Overview

Kennedy Catholic High School’s mission is to graduate leaders following Christ in a school community that is accessible, diverse, and committed to pursuing the full potential of every student. Any plan allowing students to return to campus for in-person learning will be grounded in this mission.

As the State of Washington and King County contain the community spread of the coronavirus, Kennedy Catholic will assess the conditions under which students may return to campus for in-person learning.

Although the Archdiocese of Seattle aligned its decision to start the school year implementing 100% distance learning for all students in accordance with the Governor’s Decision Tree for Provision of In Person Learning among K-12 Students at Public and Private Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic re-opening schools and in consultation with Public Health – Seattle & King County, the decision to re-open campuses for in-person learning is a school-level decision.

The administrative team at Kennedy Catholic will monitor the local conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and will consult with officials from local public health agencies, and the Archdiocese of Seattle, prior to announcing any decision regarding a return to campus.

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is the top priority for any return to campus. While risk of exposure and transmission of the coronavirus cannot be eliminated, compliance with the publicly-accepted guidelines for safe interactions, implementation of appropriate health and safety protocols, and control of community spread will establish the necessary conditions to mitigate risks sufficiently to allow a return to campus.

If a decision is made to return to campus under the Lancer Hybrid Learning Plan, Kennedy Catholic will phase in implementation until approximately 50% of students are on campus for any given day of in-person instruction.

Under a hybrid instructional model, half of our students will attend classes on campus for two consecutive days (A and B schedules, typically on Mondays and Tuesdays) while the other half will attend classes online synchronously at home (following the same schedule). The two groups alternate on Thursdays and Fridays, thereby having every student learn both online and in-person during a school week. Every Wednesday, students will have a day for independent work, individual follow-up with teachers, and potential community building activities, while teachers have additional time for planning and professional development. Please see Schedule for more details.

OVERVIEW CONT.

Although the Lancer Hybrid Learning Plan presumes a part-time return to campus for students, Kennedy Catholic may have to adjust these plans depending on circumstances related to the pandemic. It is likely situations may arise related to COVID-19 that necessitate a return to full, distance learning off-campus. While we are prepared for these scenarios to be as seamless a transition for all students, faculty, staff, and families as possible, it important to realize that advance notice may be difficult to ensure in all cases.

While we have implemented several precautions to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission, we recognize that our families have a wide range of comfort levels regarding a return to campus. Until it is possible for Kennedy Catholic to have all students return to campus daily, we will accommodate requests by parents to keep students at home and participate in a 100% distance learning model.

This Lancer Hybrid Learning Plan: Returning to Campus was created due to the commitment, dedication, and wisdom of the faculty and staff at Kennedy Catholic who agreed to serve on the Best Practices and Planning Committee. The priorities of health and safety and maintaining the Kennedy Catholic experience are reflected in the specific action steps. Included among these are:

Restricting campus access to only Kennedy Catholic employees and students. Limited visitors will be allowed only with prior appointments.

Adherence to federal and state guidelines published by the Washington Department of Health, Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the safe return of students to campus, including the wearing of masks and social distancing.

Revised bell schedule to accommodate students who are learning either on campus or at home.

Access to additional support to assist vulnerable and struggling students.

Care for, and support of, faculty and staff.

Developing special programming to enhance the Kennedy Catholic community, especially incoming students.

Commitment to providing as many co-curricular offerings as is permissible within health guidelines.