COVID-19 Response
COVID-19 has created for us an ever changing reality of best practices. St. Edward School COVID-19 task force members and the principal keep abreast of new recommendations from the CDC, MDH and others. The task force will continue to meet as necessary. Recommendations are evaluated and implemented as necessary.
The principal communicates these changes to staff, students, family members and the larger community as needed via staff meetings, the weekly parent letter, the church bulletin, on the school web-site and any other media that is deemed necessary.
We thank the community for its support of our efforts during these unprecedented times!
In His Easter homily, Pope Francis offered a message of hope and new beginnings that speaks to us now as we prepare for a new academic year: “In these dark months of the pandemic, let us listen to the risen Lord as he invites us to begin anew and never lose hope. It is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures." The schools of the Diocese of New Ulm live in a world of hope every September as we joyfully anticipate the new academic year. This year is no different.
On July 28, 2021, the MN Department of Health provided recommendations for return to school protocols based on the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) latest guidance. We have designed a collaborative plan for the schools of the Diocese of New Ulm that has taken into account the needs of our schools and families, MN Department of Health/CDC recommendations and protocols, as well as the educational and personal experience we have gained in coping with this world-wide pandemic over the past 18 months.
As Catholic schools, we take seriously the responsibility to develop the whole child: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and academically. Last year forced us to make the physical needs of our children the highest priority. Maintaining a high level of physical safety continues to be a priority as students return to the classroom.
The plan that follows is based on current needs and data. Guidance may be modified as needed and communicated to school communities in the months ahead. At a minimum and barring any legal mandates from the State of MN for nonpublic schools, all Catholic schools in the Diocese of New Ulm will implement the following strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the 2021-2022 academic year.