Thank you for your continued support as we navigate the
implications of the COVID-19 outbreak together.
The following update is from the 6-26-20 Principal
Newsletter emailed to families.
“An incredibly dedicated team of St. Francis
teachers, administrators, technology, and facilities members
have been diligently exploring options to create the best plan
for reopening school in August. The team considered safety
guidance from the county and state, the needs expressed by our
students and teachers, technical and physical campus resources,
and discussions happening in local school districts and private
schools. Potential plans were presented to a larger group of
teachers representing all academic disciplines.
Their review criteria focused on maximizing student instructional
minutes and student-teacher contact points, teacher office hours
and availability for students, teacher prep and collaboration
time with peers, reducing student numbers to ensure compliance
with physical distancing practices, as well as ease of
adaptability for a full distance learning model if needed at any
point in the year. The overwhelming response from the team and
administration was that a new 70-minute synchronous learning
model would net the best results for our students.
The health and safety of our students, families, and staff is
always our primary concern, and we are closely monitoring the
COVID-19 situation. As a faculty and staff, we are especially
empathetic to our students who are missing some of the
traditional St. Francis High School experiences. Our goal is to
continue to support the whole student – academically, socially,
and emotionally. We are aware of the mental toll that this
transition may take, and our Wellness, Campus Ministry, and
Guidance teams are continuously collecting support resources for
our community and are ready to serve your daughter when school
resumes in August.
As of this writing and our current realities, we have outlined
our initial plans for the 2020-21 academic year in this document.
Undoubtedly, plans may be updated by future developments in
public health and governing guidelines. We will continue sending
the Principal’s weekly newsletter throughout the summer and
posting updates outlining more details as they become available.
Click HERE for the link to the Safe Return to School
Plan PDF”
In response to COVID-19, we pivoted quickly to support our
students’ academic learning with an instructor-led Distance
Learning Program. Here’s what some of our students had to say
about their experience:
“A lot of teachers helped us during this time, and made me feel
like we were physically in class. They gave us meaningful work
that helped us learn”
” Our school definitely earns an A for our transition to
distance learning. Compared to nearly all of the schools in
Sacramento, we were the first and fastest to begin distance
learning. The schedule and “signing in for every block” also
gave me a routine and sense of responsibility. It kept me
productive throughout the day and gave me work that was similar
to the amount I would receive at school. I certainly consider
our distance learning successful”
“I would give SFHS an “A” in distance learning. Teachers made
plans for their classes quickly and were still able to teach
their students. Most schools did not do distance learning or
simply held zoom calls every so often, but our system was a
successful replica of actual school”.
