COVID-19 Info

A few takeaways to note:

• Daily Monitoring of Health
• Upper Grades are in rosters
• Lunch in classes to start the school year
• Masks optional for outside recess and phys ed

Dear Parents, 

We hope that everyone had a special and enjoyable Christmas holiday with their families and loved ones. 

Unfortunately, it seems as though this holiday season is being overshadowed by the impact of the rampant spread of the Omicron variant throughout the country. We know that many of you are dealing with some impact of COVID-19 during this holiday break. We hope that you and your families recover and/or remain healthy throughout the days and weeks ahead.

We want to share our updated quarantine policy with you, and how it pertains to our students, faculty, and volunteers. Effectively immediately, St. Anastasia School will follow the CDC’s five day quarantine recommendations for a person who is symptomatic or a close contact of someone with COVID-19.  

We have attached a quick reference sheet for you to read through to determine the appropriate quarantine period, depending on personal vaccination status. This information is important and can impact everyone a little differently, so please take time to read through the guidance. We've also included the link to the CDC's updated guidance for a more detailed explanation, if needed. 

We still plan to return to in-person learning on Monday, January 3, 2022 and will follow the CDC's new five day quarantine guidance. 

Virtual learning will only be offered on a case by case basis where a student is sick or quarantining due to COVID-19. Virtual learning may begin on Day 2 of a student’s absence. We request that Day 1 of an absence is considered a sick day, so teachers have ample time to gather materials and resources to be sent home. 

Confirmed test results will need to be provided to the school nurse and administration for tracking and data purposes. When notifying the school about a COVID case in your family, please include your child’s teacher(s), the school nurse, and the administration on your communication. 

As always, our hope is that those who are sick or feeling sick follow the proper guidelines to keep others well. This will help prevent the spread of illness. All this information is as new to us as it is to you. Please be patient and flexible in the upcoming weeks, as things may spike and change with new data and/or concerns. 

We wish everyone a happy, HEALTHY, and safe start to 2022!

Mrs. Doyle and Mrs. Brown

Important Updates for 

COVID-19 Quarantine Guidelines 

December 29, 2021

St. Anastasia School will follow the CDC’s newest guidance regarding COVID-19 and quarantine periods. Please read how it affects you and your family:

•   If you test positive for COVID-19 you should quarantine for 5 days
  • After 5 days of quarantine and you are non-symptomatic, then you may return to school/work wearing a well fitting mask for the next 5 days
    • Test on Day 5, if possible
    • Must remain fever free
• If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19, below is the guidelines given your vaccination status:
  •  Unvaccinated: Quarantine for 5 days then strict mask usage for the next 5 days
    • Test on Day 5, if possible
    • If symptoms occur, you should quarantine until you get tested
•   More than 2 Months from J&J Vaccine: Quarantine for 5 days then strict mask usage for the next 5 days
  • Test on Day 5, if possible
  •  If symptoms occur, you should quarantine until you get tested
• More than 6 months from Moderna or Pfizer Vaccine: Quarantine for 5 days then strict mask usage for the next 5 days
  • Test on Day 5, if possible
  • If symptoms occur, you should quarantine until you get tested
• Vaccinated and Boosted: No quarantine is necessary (if asymptomatic) but should wear a mask for 10 days
  • Test on Day 5, if possible
  •  If symptoms occur, you should quarantine until you get tested 

** The five day count begins on the day of symptom onset or day of positive test result in asymptomatic individuals**

 Link to CDC Guidance below:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html

AOP Mask Mandate Update

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we mentioned in our prior COVID-19 communication, St. Anastasia School and the SAS Task Force will seek  guidance from the Office of Catholic Education (OCE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health in making school-wide decisions related to our COVID-19 plan and safety protocols. We also stated that any reopening plans were subject to change based on new data and information. 

The Office of Catholic Education and the CSO Task Force have determined that optional masking is not possible at this time due to the transmission level in our county. Currently, Delaware County is at a  HIGH level of community transmission.   While we are in a HIGH or SUBSTANTIAL transmission level, masks will be required, not optional. The masking waiver, we previously mentioned, is not permitted during HIGH and SUBSTANTIAL levels of transmission. OCE has set these guidelines, and we will follow them as they pertain to our community. However, as mentioned in their statement, OCE will be employing a  flexible strategic approach that will be responsive to the transmission level of the community. When community level is low, there will be less mitigating practices and when the spread is high, greater mitigating practices will be implemented. Additional information and resources can be found on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s website.

We look forward to welcoming our students back to St. Anastasia School for in- person learning in just a few short weeks. We also want to provide families and teachers the assurance of an in-person learning experience, as we believe this is the most beneficial way for students to learn and socialize. We will continue to update our COVID-19 plans to reflect the necessary mitigating measures that keep our school open and students and faculty safe from any unnecessary COVID-19 exposure.

We hope to work together and support each other for another successful school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Doyle and Mrs. Brown

August 23, 2021 AOP Superintendent Letter
Dear Parents and Guardians,

Above is a link to a letter from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Superintendent regarding opening schools and COVID mitigation practices the schools will follow for the beginning of the school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Beth Doyle and Mrs. Carolyn Brown
 

Dear Parents,

We hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy, and enjoying their summer. We look forward to seeing our teachers and students back at school soon! 

Similar to last year, the start of the 2021 school year is surrounded with questions and concerns on the rise of COVID cases, masking in school, and varying medical recommendations published in the media and by local medical organizations.  We would like to share with you what we know at this point, however, reserve the right to change our plans based on new data and guidelines. Thank you in advance for your support, cooperation, and flexibility as we all prepare for September. 

We recognize that the new Delta variant, and rise in confirmed COVID cases, have many concerned about how we will begin the school year, and  what safety measures we will take to ensure the health and wellness of our school community.  

As we’ve seen in the past, the guidance and insight from various health organizations and medical professionals can be conflicting and transitional. St. Anastasia School and the SAS Task Force will seek  guidance from the Office of Catholic Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Health in making school-wide decisions related to our COVID-19 plan and safety protocols. A change from last year is that  Chester County Health Department will no longer provide COVID guidance to Delaware County schools. Instead, Delaware County schools will follow PA Department of Health’s protocols and guidelines.  

The goal for St. Anastasia School is to open our school with the capability and assurance to provide families, students, and teachers with an in-person learning experience.  We strongly believe that in-person learning is the most effective and optimal learning environment for our students’ and teachers’ academic, emotional, mental, and social well-being. We want all those that can attend school, with no or little risk, to be at school. 

We will only offer virtual learning in the event of a confirmed, inschool, COVID exposure that would lead to a quarantine or isolation period of  St. Anastasia students or faculty member(s). The only other exception will be for families with children, or immediate household family members, dealing with a documented, severe medical pre-existing condition(s). Virtual learning will not be offered as an alternative for any other reason such as vacations, regular absences/sickness, or family emergencies. 

At this time, our guidance strongly recommends masking, indoors, for anyone who is not fully vaccinated. We will recommend that anyone, who is not fully vaccinated, wear a mask while in the school building. We will encourage all faculty members to wear a mask during the school day to reduce the risk of possible exposure to the virus.  Masks will not need  to be worn during outside activities such as recess, or during prolonged physical activities such as gym class. 

We fully accept that the school’s position is not going to please everyone. We, also, are aware of the strong opinions, social media groups,  and petitions circulating against children wearing masks in school. We respect everyone’s right to have their opinion.  Although we will strongly recommend masking, we are mindful of the negative effects of any mask mandate. We will make provisions  for those who oppose our mask policy.  We are working with the Office of Catholic Education, and their CSO Task Force  to implement a “Mask Waiver” for those who feel that a mask will be detrimental to their child’s overall physical and emotional well-being.

More information and detailed directives will be released soon. St. Anastasia School will continue to meet and seek guidance from the appropriate medical organizations and make the necessary accommodations to our reopening plan as needed. Please note, everything is subject to change based on new guidance and data in the weeks ahead. We ask for everyone’s cooperation and flexibility as we work together on the start of a new school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Beth Doyle and Mrs. Carolyn Brown