty and staff who navigate the indescribable challenges of teaching in the time of pandemic.

Being grateful is an antidote to the anxieties and unknowables we each face daily. I’m personally looking forward to being back in the classroom once more this year, trading AP Economics for Human Geography. My team of freshman geographers and I will be exploring our world in its complexity and beauty, providing another opportunity for gratitude.

Final Reminders about the Start of School This Week

GENERAL INFORMATION
All students will be attending school virtually for the first three weeks from August 20-September 9. School is held 5 days a week.  On Thursday and Friday, beginning August 20th, students will take classes in Periods 1-4 and on Monday and Tuesday will take classes in Periods 5-7. On Wednesday, all students will meet their teachers for attendance at the beginning of each of the 7 periods. Following attendance, the teachers will work with their students to discuss the plan of the day.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH 3DAY/2DAY A WEEK CLASSES
Your teacher will provide a full schedule for the semester, but here are your meeting days for the first cycle of classes.  A full cycle runs Thursday though Wednesday.  This schedule covers August 20-26.  

If a student has a 3 day a week class, such as Human Geography, Drawing I, Oral Interpretation, Lab Band, Concert Chorus, or Advanced Computer Topics, he will meet on Thursday 8/20 if the class meets in periods 1-4 and will meet on Monday 8/24 if the class meets in periods 5-7.  The student will also meet on Wednesday 8/26 (Faber Day).

If a student has a 2 day a week class, such as PE, Weights, Yoga, or Computer Security, he will meet on Friday 8/21 if the class meets in periods 1-4 and will meet on Tuesday 8/25 if the class meets in periods 5-7. Your teacher will explain to you when you would meet next after the first meeting.

THE BEGINNING OF EACH CLASS
Students should log into the class in CANVAS and click on the Zoom Link at the top of the Home Page.  Students should come to their classes prepared with all the equipment required by the instructors and in proper dress for the Zoom class which includes a collared shirt and no headwear or pajamas. Phones should be put away unless being used in the class.

BELL SCHEDULE
Schedule --85 minute classes--begin at 8:30-end at 3:15
(10-minute break during the 85 minute class which would be assigned so that all students are not breaking at the same time.)

Days when Ignatius 1-4 or Xavier 1-4 meet
7:15-8:15 Zero Hour Class
7:50-8:25 Mass
8:30-10:10 Attendance, Prayer Service, Period 1
10:15-11:40 Period 2
11:45- 12:15 Lunch (Fr/So)
11:45- 1:10 Period 3a (Jr/Sr)
12:20-1:45 Period 3b (Fr/So)
1:15- 1:45 Lunch (Jr/Sr)
1:50-3:15  Examen and Period 4

Days when Ignatius 5-7 or Xavier 5-7 meet
7:15-8:15 Zero Hour Class
7:50-8:25 Mass
8:30-10:10 Attendance, Prayer Service, Period 5
10:15-11:40 Period 6
11:45- 12:15 Lunch (Fr/So)
11:45- 1:10 Period 7a (Jr/Sr)
12:20-1:45 Period 7b (Fr/So)
1:15- 1:45 Lunch (Jr/Sr)
1:50-3:15 Examen and time for co-curriculars, liturgies, meeting teachers, class meetings etc.

Faber Day Schedule
7:15-8:15 Zero Hour Class
8:30-9:25 Attendance, Prayer Service, Period 1
9:30-10:15 Period 2
10:20-10:30 Break
10:35-11:20 Period 3
11:25-12:10 Period 4a (Jr/Sr)
11:25-11:55 Lunch (Fr/So)
12:00-12:45 Period 4b(Fr/So)
12:15-12:45 Lunch (Jr/Sr)
12:50-1:35 Period 5
1:40-2:25 Period 6
2:30-3:15 Period 7

HOMEWORK
The expectation will be that approximately 40 minutes of homework would be assigned for each block of regular classes (80 minutes per week) and approximately 60 minutes of homework would be assigned for each AP/Advanced/Honors class (2 hours per week).  Homework will only be collected on days when the student has that class. No work will be due on Faber Days outside of class meeting time assignments which will be submitted by the end of the class.

It’s hard to believe we are beginning the 2021 academic year this week. The past five months have felt like a decade because of quick movement to a lockdown during spring break, online learning for the fourth quarter, synchronous summer school programs, the creation of our plan for this year, and the work necessary to reopen our campus safely and impactfully.

There are many details regarding this week and the start of the year. Please read all of the following information carefully.

• In our initial survey in July, we had solicited the opinions of all students’ families regarding reopening school using a number of possible scenarios. Then in a second survey last week we requested formal selection of a scenario. 
• Approximately 25% of our families have not yet designated their choice of either fully online or hyflex in-person classes. 

As a result, it is critical we hear from each family for each student. If you have not already done so, please respond to the survey HERE. If you do not select an option, we will place your student in the on-campus hyflex program.

• This Thursday, August 20, we will start the year with online classes for three weeks as we complete the installation of our state-of-the-art HVAC ventilation system. In the meantime we will use the block schedule explained in the published July 24 plan available below. 
• On Thursday, September 10, in-person classes by cohorts will begin.
• Faber Days will be academic days for the first month. We will post a semester schedule of Faber Day special programs on September 16. Some of these programs will take place on campus and will be clearly marked on the schedule and school calendar. Typically, students will complete academic work at home on Faber Days.
• Student activities will generally take place on campus during Period 8 on Monday and Tuesday, as well as before and after school on non-Faber days. 

We will publish a campus safety protocols document next week which covers school policies for campus arrival/departure, PPE, moving about the campus, lunch, free time, reporting symptoms and positive cases, campus visitors, cleaning hands and surface areas, and many other details.

• Class meetings this Tuesday (August 18) will feature many details regarding the start of the year. HERE is some information about meeting days for classes that met only 2-3 times per week before our new block schedule. 
• Some freshmen have not yet submitted their paperwork to start the school year. Please check THIS LIST and submit the documents as instructed. Students cannot attend SLUH activities or classes until they submit the required  information. 

Information about Freshman Direction Day (Monday, August 17) and the Orientation and Mass of the Holy Spirit (Tuesday, August 18) follows my note to you this week. At the Mass of the Holy Spirit, our provincial will celebrate this traditional liturgy to bless the school year. Of special note, we will renew our Jesuit Sponsorship Agreement, which provides accreditation and membership within the Society Jesus’ national network of 63 elite Jesuit schools. Below is more information about the Sponsorship Review process and six-year cycle.  

Also at the Mass, I will profess my Final Vows, the last step of Jesuit formation. I entered the Jesuits in 1995, was ordained in 2006, and have served at six American and European Jesuit high schools. It’s been a tremendous 25-year journey. Please watch THIS VIDEO for more information on Final Vows, including the actual universal vow formula I will be using. It has been several decades since a Jesuit has professed his final vows at SLUH, thus we will livestream this liturgy. You will be able to access the livestream via the link on the SLUH homepage (www.sluh.org).

Please continue to be safe and well. Know of my daily prayer for your family.

THIS WEEK

Monday, August 17
Freshman Direction Day 8-11 am (Ignatius Cohort) 12-3 pm (Xavier Cohort)
Transfer Student Orientation 9 am

Tuesday, August 18
Class Meetings 8:30 am (Ignatius Cohort)
Mass of the Holy Spirit 10:00 am (Ignatius Cohort)
Mass of the Holy Spirit 1:00 pm (Xavier Cohort)
Class Meetings 2:00 pm (Xavier Cohort)

Wednesday, August 19
Faculty Meeting

Thursday, August 20
First Day of Classes
Periods 1-4 (Virtual)

Friday, August 21
Periods 1-4 (Virtual)

In order to safely reopen campus, we are closely following CDC directives and advice from our medical consultants. We must implement three critical safety protocols in order to welcome students and adults back to Oakland Avenue: 

1.  Everyone must wear a mask.  
2.  Everyone must maintain personal distancing of six feet.  
3.  Aerosol spread of droplets must be prevented. 

We are in great shape for the first two protocols and are close to completing the third as I describe in the following update. 

Part of our plan to limit aerosol spread will be the installation of state-of-the-art GPS Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) equipment into the ductwork of all the rooftop ventilation units and onto the air circulation system in the J-WIng classrooms and offices. The benefits will include: Particle reduction; odor elimination; the killing of pathogens (bacteria, viruses and mold); energy reduction by up to 30%. We are blessed to have the means and the access to this equipment. Unfortunately, supply chain delays have pushed back the installation completion to Tuesday, September 8.

Because of the outdoor and shorter duration aspects of the orientation activities, we will proceed with freshman Direction Day (August 17) and class meetings (August 18) on campus. However, the first three weeks of classes will be online. The first day of in-person classes will be Thursday, September 10, for the St. Ignatius cohort.  

We are fully committed to the safety of our community, as well as to holding in-person classes. Our NPBI filter reflects our continued pursuit of excellence and will make us one of the safest schools in the region. We are grateful for your family’s support in our safety protocols.

Of equally great importance, it is time to formally commit to either in-person or full-time online instruction. Please complete this survey by Wednesday, August 12.

>>> View entire ParentConnect update