Dear St. Mary families,
In everything we do, the safety of our students and staff is our top concern.
As you know, under the order of Governor DeWine, all schools in the State of
Ohio have been ordered to close for a period of time in response to the
Coronavirus (COVID-19). We will be closed Monday, March 16 through Sunday,
April 5 and plan to resume classes on Monday, April 6. During this difficult
time, we understand the stress and uncertainty that this causes our students,
families and staff. We will do our best to communicate with you often.
Thankfully, everyone in
the St. Mary School community is safe and healthy at this time. As we do with
all health-related cases, we work closely with our local health agencies. If
anyone in our community was exposed to COVID-19 our administration would be
notified immediately. It has come to our
attention that there are rumors that someone within our St. Mary family has
tested positive for COVID-19. It is unfortunate to hear such a rumor. To be
clear that is completely untrue. No one in our St. Mary School family has tested positive for the virus. As a Catholic school, dedicated to kindness, love and care unto others, we want to remind everyone that even in the midst of uncertain times, it’s important that we work together to maintain a positive message and not share information that is not verified or shared directly from our administration.
Again, as we do in all health-related cases, we are working closely with our local health departments. We also receive additional guidance from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Governor’s Office, the Ohio Department of Education, the Diocese of Youngstown and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Our school has taken all of the precautions recommended
to us keep our students and staff safe and healthy.
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Our staff has worked closely with students to
encourage best hygiene practices
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Staff and administration have been cognizant of
building cleanliness
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Our administrators have continually reviewed safety
plans
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Communication lines have been constant and continual
between our administration and the appropriate health agencies
We are blessed to have a strong, Catholic school family to lean
on through this time. Please join us in dispelling any rumors you may hear
about COVID-19 exposure at St. Mary. This is an essential practice to ensure
that factual information is shared within our community during this challenging
time. Most importantly, join us in prayer for the continued well-being of
everyone in our St. Mary family and beyond.
We are sending our prayers to
all of those affected by COVID-19. We
will continue to keep our students, staff, the St. Mary family, the
community-at-large, our state, and our nation in our prayers. Stay healthy and
safe! We will miss our students and look forward to seeing them and all of you
all again soon.
Jennifer Fischer, Principal
St. Mary Catholic School