Coronavirus Information & Updates

Eastside Catholic will transition to our Hybrid Learning Model on January 25 for middle school students and February 1 for high school students.

Please review the community email sent January 8 for details and the link to our 2020-21 Second Semester Reopening Guide.

Dear EC Student and Family,

First, I want to take a moment to recognize and applaud the effort our students and families are putting into academic growth. On behalf of everyone at EC, we appreciate the perseverance and determination to succeed despite being in a remote learning model.

As much as we had hoped to return to campus in a Hybrid Learning Model on November 2, I have made the difficult decision to postpone a return to campus at this time.

As has been the case throughout the pandemic, a number of data points and guidelines influenced this decision. King County has returned to a high-risk status with an infection rate of 93 per 100,000 with key indicators of daily case count and case positivity trending much higher in the last three weeks. Infection rates in ZIP codes where our families and employees live also reflect the rising infection rates. And, with the onset of flu season and the upcoming prospects for potential spread during the holidays, we feel the wisest and safest decision is to pause and continue in the Remote Learning Model for the time being.

I recognize that reactions to this announcement may range from disappointment, to frustration, to relief. It is deeply disappointing to me, as well as our faculty and staff, that we are not able to open in a hybrid model at this time.

Eastside Catholic is committed to returning to campus once numbers return to the “moderate zone” of 74 cases per 100K, at which time our faculty and staff are fully prepared to welcome our students back. We will continue to monitor public health guidance and review metrics to identify the conditions necessary for us to transition back to campus. It will take Eastside Catholic approximately 7-10 days to transition our curriculum from all remote learning to hybrid learning based on the work we have done up to this point.

Secondly, I will also be examining other metrics and guidance in addition to the current Department of Health Guidelines as, in my opinion, current guidance has not been consistently applied in some instances. For example, following WIAA guidance, sports teams may practice and even scrimmage, bringing much needed physical, emotional and social release under closely supervised circumstances. This guidance is in stark contrast to the guidance provided for performing arts, which are prevented from playing instruments even if they are outdoors and physically distanced. Current state public health guidance is also in contrast to recent studies by the University of Colorado and the National Federation of State High Schools (NFSH) on how to safely engage in performing art activities.

By reviewing State recommendations, in conjunction with a thoughtful review of the metrics available by the CDC, WHO and Harvard Global Health Institute, we will be able to best serve our community needs as we head into 2021. I will also review the risk management of aligning with a metric or metrics that differ from the current Washington State Department of Public Health recommendations. The goal is to identify if there is a viable path forward for in-person learning during second semester that’s more finely tuned to our specific situation and to serve our student and family needs.
 
Finally, community and connections remain essential for our students’ emotional and spiritual wellness. We are committed to expanding opportunities to strengthen these crucial personal interactions through in-person events as safely as we can. We have already had success bringing small groups of students to campus under the current public health guidelines for science labs, a drama recording production, pods of student-athletes for small group practices, Options Program students for academic support and juniors for PSAT testing.

More opportunities are planned in the coming weeks, including retreats like Destiny, as well as transfer students being invited to attend small group activities next week. This list will continue to grow as we seek to extend opportunities to all student body members.

As we say at the end of prayer each morning, please continue to take care of one another. Now more than ever, that sentiment is true in our actions and interactions with others. I appreciate your understanding as we navigate this challenging time and as always, I remain open to hearing from you. You can reach me at gpicciotto@eastsidecatholic.org with your questions, comments or thoughts. Please continue to stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Family,

As you may have heard, we have had a small number of students recently test positive for COVID-19. The initial exposure(s) occurred off-campus and currently, we have no evidence of community spread from on-campus activities. Once we were made aware of positive tests, we began contact tracing immediately. Any student who had COVID-19 exposure was told they need to quarantine (14 day quarantine regardless of test results), inform the school if they develop COVID-19 symptoms and were asked to be tested for COVID-19 before returning to campus. Close contacts are asked to be tested no sooner than 5-7 days after exposure to receive the most accurate test results. Testing too soon after exposure may result in a negative test at that time, but the individual may still have COVID-19 due to the incubation period of the virus. Exposure is defined as being within six feet of someone for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour time period.
 
Eastside Catholic contact tracing and actions are based on the guidelines set forth here: kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/schools-childcare/toolkit.aspx
 
This reinforces recent data that the majority of transmissions of COVID-19 currently are occurring at small, social gatherings; not airports, schools, restaurants or grocery stores where masks and physical distancing precautions are being followed.
 
With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, this is a reminder of the individual responsibility we all have to help curb the spread of the virus. We have and will continue to reinforce the message of vigilance around wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands both on campus and off. Taking these steps is critical to getting us all back to normal.
 
HIPAA laws prevent us from giving any identifying information about students or employees, but rest assured we have diligently followed up on every lead with our contact tracing.

We have another survey for parents and guardians to complete as we continue to assess and improve our remote learning. Even as we approach an eventual transition to hybrid learning, this information is valuable to our administrators as some students will choose to learn remotely when we transition to a Hybrid Learning Model and hybrid learning itself includes a significant amount of remote learning due to the nature of A/B schedules. Please complete the survey by Thursday, October 29.

Thank you for your support during this time. We appreciate our community members' efforts and vigilance in adhering to CDC guidelines, which include physical distancing and mask-wearing to minimize community spread. We are hopeful that with everyone doing their part, the numbers will stabilize at a place where we can welcome our students back to the classroom.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Student and Family,

We continue to monitor COVID-19 case numbers for our community. As King County numbers fluctuate, it remains too early to determine if Eastside Catholic should pause our reopening plans. On October 26, we will make a final decision about reopening campus on November 2 for our Hybrid Learning Model to allow additional time to evaluate the data as it becomes fully available.

We will continue with our scheduled hybrid training days for faculty on October 22, 23 and 28. Some classes will have assigned asynchronous work on these days. Students should communicate directly with their teachers so they know if they will have work assigned on these days. We are holding these training days in the coming weeks as our planned training days in August for the Hybrid Learning Model were changed to focus on remote learning best practices. This adjustment aligned Eastside Catholic with Governor Inslee’s and the Washington State Department of Public Health’s recommendation to open the school year in remote learning. The additional training for remote learning allowed EC to deliver a strong program at the start of the school year.

Moving to a hybrid model mid-semester adds additional logistics and safety protocols to the normal school day operations - from entering the building safely, to teachers engaging with three groups of students for each class (A group, B group and those students who are fully remote). Instructional best practices have evolved since August and we can now apply these practices to the benefit of our entire school community. Ultimately, we believe several days of additional training focused on the Hybrid Learning Model will ensure we can offer an exceptional approach to learning with the appropriate protocols and practices in place to open safely.  

We remain hopeful that we can return in a Hybrid Learning Model. While the numbers have fluctuated, we have seen no community spread in schools that are open in our region who are wearing masks and practicing physical distancing. Additionally, we have been operating a one-room schoolhouse for our teachers’ children so that our faculty can commit themselves fully, as they always do, to teaching EC students. Our Options Program students are also currently on campus two days each week as permitted by the current public health recommendations. Even with these additional students on campus, we have had no cases of COVID-19 and no community spread in the schoolhouse.

If we are unable to bring students back to campus for the Hybrid Learning Model on November 2, we will continue to bring small groups of students to campus and will work to increase these opportunities by grade level.

Thank you for your support during this time. We appreciate our community members' efforts and vigilance in adhering to CDC guidelines, which include physical distancing and mask-wearing to minimize community spread. We are hopeful that with everyone doing their part, the numbers will stabilize at a place where we can welcome our students back to the classroom.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Student and Family,

Please review the below updates as we continue to prepare for our transition to a Hybrid Learning Model currently scheduled for November 2.

Updated King County Infection Rates
As of today, October 9, the King County COVID-19 infection rate over the past two weeks remains below 75 cases per 100,000. Exact numbers differ depending on the dashboard you view. As a reminder, the level of cases must remain below 75 cases per 100,000 and community spread in K-5 schools needs to remain low for EC to open in a hybrid. Numbers have been trending upward recently, but we are still within the acceptable range. You can view the dashboards that we are monitoring with updated numbers from the Washington State Department of Health and the King County COVID-19 data dashboard. You will note the State dashboard tends to lag behind the County dashboard. We are also working to develop a weighted average based on where our students, faculty and staff live to have a better understanding as to numbers directly correlated to the EC community.

Next Three Weeks: Remote Learning Schedules
Due to PSAT, MAP testing and hybrid training for faculty and staff, our remote learning schedules will be slightly different for the next three weeks. The schedules are posted on the Family Information webpage under Forms and Information, All School. Please note the days that will include asynchronous learning.

Reminder for How to Access A/B Groupings
Please follow these instructions and log in to PlusPortals to access your student's A/B grouping and your choice for hybrid or remote learning once we transition into a Hybrid Learning Model. Please note: We cannot accommodate A/B grouping changes. These group assignments are valid for Semester 1 only and will be recalculated for Semester 2. Please review the below information about hybrid and remote options for when we transition to a hybrid model.

If your family chose to transition to hybrid learning when it became available and now would like to change to remote learning, please email Registrar Kathy Silverman by Friday, October 23.
For families that opted to continue in remote learning, those students will continue to join their classes virtually through Semester 1.

If you have questions about your student's hybrid/remote choice, please contact Registrar Kathy Silverman.

Buses
We will be offering busing once we return to the Hybrid Learning Model. Our provider is retiming routes due to changes in traffic patterns and we will have updates to schedules in the coming week or so.

Parking Permits
Parking permits will not be required until Semester 2. We will send more information regarding pricing and how to sign up for a parking permit later this year.

Flu Shots
The CDC recommends everyone over the age of six months should consider a flu shot to protect themselves from the flu and reduce the strain on healthcare systems. King County school-aged students can receive vaccinations - and anyone over the age of four can receive a flu shot - at a free vaccination and flu clinic on October 10, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Kent ShoWare Center. Additional information available online.

Students Must Sign Two Documents Prior to Return to Campus
Please check in with your student and make sure they have completed their Canvas on-boarding which includes signing two documents: Academic Integrity Pledge and Code of Conduct. Instructions on how to get to and complete these documents can be found online. Students who have not signed these documents will not be able to return to campus for in-person learning, extracurricular activities including band, athletic practice or retreats. Questions? Contact Dean of Students Soonja Larsen.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we develop the best plan to have students, faculty and staff together on campus again.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Family,

Please review the below updates as we continue to prepare for our transition to a Hybrid Learning Model on November 2.

Updated King County Infection Rates
As of today, the King County COVID-19 infection rate over the past two weeks is 50 cases per 100,000. As a reminder, the level of cases must remain below 75 and community spread in K-5 schools needs to remain low for EC to open in a hybrid model on November 2. We will continue to monitor these numbers in case numbers go above 75 cases per 100,000. You can view the dashboard that we are monitoring with updated numbers from the Washington State Department of Health.

How to Access A/B Groupings
Please follow these instructions and log in to PlusPortals to access your student's A/B grouping and your choice for hybrid or remote learning once we transition into a Hybrid Learning Model. Please note: We cannot accommodate A/B grouping changes. These group assignments are valid for Semester 1 only and will be recalculated for Semester 2. Please review the below information about hybrid and remote options for when we transition to a hybrid model.

• If your family chose to transition to hybrid learning when it became available and now would like to change to remote learning, please email Registrar Kathy Silverman.
• For families that opted to continue in remote learning, those students will continue to join their classes virtually.

If you have questions about your student's hybrid/remote choice, please contact Registrar Kathy Silverman.

Additionally, please note the CDC recommends everyone over the age of six months should consider a flu shot to protect themselves from the flu and reduce the strain on healthcare systems.

In the coming weeks, we will communicate information regarding attendance and health screening protocols, transportation, lunches and parking. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we develop the best plan to have students, faculty and staff together on campus again.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Family,

As COVID-19 infection rates have been steadily dropping in King County, I wanted to share an update with you on our planning around reopening the school in a Hybrid Learning Model, including timing and the factors that we have been considering. Please note that the nature of this pandemic means that our process, timing and decision may be subject to change. Thank you in advance for your patience, flexibility and continued commitment.

We have been pleased with our remote learning program’s success, including 95% of parents stating that they have been satisfied or better in our recent survey. Of course, remote learning cannot fully replicate the sense of community experienced when we’re learning together in person. We look forward to having students back on campus and in the classroom. As we plan for a return to campus, we will continue the intricate balance of helping students grow spiritually, socially and academically as safely as possible for everyone involved—students, families, faculty and staff.

Our timeline and benchmarks for success will remain focused on our ability to bring students back to campus following the requirements mandated by the Washington State Governor's office, the Washington State Department of Health, King County Public Health and our assessed ability to effectively execute the necessary safeguards.

Our current goal is to open in the Hybrid Learning Model on Monday, November 2. Students will be welcomed back on campus in their assigned A/B groupings, which will be communicated next week. The current group assignments are valid for Semester 1 only and will be recalculated for Semester 2. As a reminder, we will use the following hybrid schedule.

We realize a November 2 reopening may be too slow for some and too fast for others. We are committed to carefully working through the process of reopening with the required attention to details necessary to ensure our students are learning in classrooms with the essential safety measures in place. We also want to ensure our students, faculty and staff have confidence in our commitment to their well-being and we are taking required actions and responsibility to reduce the spread of the virus.
 
We evaluated many metrics in making our decision, including the readiness of our facility and the COVID-19 infection rate in King County. Given that Eastside Catholic students and employees live primarily within King County, we are confident this metric aligns well with our school community. COVID-19 cases in King County have—and continue to—drop precipitously. New estimates suggest that King County will be under 25 cases per 100,000 in November.

While the current rate is not under the recommended 25 cases per 100,000, the Department of Health guidelines for 26-75 cases per 100,000 states, “over time, consider adding hybrid, in-person learning for middle or high school students if limited COVID transmission occurs in school." With some public and private elementary schools returning to in-person learning this week and in upcoming weeks, we will continue to monitor and adapt our timing based on trends that occur from these openings.

Our focus is to make the transition to hybrid learning as smooth as possible. To facilitate this transition, we will provide weekly community updates until we pivot to our hybrid learning model.

Earlier this school year, we surveyed families on their preference for remote versus hybrid learning in the event we moved to a hybrid model. With a date now selected to move to the Hybrid Learning Model, please review the below information.

• If your family chose to transition to hybrid learning when it became available and now would like to change to remote learning, please email Registrar Kathy Silverman by Friday, October 23.
• If you did not make a selection, you were assigned to the Hybrid Learning Model.
• For those families that opted to continue in remote learning regardless of the availability of a hybrid learning option, those students will continue to join their classes virtually.
• If you opted for remote learning and wish to change to the hybrid learning option, you will be able to change that determination for Semester 2. Semester 1 changes from remote to hybrid will not be offered.

As stated above, A/B group assignments will be communicated next week. Please note that these group assignments are valid for Semester 1 only. Group assignments will be recalculated for Semester 2.

Information regarding attendance and health screening protocols, transportation, lunches and parking will also be shared in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you have questions, please email me and we will be sure to address your question in the next update and/or add it to our Hybrid Learning Model information and FAQ list that we started in August as part of our 2020-21 Back to School Plan.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we develop the best plan to have students, faculty and staff together on campus again.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

• Schedule: High School and Middle School Remote Learning
• Schedule: High School and Middle School Remote Learning, First Week of School

• Schedule: High School Remote Learning
• Schedule: High School Remote Learning, No Monday Classes
• Schedule: High School Remote Learning, No Friday Classes

• Schedule: Middle School Remote Learning
• Schedule: Middle School Remote Learning, No Monday Classes
• Schedule: Middle School Remote Learning, No Friday Classes

Dear EC Families and Students,

As we announced earlier this week, Eastside Catholic has prepared an agile 2020-21 school reopening plan to ensure academic continuity that can move from in-person learning to a hybrid or remote learning model as conditions change. Our plan provides a comprehensive, dynamic and socially connected experience for our students, regardless of the learning model, and was designed with an understanding that the reality of our times require a structure that will withstand the unpredictability of this pandemic in order to keep our students and faculty safe.
 
Yesterday, Governor Inslee and the State Department of Public Health announced a framework that includes metrics and recommendations around returning to school and the modes in which schools should do so. Eastside Catholic has been using a different set of metrics that were based on CDC guidelines and other best practices that we were comfortable with.
 
We believe the State guidelines supersede these recommendations, and we are compelled to align our school operations based on current public health conditions. The schools within the Archdiocese of Seattle will also follow the Governor’s public health guidance and recommendations, as noted in a letter that was sent today from the Archdiocese.
 
Although our own bias is to prioritize face to face learning whenever possible, Eastside Catholic School will begin the 2020-21 school year in a Remote Learning Model based on the recommendations from Governor Inslee and the Washington State Department of Health.
 
Our Remote Learning Model is far different than the digital learning days implemented at the end of last school year. Significant changes to our Remote Learning Model include:
 

• Schedules that offer a balance of synchronous and asynchronous learning during dedicated time slots. This schedule creates daily opportunities for students to meet with their teachers, one on one and in small groups, to facilitate relationship development, support student academic achievement and allow flexibility to meet every student’s needs.
• A deliberate focus on community building and social engagement through enhancements to mentor, community period, clubs, campus ministry activities and opportunities for students to interact with their peers.
• Reimagining large group gatherings to allow for creative ways to conduct Mass and assemblies.
• Creation of small group, in-person activities and on-campus gatherings in accordance with health and safety phased guidelines.
• Expanded Student Services programming to support students’ social-emotional development and to prioritize community and wellness.
• Streamlined use of videoconferencing platforms and additional technology tools to support remote learning.
• Small group, in-person program for new and transfer students with in-person opportunities to facilitate critical relationship building.

 
During our Community Forum, we will discuss the Remote Learning Model and enhancements in more detail. Please join us on Wednesday, August 12, 6 - 7 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.
 
Let me end with a thank you for your prayers and support. We understand that living in a shifting landscape is difficult on you and your family. Eastside Catholic remains committed as a partner to you during these times. We will continue to share updates with you as new information becomes available. As always, our goal is to provide the best possible experience for you and your family.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Families and Students,

Eastside Catholic is driven by our mission and Touchstones as a faith based community, and in these unprecedented times, our mission remains the same. We firmly believe that we can best actualize our mission when we are gathered as a community in person. With that said, every member of our community’s health and safety is of utmost importance to us. It is central to who we are as a Catholic school that we honor the life and dignity of each human being.

To that end, we are committed to in-person education within a safe framework for our entire community. It is essential that this framework remains nimble to pivot and accommodate changing circumstances as necessary and thoughtfully crafted to take into consideration the varied needs of each of our community members.

Thank you for investing your time to review this plan and for previously participating in our recent survey regarding three educational models (fully in-person, hybrid and fully remote). Your input is invaluable. Based on the last survey’s feedback, families expressed a preference for the Hybrid Learning Model with a Wednesday all-remote learning day.

Currently, we intend to open school utilizing a Hybrid Learning Model. Our 2020-21 Back to School Plan includes comprehensive information about the start of school. As previously communicated, using the Hybrid Learning Model, students will be divided into two groups. Half of our students will attend class on campus two days per week while all other students attend virtually and follow the same schedule. Students will rotate on campus using our A and B schedules. Wednesday will be an all-school remote learning day dedicated to community building while our campus undergoes one of two deep cleans each week.

During this time of COVID-19 and rapidly changing information, we will continue to monitor and adjust our plans as needed.

Our goal is to have all students on campus when it is safe to do so. As all three learning models (traditional, hybrid, remote) share the same schedule, we are confident that we can pivot from one model to another with minimal disruptions to academic instruction, if required to do so. We want to thank all community members for offering grace while remaining flexible and committed to collaborative solutions as we continue to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

While we believe that the Hybrid Learning Model is our best approach at this time, it will not be without challenges. For this learning model to be successful, all of us must establish and reinforce a culture that encourages our community members to stay at home when an illness of any kind is present.

We respect our families decisions to keep students at home for 100% remote learning, if they so choose. We have adopted technology that will allow students who work remotely to engage in high-quality instructions with the support of our faculty and staff.

Since the end of school in early June, we have worked steadily with faculty, staff, outside consultants and vendors to create a strong plan and provide the necessary resources for the start of the 2020-21 school year. The reality is that the virus continues to be a very real presence and public health restrictions are continually undergoing modification as circumstances change within the local and national community.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Student and Family,

Happy Friday! With only two weeks remaining in the 2019-20 school year, we're excited to celebrate our seniors, eighth graders and all of our students in the coming weeks for their hard work during a unique and challenging school year.

Please review the important information towards the end of this email. Items include:

• High School Final Exam Reminders
• Eighth Grade Promotion
• Middle School Schedule for June 8-12
• Virtual Summer Camps

We are actively planning for the possibility of three different models for fall: in-person, distance learning and hybrid. We hope to be back on campus but realize we may need to engage these models at various times throughout the year. We will work over the summer to refine these plans and believe we will be ready to transition between models as dictated by public health guidelines.

Our teachers miss interacting in the classroom as much as our students do. We collectively believe that prioritizing in-person interactions is at the core of the EC experience, as well as the best educational practice. If distance learning continues, our goal is to provide the most dynamic and creative distance learning program possible.

That said, we are working to produce additional synchronous learning opportunities while taking into consideration the many teaching and student schedules that are in place. Additionally, we continue to build community within each learning model so that our students remain engaged with their peers, the faculty and the broader community. We continue to partner with our parent groups and outside experts to expand programming that keeps us all connected and engaged.

We are presently working closely with our Catholic and independent school peers to collaborate on best practices for remote learning and hybrid teaching circumstances. We meet regularly with each academic department to discuss their experiences with distance learning so we can improve our distance learning to best support our students and their individual needs.

Through regular surveys, we have gathered insightful feedback from our students, parents and faculty that shapes our planning as well. A final survey for the school year will be sent on Monday, June 1. We are always eager to improve, especially given the extended duration of this unprecedented situation.

All departments are actively working to meet the individual needs of students for the coming school year. We are confident that our students are—and will continue to be—prepared for what they may face in their academic careers. We feel fortunate to have the capability to offer robust remote educational programming to our students, particularly as many schools cannot serve their students in such an individualized manner. We are grateful for our families as partners in this and will update the community as new guidelines are issued and plans finalized.

Continue to stay safe and healthy! We got this Cru!

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

 

High School Final Exam Reminders

As a reminder, we will not have traditional high school final exams this year. Students may be asked to complete unit exams, projects or other learning activities during this time, but no cumulative final exams will be given. These assessments are designed to review, check for learning and retention, and help support student grades. Any of our end of year assessments will only raise a student’s grade, not lower it.

Please note:

• This grading policy does not exempt students from completing their final assessments or assignments. All students are required to sit for their exams and finish their assignments.
• Students should check their grades as they head into final exams. All grades will become permanent after Friday, June 19.

Senior Final Exam Schedule

Grades 9-11 Final Exam Schedule
Our final exams schedule for students in grades 9-11 will follow a sequential order, Tuesday through Friday. Periods 1-7 will meet on Monday, June 8.

Eighth Grade Promotion

We sent an email yesterday to eighth grade students and families regarding our preliminary plans for Eighth Grade Promotion. In addition to that information, we have additional details to share below.

Thank you to PTF for funding yard signs for all eighth grade students to further celebrate their graduation from ECMS and their promotion to high school. Big thank you as well to the parents/guardians, faculty and staff who volunteered and delivered these signs to students.

In mid-June, we will share a digital version of our Eighth Grade Promotion. This will include a student slideshow, remarks from faculty and staff, winners of the Crusader Cross award, student recorded videos and more. This will be shared all within a digital program.

Eighth grade students have been asked to submit Eighth Grade Promotion speeches to their humanities teacher. Select speeches will be chosen by middle school faculty and staff. Students have also been asked to submit an individual video for the digital ceremony.

On Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m., we will host a drive through celebration at EC for eighth grade students, families, faculty and staff. More details, guidelines and expectations to be shared soon.

Middle School Last Week of School

Below is the schedule that middle school students will follow June 8-12. This schedule will allow eighth grade students to meet in all their classes two times before their last day of school on June 10, and it will allow all sixth and seventh grade students to meet in their classes three times before the last day of school on June 12.

• Monday, June 8 - Periods 1-7
• Tuesday, June 9 - Periods 1-4
• Wednesday, June 10 - Periods 5-7
• Thursday, June 11 - Periods 1-4
• Friday, June 12 - Periods 5-7

The middle school will continue to use our standards-based model for grading and assessing where each student finishes at the end of the school year for fourth quarter.

Virtual Summer Camps

After careful consideration and based on recommendations and regulations from the American Camp Association, the CDC and Washington state, we have decided to modify our summer camp offerings. We are disappointed to share that all athletic camps and some enrichment camps will be canceled. Our summer camp webpage is updated with our current schedule of virtual summer camp offerings and descriptions. Registration is now available. Questions? Please contact Summer School Registrar Liz Anderson.

Dear EC Student and Family,

Happy Friday! We are so proud of our students for continuing to work hard during this final push to the end of the 2019-20 school year. Only three weeks of instruction and final testing to go, keep hanging in there.

Just a quick reminder that we will not hold distance learning on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. We will follow our ELO schedule for May 26-29, as shown below.

• Tuesday, May 26: periods 5-7 and zero period
• Wednesday, May 27: periods 1-4
• Thursday, May 28: periods 5-7 and zero period
• Friday, May 29: periods 1-4

Please review the information, dates and times towards the end of this email regarding senior final exams, grades 9-11 final exams and the middle school schedule for June 8-12. We also provide a brief update on our summer camps.

As a school, we are continuing to emphasize community and explore new ways of staying connected while physically distanced. We have seen some wonderful examples of this with shared pictures and stories of show and tell, remote bingo, service to others in a multitude of ways, and so much more. We are sharing as much of this as we can on our social media channels, and will share this with you via our monthly Good News emails.

Last week we held our first virtual welcome events with incoming families for both the middle school and high school. It was great to see everyone’s faces as they attended with their family. Through small group breakout rooms, we were able to share and learn more about these terrific new and transfer students, as well as our rising eighth grade students. We had more than 160 families, faculty and staff on these calls, and it was heartwarming to see the final sign off when we had everyone’s video turned on.

We appreciate the constructive, positive feedback and comments from our students and families and have enjoyed reading the quotes from our seniors on their Senior Spotlights shared on Facebook. We are so proud of our student’s, who have great perspectives and attitudes.

Continue to stay safe and healthy! We got this Cru!

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

 

High School Final Exam Schedules

As a reminder, we will not have traditional high school final exams this year. Students may be asked to complete unit exams, projects or other learning activities during this time, but no cumulative final exams will be given. These assessments are designed to review, check for learning and retention, and help support student grades. Any of our end of year assessments will only raise a student’s grade, not lower it. With that said, we do expect students to complete any exam, assignment or project to the best of their ability. Let’s finish strong Crusaders!

Senior Final Exam Schedule
We had previously communicated that that senior final exams would occur sequentially. However, we realized that this would create many conflicts for teachers, who would be unable to proctor an exam while teaching other classes. We have created the updated schedule below that senior students will follow June 1-5.

Grades 9-11 Final Exam Schedule
Our final exams schedule for students in grades 9-11 will follow a sequential order, Tuesday through Friday. Periods 1-7 will meet on Monday, June 8.

Middle School Last Week of School

Below is the schedule that middle school students will follow June 8-12. This schedule will allow eighth grade students to meet in all their classes two times before their last day of school on June 10, and it will allow all sixth and seventh grade students to meet in their classes three times before the last day of school on June 12.

• Monday, June 8 - Periods 1-7
• Tuesday, June 9 - Periods 1-4
• Wednesday, June 10 - Periods 5-7
• Thursday, June 11 - Periods 1-4
• Friday, June 12 - Periods 5-7

The middle school will continue to use our standards-based model for grading and assessing where each student finishes at the end of the school year for fourth quarter.

Summer Camps

Based on recommendations and regulations from the American Camp Association, the Centers for Disease Control and state and federal agencies, we have made the decision to modify our summer camp offerings. We are disappointed to share that all athletic camps and some enrichment camps will be canceled. We are working diligently to adjust our enrichment camp offerings to an online format.

An email will be sent soon with additional information.

Dear EC Student and Family,
 
Thank you to all of our students and families that helped us celebrate our amazing teachers this week in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. The videos, cards and emails were much appreciated and boosted morale for everyone at EC. We all miss our students, and our teachers especially miss seeing students in person. Thank you to PFSA and PTF for helping fund the care packages that were sent to all of our teachers this week.
 
Our third DLD survey was completed by over 400 students and families last week. We have continued to receive positive feedback with regard to our schedule change. The change allowed for the study workload to be more sustainable, along with allowing for additional support from EC faculty and staff.
 
From the survey, one of the most difficult aspects of distance learning was identified as students not being able to see their friends in person. We know this is a difficult and isolating time for many, and we continue to examine how to engage students outside of distance learning while following the state mandates. 
 
Currently, our Student Services Department is working to create weekly grade level activities, like bingo and scavenger hunts as well as other interactive activities to help promote positive and non-schoolwork related interactions. Additional details will be communicated in Student Announcements and ECTW. We highly encourage students to participate in these activities to help them maintain connections with their peers, teachers and counselors outside of normal learning times.
 
Additional information is shared below regarding AP exams, final exam schedules, clarification on middle school grading for high school classes and MAP testing.
 
With Governor Inslee’s recent announcement about his four-phase plan for reopening businesses in Washington state, with this new guidance, we continue to plan for end of year events, summer activities and planning for fall. Watch for emails next week with senior updates.

Continue to stay safe and healthy! We got this Cru!
 
Sincerely, 

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

AP Exams

AP exams begin Monday, May 11 and will run through Friday, May 22. We recommend a good night’s rest and a nutritious breakfast for students before their exam. Review the most recent AP exam email that we sent for the latest information about testing. All AP exam emails that we have sent can be found on this webpage.

High School Final Exams Schedule

Our final exams schedule will follow a sequential order, Tuesday through Friday, for all high school students.

Seniors

• Tuesday, June 2 - Periods 1 and 2
• Wednesday, June 3 - Periods 3 and 4
• Thursday, June 4 - Periods 5 and 6
• Friday, June 5 - Periods 7 and 0

Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors

• Tuesday, June 9 - Periods 1 and 2
• Wednesday, June 10 - Periods 3 and 4
• Thursday, June 11 - Periods 5 and 6
• Friday, June 12 - Periods 7 and 0

Periods 1-7 will meet on Monday, June 1 for seniors and on Monday, June 8 for freshmen, sophomores and juniors. While we researched the possibility of organizing exams by subject area, we discovered that too many conflicts would emerge to allow for a smooth experience.

Exact times of final exams will be communicated closer to the test dates.

As a reminder, we will not have traditional final exams this year. Students may be asked to complete unit exams, projects or other learning activities during this time, but no cumulative final exams will be given. These assessments should be designed to review, check for learning and retention and help support student grades. Any end of the year assessment will only be able to raise a student’s grade, not lower it. We do expect students to complete any exam, assignment or project to the best of their ability.

Middle School Last Week of School

Below is the schedule that middle school students will follow June 8-12. This schedule will allow eighth grade students to meet in all their classes two times before their last day of school on June 10, and it will allow all sixth and seventh grade students to meet in their classes three times before the last day of school on June 12.

• Monday, June 8 - Periods 1-7
• Tuesday, June 9 - Periods 1-4
• Wednesday, June 10 - Periods 5-7
• Thursday, June 11 - Periods 1-4
• Friday, June 12 - Periods 5-7

Grading

As a reminder, any exam that is given to students in middle school or high school cannot be cumulative, nor can it lower a student's overall grade. We do expect students to complete any exam, assignment or project to the best of their ability.

Middle school students in high school classes will still receive grades. Our high school grading options and policies of selecting traditional grades or a pass/fail option are for high school students only.

The grades middle school students receive will not appear on their high school transcript, be a part of their high school GPA, nor would they be viewed by colleges.

Middle School MAP Testing

MAP testing has been canceled by the Seattle Archdiocese. Our scheduled MAP testing day of May 15 will now be a normal DLD day. Since there will not be any new testing data, spring MAP reports will not be sent home.

Dear EC Student and Family,

We miss having you on campus each day and look forward to the day when we can be together in person again. We are proud of how our students, faculty and staff have risen to the challenges we have faced these past months. Thank you for your continued perseverance.

Based on insights from students, parents and faculty, we continue to refine our approach to distance learning as we strive for academic excellence in all that we do. It has been inspiring to see the creative teaching and learning happening outside of the traditional classroom. We continue to build community, even remotely, and encourage you to see this creativity in action on our website news page, our YouTube channel and on our Instagram stories. The recent performances by the choir and band are uplifting and wonderful examples of dynamic distance learning. The caring relationships fostered between faculty and students is evident, perhaps now more than ever. We are grateful for our community, as each person continues to share their gifts and serve each other.

One indicator of our community’s strength and resiliency was the recent online auction. Our wonderful team of volunteers and Event Staff, led by Director of Special Events Mayten Gross, pivoted quickly to transform an in person celebration to an online event that was successful in bringing us together, raising money to support our students and embodying the theme, Be the Light. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many advertisers and sponsors who continued to support this effort despite the changed circumstances.

We continue to survey our students and families periodically to assess distance learning. This week’s survey had 455 total respondents, 252 students and 203 parents. This feedback is important as it not only helps to assess current effectiveness and student wellbeing, it also provides guidance for distance learning strategies, if and when they are implemented in the future. With last week’s change to a block schedule, feedback has been positive, and we plan to continue this format through the end of the school year.

Looking further into the future, like many of you, we also eagerly await the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. While our sincere hope and expectation is a return to our traditional classroom model, we are researching and evaluating options to respond to public health requirements that may be in effect in the future. We feel it is wise to consider alternative options now so that we are best prepared to serve the needs of our students and faculty.

Governor Inslee shared today that the stay at home order has been extended to May 31. With this extension, in person, large group gatherings may not be immediately allowed after the order expires. With that in mind, we know that we may need to make changes to some of our end of year events.

We look forward to celebrating our end of year activities and traditions in new ways. Our goal remains to lift each other up and find meaningful ways to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Class of 2020, our eighth grade students transitioning to high school, as well as all our students in both middle and high school. Planning for these events continues, and we will share details as they are finalized.

Through this new reality, we continue to be inspired with the flexibility, resiliency and determination of our community and we know our students will continue to grow and learn at a high level as we move forward.

Wishing each of you continued strength and God’s blessing. Stay healthy, stay safe.

Sincerely,

Mr. Picciotto
President

Dear EC Student and Family,

Below is information regarding daily class schedules, grading, NCAA and grades, school end dates and high school finals. Please read through all this important information.

Scheduling

Our adjusted DLD class schedule began on Monday, April 20. This adjustment occurred based on internal feedback, as well as to ensure our program was sustainable through the rest of the school year for everyone involved. Moreover, we also wanted to increase balance for everyone’s social, physical and emotional needs as we recognize this transition has created new stresses. This new schedule allows more time for quality learning as well as teacher feedback and communication. This schedule will run through the remainder of the school year.

• Mondays: periods 1-4
• Tuesdays: periods 5-7 and zero period
• Wednesday: periods 1-4
• Thursday: periods 5-7 and zero period
• Friday: periods 1-7 and zero period

All classes will meet three times per week. With this new schedule, the amount of classwork/homework in each class will be a maximum of three hours per week, while AP classes will be a maximum of six hours per week. As we continue to adjust, the quality and depth of learning is our top priority. In the fall, we will take this schedule into account so that all students have the opportunity to review before we begin teaching new skills.

Grading

High School
To best support our community moving forward, EC has elected to allow a modification to our traditional High School Grading Policy. Students may elect to receive letter grades in all classes, or they may choose to take Pass/Fail (P/F) in all classes. Students cannot mix and match, selecting to receive grades in some classes and P/F in others. A pass is considered anything above a 60% in a class, and it is not factored into a student’s overall GPA at EC.

In studying what other schools are doing across the country and collecting information from multiple sources, including NWAIS, NAIS, the Seattle Archdiocese and many colleges and universities, we felt that this was the best approach for our community. We do not feel comfortable mandating P/F given the many unanswered questions we have about how universities will treat grades moving forward. However, we also do not feel comfortable mandating traditional letter grades since every student’s situation will be different.

As we want to empower families to make the best decision for their circumstances, we feel that it is important to share the following reminders:

• We know colleges and universities are being flexible with spring 2020 semester grades and standardized test scores. As part of our full disclosure with colleges, we will provide information to all colleges about how we allowed EC students to choose between grades and P/F. All high schools are requested to do this so each transcript can be viewed in context to the school’s digital learning and academic expectations.
• College counselors suggest that all students review the helpful College Admissions Status Update Portal as it provides updated information about how each college is adjusting admissions expectations due to COVID19. If you have further questions, particularly those students applying to highly competitive colleges in the fall of 2020, we encourage students to check in with their college counselor and/or prospective university for additional counsel.

All high school students must select how they would like to be assessed for second semester grades via the linked forms below no later than Friday, May 8, 2020. You will need to select an option below and sign the correlated RightSignature document that will also need to be signed by a parent/guardian.

Parents/guardians, please discuss these options with your student(s) before selecting the corresponding link and submitting your response:

Traditional Letter Grades Option
By selecting this option, students will continue to receive traditional letter grades for all classes for the Spring 2020 semester.

Pass/Fail Option
By selecting this option, students willingly elect to change to a Pass/Fail grading system for all classes (excluding UWHS courses, if applicable) for the Spring 2020 semester. By signing this document, you will be unable to change back to traditional letter grading this semester and acknowledge that you are aware of the possible risks inherent in this decision that are beyond the school’s control, which include but are not limited to college admissions, scholarship applications, NCAA eligibility and more.

Middle School
Due to the nature of standards-based grading (SBG), we will continue giving standards-based grades for fourth quarter. Since SBG does not include letter grades or GPAs, translating our grading system to a pass/fail isn’t applicable. We also want to give students and families more detailed and accurate information on where a student is per standard by the end of the year.
 
With that being said, we are going to assess fewer times due to the nature of DLDs, both in content and in standards, which will vary in each department. We also will not give grades for behavior or participation for fourth quarter since these standards would require being at school to accurately assess.

NCAA and Grades

The NCAA Eligibility Center sent out guidelines this morning regarding adjustments to initial-eligibility requirements due to COVID-19.

Class of 2020
Students with an expected spring/summer 2020 graduation date who initially enrolled full time in 2020-21 will receive a COVID-19 Automatic Waiver (athletics aid, practice and competition) in the academic certification process, provided they:

Division I*

• Meet the core-course progression requirement (10/7) before start of the seventh semester; and
• Present a 2.300 or higher core-course GPA in such courses

Division II*

• Complete 10 core-course units before start of the seventh semester; and
• Present a 2.200 or higher core-course GPA in such courses

*Note: Due to recent ACT/SAT cancellations, test scores are excluded from these criteria.

Classes of 2021-23
For NCAA-approved core courses completed in spring/summer 2020 that have been issued a grade of Pass, the Eligibility Center will apply the credit earned in these courses toward the core-course requirement in the student's certification. If the student's core-course GPA would increase by assigning a value of 2.300, this value will be assigned to the Passed courses. However, if the student's core-course GPA would decrease by including the 2.300 value for Passed courses, the student’s core-course GPA will be calculated based only on courses with assigned letter grades from other available terms (credit from these courses will still be applied toward the student's core-course requirements). Any students on academic probation will still need to complete this semester in good standing.

No matter which option a student selects, it is important that students continue to put forth their best effort. The expectation is that students will continue to complete all assigned work to the best of their ability. Faculty will adjust the number and design of assignments, as well as the fourth quarter assessments and finals.

School End Dates

With the adjustment to the schedule and losing one class per week, we wanted to make sure the end dates were kept on track from our original school calendar. The last day of school for each group is as follows:

• Seniors – Friday, June 5
• Eighth grade students – Wednesday, June 10
• 6-7 and 9-11 grade students – Friday, June 12

We will follow a special schedule for the last week of school, June 8 through June 12. This schedule will be shared soon.

High School Finals

EC will not have traditional final exams this year. Students may be asked to complete unit exams, projects or other learning activities during this time, but no cumulative final exams will be given. These assessments should be designed to review, check for learning and retention and help support student grades. Any end of the year assessment will only be able to raise a student’s grade, not lower it.

We thank all EC families who have helped make DLDs successful so far. We know that this new structure does not replace being at school, but we believe that each of the adjustments noted here are rooted in what is best for our students, faculty and school. All decisions are being made with the best information we have from our internal community, from other schools and our student and parent community.

These are hard decisions in unfamiliar territory, and we ask you to continue partnering with us. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Dear AP Student and Family,

In addition to the AP information we sent via email on Tuesday, April 7, we wanted to share the following information.

We strongly encourage our students to take their AP exam(s) and feel they will be well-prepared for this new, 45-minute online format. With that said, in light of the ever-changing circumstances, Eastside Catholic is waiving the mandatory requirement to take the AP exam for your AP course(s). This flexibility will allow students and families to decide what is currently best for themselves or their student.

If a student decides not to take an AP exam, you will be given the option to request a refund or donate the fee to the school. Refund amounts will be determined per AP adjusted costs, minus a processing fee. Refund processing time will vary and will be based on all EC financial obligations being met. More guidance regarding refunds will be communicated after Easter Break.

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Dear EC Student and Family,

Today Governor Inslee announced that all schools are banned from normal, in-person classes until school resumes next fall. As a result, Eastside Catholic School will remain closed through the end of the 2019-20 school year. We realize this is disappointing news for our students, families, faculty and staff.

Eastside Catholic moved to digital learning on March 16. With this early start, we believe our students have a distinct advantage going into this extended period of remote learning thanks to the hard work of our faculty and staff, as well as our students who have remained diligent with their studies. We will continue to update and improve our educational processes and support for students and families to ensure that we provide the most comprehensive education possible during this unprecedented time.

We know this closure raises additional questions about events and activities that typically take place during the last few months of the school year. As of today, no events have been canceled. As more information becomes available and as the date for each event approaches, we will communicate per the latest guidance from the Governor’s Office and adjust or reschedule our events as needed. We want to reassure you that although events may not look as they have traditionally, we are actively planning to provide rescheduled or restructured events if necessary to celebrate and recognize the important accomplishments of our students.

More information will be sent later this week as we assess the impact of the extended closure on all events, activities, sports and celebrations currently scheduled on the calendar.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Dear EC Senior and Senior Family,

We understand you are anxious about how the COVID-19 pandemic affects your final college visits, college costs and scholarships, as well as final senior grades. While we don’t have all the answers, as colleges are also trying to figure this out, below we answer some frequently asked questions.

Q: I already had senioritis before COVID-19. How do I stay engaged when I just want to be done with high school?
We understand this is a challenging time. Keep in mind that seniors across the country all share this same frustration. I spoke to all seniors about senioritis in February and posted this presentation online and in Naviance if you would like to review. Ultimately, seniors still need to pass their classes this semester and need to summon the motivation to finish the year positively.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is providing a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates and more as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This will be where colleges communicate about final transcript policies.

At this time, we are encouraging all students to continue with their classes and assume that the final transcript will be submitted with grades. Many of you are completing classes needed to graduate, so please push forward in your classes. If you are struggling, please reach out to your teachers and/or your counselor.

Q: I wanted to visit colleges one more time before making my decision. How can I visit colleges virtually?
Fortunately, you can conduct online visits. YouVisit, CampusTours, YOUniversity and CampusReel all provide free online campus tours!

Q: How do I make this final college decision?
Our college counselors are happy to schedule a 30-minute Zoom meeting to help students assess their college options. Please email your respective college counselor to set up a meeting: Mrs. Hayton (students A-K) or Ms. Carhart and Mr. Nassersaeid (students L-Z). This is a great time to review the original college search factors, financial considerations and the process of making a difficult decision. College Board has a helpful video about making your final decision.

Many colleges have announced they are moving back their deposit deadlines. Please read all communications from colleges to understand their individual requirements and consult the NACAC central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates and more as a result of COVID-19.

For specific suggestions about making a final college decision under these unique circumstances, we suggest the following articles:

• The COVID College Choice: How to Pick a College During a Global Pandemic
• How Students Can Get Ahead during the COVID-19 School Shutdown

Q: In addition to academic graduation requirements, what other requirements do seniors need to complete in order to have their final transcripts submitted?
Seniors should complete the Class of 2020 Required Graduation Survey to ensure transcripts are submitted without delay. This survey is in Naviance under the About Me, My Surveys section. It can be completed now and must be completed prior to completing your coursework this year.

Additionally, seniors need to update Naviance with college decisions. For every college listed in Naviance, seniors need to identify if they were accepted, denied or waitlisted. From the student portal, there is an “edit” button to update all college decisions. Additionally, there is a spot to identify the final college decision. Every senior must identify which college they will attend in the fall. This is where the final transcript will be sent.

We will submit the final transcript to your final (matriculating) college after coursework is complete for the school year, once the Class of 2020 Graduation Survey is filled out and once Naviance is completely updated with all accepted, denied or waitlisted college decisions. Please update this information as you hear back from colleges.

Q: How and when is the final transcript submitted?
College counselors submit all final transcripts through Naviance. This is accomplished after all academic, community service and financial obligations are met. This can happen as early as a day or two after coursework is completed for the school year. Seniors also must have completed the Class of 2020 Required Graduation Survey and updated Naviance. Once all these tasks are finalized, college counselors automatically submit the final transcript to the college identified in Naviance; students do not need to request that transcript are sent.

Q: How do I know if colleges are changing the deposit due date or whether they are open for accepted student events?
NACAC’s central resource provides more information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Thank you for your cooperation during this time. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Frances Carhart
Director of Student Services

Dear EC Student and Family,

In this time of uncertainty, we are pioneering a path forward under circumstances none of us had predicted or even considered. COVID-19 has changed our lives profoundly.

Our current philosophy reflects our desire to keep options open for our students. Digital Learning Days and schedules are constructed in part so that we will be able to provide meaningful grades and feedback that reflect a high level of learning. The current structure has meant significant sacrifice for our teachers, students and families, as well as our counseling staff and other key members of the EC community who support our students.

Right now, there is much we don’t know. How will colleges want grades represented? How will pass/fail grading be measured? Will colleges honor the results of newly structured AP tests? How do we ensure our students are best positioned for the future? Is what we are asking of our students, faculty and staff a sustainable model?

In many ways, our collective ability to make informed decisions is dependent on the decisions and information of others. That is never a comfortable place to be.

With one more week of instruction before Easter Break, we plan to follow the current schedule of instruction and reassess what works and doesn’t work over the break. We also hope that this time will allow for clarity around the questions mentioned above to inform our process going forward.

It is important that we receive feedback from our students and families. Our first survey had 755 respondents and close to 90% of those responses were positive regarding digital learning. Without your feedback, we can only assume that you are in support of our current path.

Please take a moment to respond to our survey to help us gauge our digital learning methods and effectiveness after three weeks. More information is available below.

We hope to make any necessary adjustments as we return from break. Until then, we hope our students will continue to engage in digital learning and finish strong before break. Next Friday, April 10, we will not hold digital learning to allow our community to reflect on the solemnity of Good Friday while enjoying time with their families and practicing self-care. Thursday, April 9 will follow a normal 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., 5-7 period for digital learning. This will be the last day of classwork and any new assigned homework before Easter Break. Students should confirm with their teachers what due dates have moved, and what due dates remain on Friday, April 10 to provide students more time to complete assignments.

Please read through the rest of this email as there is important information regarding our updated attendance protocols, a reminder about the survey, a reminder about no digital learning next Friday, April 10 for Good Friday, information about UWHS classes and Campus Ministry resources for Holy Week.

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Attendance Protocol Update

Beginning Monday, April 6, we will implement new attendance protocols. Students will now only be required to sign in for attendance once per day, compared to our previous policy, which was once for each period. Period attendance is no longer a state requirement during digital learning and we are hoping this new protocol will save time for our students, teachers and attendance office personnel. Our new expectations are outlined below:

• Each student is expected to use this online form and check in with the Attendance Office once per weekday before 9 p.m.
  • We recommend each student bookmarks this page as it will be the same form and link each day.
• Absences will only be excused if a parent or guardian calls (425-295-3019) or emails the Attendance Office for each day a student will not attend DLDs.
• Daily work completed for classes does not substitute for the attendance form. Students must use the form each day to be marked present for school.
• Any questions regarding attendance can be directed to our Attendance Office at attendance@eastsidecatholic.org

DLD Survey

We have opened a new survey to gauge our digital learning methods after three weeks. The survey questions are similar so that we can compare results to the previous survey. Please complete the survey by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8. This survey will help us accurately assess the state of DLDs.

Good Friday - No DLD Classes

Next Thursday, April 9 will follow a normal 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., 5-7 period for digital learning. Classes will not be held on Friday, April 10 so that our teachers and students can reflect on the solemnity of Good Friday, spend time with their families and practice self-care. The last day for any new classwork and homework before Easter Break will be Thursday, April 9. Some due dates will remain on Friday, April 10 to provide ample time to complete assignments. Students, please check in with teachers to see what has been adjusted in your classes.

UWHS Courses

Each EC UWHS teacher is completing a Course Contingency form that describes how they can reasonably complete the course, including completion of learning objectives, use of technology, equity of student access and support, and use of UW-required assessments, if any. The completed forms will then be routed to the appropriate UW faculty for approval or denial/consultation. This process will occur over the next few weeks. If you have any questions about your UWHS course, please consult your teacher directly.

UW grades and grading
For those courses that can be completed by the end of the school year, the UWHS teacher will submit UW grades at the end of the course. UW is looking into the possibility of permitting teachers to shift their grading from UW’s standard numeric grading (4.0 scale) to Credit/No Credit (Pass/Fail), if that is more appropriate given the circumstances. If this alternative grading is an option, UW will update teachers when they confirm this with us.

Resources for Holy Week

Sunday, April 5 begins Holy Week in the Catholic Church, a sacred week of prayer to prepare for Easter. Campus Ministry would like to share the following resources with you and your family to use as you journey through Holy Week into Easter. Please know we are praying for you every day.

Mass and Liturgy
Liturgy with Pope Francis
Pope Francis will preside over Holy Week Liturgical celebrations at St. Peter's Basilica. Families can join live or watch afterward on the Vatican News English YouTube channel. Other languages are also available.  

The Holy Father's schedule for Holy Week Liturgies is:

• Palm Sunday – April 5, 2 a.m.
• Holy Thursday – April 9, 9 a.m.
• Good Friday – April 10, noon
• Easter Vigil Mass – April 11, noon

Liturgy with our Bishops
Archbishop Etienne and Bishop Elizondo are offering Sunday Mass and daily Mass, including Holy Week liturgies on the following platforms.

• Archbishop Etienne, Vimeo (English)
• Archbishop Etienne, Facebook (English)
• Bishop Elizondo, Facebook (Spanish)

Times for the Holy Week Liturgies live stream:

• Palm Sunday – April 5, 8:30 a.m.
• Holy Thursday – April 9, 6 p.m.
• Good Friday – April 10, 3 p.m.
• Easter Vigil – April 11, 8:30 p.m.
• Easter Sunday – April 12, 8:30 a.m.

Liturgy at your Parish
Many parishes are offering live-streamed Masses on Sundays and Holy Week as well. Check with your parish or find a list of parishes offering live-streamed Masses online.

Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross is a form of prayer where we walk through the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Traditionally, Eastside Catholic students are invited to this prayer during Holy Week in their Religion Classes. Students and families can pray this at home. There are many versions of the Stations of the Cross to choose from. Here are a few:

• Stations from Busted Halo
• Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron
• Stations of the Cross for Children from Loyola Press
• Stations from Lifeteen
• Stations from Catholic Relief Services
• Stations for Economic and Ecological Injustice

Other Forms of Prayer

• Campus Ministry is providing daily prayers on their YouTube channel
• Daily Scripture readings for Mass can be found online
• Liturgical Press has created a resource for families called "Holy Week at Home," which can be found online

Dear EC Junior and Junior Family,

Once you are comfortable managing your DLD workload, please use any extra time to start thinking about your post-high school plans. College counselors are available to schedule Zoom (video) meetings with you to continue the college research and application process.

Please read through the following Q&A and take advantage of the resources offered through Student Services that are mentioned below.

Q: How will college planning meetings be conducted with juniors?
College counselors are continuing to hold college planning meetings with juniors and their parents/guardians via Zoom. Juniors will need to follow the same process to schedule these video meetings as they would have an in-person meeting. These steps include completing the Four Assessments and Junior Survey in Naviance. Review the emails that were sent via PlusPortals on December 7 and January 12 for a reminder and additional details about that process. Mrs. Hayton supports students with last names A-K while Ms. Carhart and Mr. Nassersaeid support students with last names L-Z. Students, please reach out to your counselor once you have completed the necessary steps. 

Q: I’m confused about using Naviance and can’t get into my account.
Naviance is a robust tool to explore majors, potential careers and colleges. All students and their parents or guardians in grades 9-12 have an account. Juniors must access their account to complete assessments and surveys. This is a crucial tool for submitting application components next fall. If you have trouble logging into Naviance, please contact Director of Student Services Ms. Carhart.

For an overview of Naviance resources, please watch the demo videos that are posted on the Student Services page. The personality and strength assessments, Career Interest Profiler, Roadtrip Nation and Document Resources will provide helpful insights about future planning. As a reminder, Document Resources in Naviance (at the bottom of the Naviance home page) contains valuable information about college visits, interviews, creating a resume, scholarships, college maps and many other college research resources.

Juniors can continue to research and explore colleges this spring. Please take advantage of our resources!

Q: How can I learn about colleges while their campuses are closed?
The three main resources we recommend are College Board, the Fiske Guide and each college’s website. The Fiske Guide is available on Amazon and we have multiple copies in the Library for when we return to school.

You can also conduct online visits. YouVisit, CampusTours, YOUniversity and CampusReel all provide free online campus tours!
 
Q: Where do I find information about the SAT, ACT and/or AP tests? Will colleges still expect students to take these exams for next fall’s applications?
Below are links for up-to-date information for these tests, including cancellations, postponements and changes to SAT, ACT and AP testing (also provided below). Khan Academy and ACT.org offer free test prep and Compass Prep is still offering free practice tests to Eastside Catholic students this year. We also have a list of test prep providers in Naviance.

• SAT Information
• ACT Information
• AP Testing Information

At this point, we know that the March, April and May SAT and ACT tests have been canceled. Although June tests are still taking registrations, test centers are filling up quickly and we don’t know if the test will eventually be canceled. Juniors may need to take their college application tests in July, August, September, October or even November. Since testing has been limited, we anticipate, but cannot be certain, that many colleges may go the route of tests being optional.

With the current uncertainty and changing landscape, please check each college’s website for details. If you have not signed up for the SAT or ACT, consider registering for one this summer or next fall. The August SAT has not opened registration yet and it is unclear when that will occur. Please sign up for any alerts you can from College Board related to the SAT so you are notified when registration does open.

Q: How do I know what colleges are doing to support juniors in this process? 
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is providing a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. As things evolve, this will be a valuable resource for juniors and seniors.

Q: What about writing the college essay? How does EC help with this?
In English 11, students have drafted a narrative essay in classes this spring that closely resembles a college essay. Last week, all juniors received access to a videotaped PowerPoint about the college essay which complements the essay assignment. In the presentation, you will learn more about the Common Application essay prompts, what is important to include in an essay and key things to remember when writing the essay.

In addition to this PowerPoint presentation, Naviance offers essay examples, detailed essay resources and a College Essay for Hire resource sheet. Now is a opportune time to work on your essay since the prompts are known. Your essay can most likely be used for all colleges, even for those schools that don’t use the Common Application.

Additionally, PFSA arranged for a college essay speaker this spring. We are working with Writing Coach Jonathan Brown to offer several Zoom online workshops. High School English Teacher Ms. Rice also teaches a week-long summer camp focused on college essays which you can sign up for online. Please take advantage of these resources.

Q: When can I ask an EC teacher to write my college letter of recommendation? What is the process? 
Juniors can ask teachers now for a college letter of recommendation. Please follow these steps so that you receive a quality letter completed on time. These steps were created to support teachers, students and the college counselors.

1. Ask first via email using appropriate email communication. Under normal circumstances, you would ask face-to-face. In Naviance, visit Document Resources, Email, Thank You Notes if you need guidance on how to write an appropriate email. How you ask a teacher (or any adult) really matters. They will tell you whether they think they can write a positive letter on your behalf so respect their response and be appreciative of their time. Ask one or two teachers from your junior year, or potentially your senior year. While competitive colleges require two core subject teachers (e.g., English, math, history and science) from junior or senior year, public colleges generally do not accept letters of recommendations. Colleges do not want more than two teacher recommendation so do not ask more than two EC teachers. If you are unsure about how many teachers to ask, confirm one teacher now and/or email your college counselor for guidance.
2. Once they have agreed, complete the Class of 2021 Teacher Recommendation Survey. This survey is located on Naviance under About Me, My Surveys. Please take the time to write thorough and detailed responses. This will take over an hour so save your work often. The lengthier responses you provide, the better letter teachers can write on your behalf. This must be completed by June 1, 2020 to secure your teacher recommendation before the summer. Many teachers choose to write their letters over the summer and need this valuable information.
3. Once this survey is complete, invite teachers via Naviance by June 1, 2020. Students can do this in Colleges, Applying to Colleges, Letters of Recommendation. Do not invite them before completing the survey.
4. On June 1, 2020, Ms. Carhart will check all teacher recommendation surveys. If it is not completed or if it is completed without effort, your teacher recommendation invitations will be removed. You will be notified if this happens. EC teachers cannot write a quality letter on your behalf without this survey. They are limited to 20 letters and will maintain a waitlist in case they receive more than 20 requests. If you ask, are approved and don’t follow these guidelines, someone from the waitlist will receive your spot.
5. Seniors can ask teachers for letters after the June 1, 2020 deadline, but they must follow the same process. Some teachers might have filled their 20-letter maximum, but counselors will help students find the appropriate teachers to write on their behalf. All seniors must confirm their teacher recommendations by September 30, 2020 so teachers can allocate their time in the fall to write quality recommendations by the November 1, 2020 deadline.

Other Details About Letters of Recommendation

• Your teacher requests are always visible in Naviance so you can track when a teacher has uploaded and submitted their letter.
• Teachers will have their letters uploaded and submitted in Naviance by November 1, 2020. If you are applying to a college with an earlier deadline, please communicate this to your teachers and your college counselor next fall, preferably by early September. There are no deadlines before October 15 (Georgia Tech, UNC); do not request letters before that date for rolling deadlines.
• Many students benefit from a third letter of recommendation from someone outside of academics like a coach, instructor or boss. During the Junior College Planning meeting, students will discuss this letter, the appropriate adults to write it and the submission process.
• Students do not need to request counselor letters. Your college counselor will write one for you if your colleges will accept a counselor letter.

Thank you for your cooperation during our digital learning process. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Frances Carhart
Director of Student Services

Dear EC Student and Family,

On Monday, we sent a short survey to our EC students, parents and faculty to gauge how digital learning is progressing. Thank you for those of you who took the time to complete this and share your feedback. As of today, we received 729 total responses. As we work out the bugs of remote classrooms and track how students are doing (both in class and in general), this feedback is very helpful. Here were the main themes that came from this data:

• According to students and parents/guardians, almost 90% rated DLDs as being successful. We thank our faculty, students and families for working together within this new structure to make this happen.
• The majority of our faculty believe our current schedule is working
• Managing screen time and missing social interactions have been difficult for everyone
• Moving forward we are looking for continued ways to find the right balance of work that is both supportive and sustainable for students, families and faculty. While this has improved in week two, we are continuing to examine how this can be improved. Again, at this time, our expectation of 1 hour of total work per class in non AP classes and 2 hours of total work in AP classes will stand.
• We are also currently working to adjust our attendance protocol. OPSI is no longer requiring period attendance, so we are working to implement a new and hopefully much easier system for everyone that we will start as soon as it is ready this next week.

We will continue to periodically survey and collect data on how digital learning is going for our school community. We thank our students and families who we know are adjusting to DLDs along with many other challenges, and our faculty who are working tirelessly to provide learning for our students. We will continue to adapt and adjust as needed, and believe we have established a strong foundation to build upon.

Campus Now Closed to All Visitors
Per Governor Inslee’s stay at home directive, Eastside Catholic campus is closed to all but essential personnel. Please contact our Office Manager Liz Anderson with questions. As always, you can reach out to individual teachers or staff members. Contact information is available on our website.

Cancellations and Changes
Please refer to our information in our sidebar for a full list of changes and cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions
Please refer to the growing list of frequently asked questions below for answers to common questions about Digital Learning Days.

Stay home, stay healthy, keep washing your hands and reach out in safe ways to connect with those you care about and who care about you!

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

As we end our first full week of digital learning, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to the EC community for your patience, compassion and care that you have shown each other, as well as our faculty and staff, during this uncertain time.

The transition to digital learning has not been seamless, but every indication is that day-by-day we are improving – our understanding of what works and what doesn’t is growing and adjustments are being made where necessary.

We are all learning together. This is unprecedented territory, and we are pleased to receive positive feedback that students are busy, engaged and adjusting.

A few reminders are listed below.

Please Report Absences
Our attendance policies are still in place during digital learning days. Families must call (425-295-3019) or email (attendance@eastsidecatholic.org) the Attendance Office each school day before 9 a.m. if a student will not participate in digital learning that day. Please include the reason why. Teachers will take daily attendance for each class period. Any student who does not participate in the daily DLD lesson will be marked absent and will be reported to the Attendance Office.

Students – Don’t Forget to Check Your EC Email
It is important that students check three resources after 9 a.m. each weekday: PlusPortals, OneNote and their EC email. Teachers will communicate via these three resources consistently and email is an important communication tool during DLDs.

DLD Concerns and Questions – Please Do Not Use the Safety Tipline
As students continue to adjust to DLDs, all feedback, concerns and questions should be communicated first to their teachers. Our safety tipline is only for safety and security concerns, not DLD feedback. By following the school communication protocols, we can ensure your DLD feedback and experience is communicated with the appropriate people.

Ongoing Communications
During DLDs, we will continue to communicate via the Student Announcements email on Mondays, the EC This Week email on Wednesdays and a COVID-19 and DLD Update email on Fridays. Other communications will be sent as needed. Additionally, next week, watch for an email survey to gauge how digital learning is going for students and families.

Frequently Asked Questions
Please refer to the growing list of frequently asked questions below for answers to common questions about Digital Learning Days.

We miss our students and look forward to having them back on campus. As we like to say at the end of each morning announcement, remember to take care of each other!

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Today, Governor Inslee announced that all public and private K-12 schools in Washington State will close for at least the next six weeks. This announcement pushes Eastside Catholic’s reopen date to Monday, April 27 and requires changes for several scheduled events. We have added them to the Changes and Cancellations section on this webpage.

For the past several weeks, our faculty and staff have been planning and training for Digital Learning Days (DLD). This past week, DLD expectations were shared in all classes and students were onboarded with the technological needs of each class.

As we transition to remote learning, it is our every intent to move forward with curricular content to meet the learning goals for every class and all students. The information below shares the expectations for both students and families during DLDs.

We posted answers to potential questions our students and families may have regarding the online learning experience below, as well as general school operations during this closure. These resources will continue to grow as we discover new ways to support our Crusader community.

DLD Expectations – For Families

• To prepare for remote learning, we encourage families to:
  • Designate and/or set up a place for your student to work.
  • Discuss with your student how they will handle schoolwork and limit distractions. For example, you may want to consider limiting access to cell phones during the school day at home.
  • Plan ways in which your student can exercise and/or get some physical activity.
  • Review the Department of Health's Resources and Recommendations for Parents and Caretakers.
• Classwork is required to be completed each day
• Our attendance policies will still be in place for digital learning days. Families must call (425-295-3019) or email (attendance@eastsidecatholic.org) the Attendance Office each day before 9 a.m. if their student(s) will not participate in digital learning that day and include the reason why.
  • Teachers will take daily attendance for each class period. Any student who does not participate in the daily DLD lesson will be marked absent and will be reported to the Attendance Office.

DLD Expectations – For Students

• Students will need to check in only for the classes that are meeting on a given day. DLD class periods will be conducted as follows:
  • Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, periods 1-7 will meet
  • Wednesdays, periods 1-4 will meet
  • Thursdays, periods 5-7 will meet
  • Mentor period will not meet
• Students are required to check PlusPortals, OneNote and their EC email each day after 9 a.m. This includes reading the lessons, materials and information posted while also completing any classwork and/or homework assignments.
• Classwork that is posted should be completed within 12 hours (by 9 p.m. each weekday). If students need beyond 9 p.m. on a certain day, they should contact their teachers.
• Classwork and homework should total no more than one hour per class. Each student works and learns at their own pace, so this may vary per student. Families should follow a set routine and establish a distraction free area to complete work so that students can learn and finish work in a timely fashion.
  • For AP courses, classwork and homework may total up to two hours per class.
• Teachers will check off classwork based on completion within 24 hours. Homework will be given feedback and graded within our current policy of two weeks.
• Teachers will be available throughout the school day to check student work, give feedback and answer students’ questions. Teachers will communicate their preferred method of communication.
• Students who are not completing work will be contacted by their teacher(s). Teachers will also communicate this with families.
• School counselors are also available to students during this time. Students should email their counselor to schedule a time to talk.
• Our IT Department is available to support to all students. If a student is experiencing technical issues, they need to contact IT as soon as possible via email at itsupport@eastsidecatholic.org. IT support will be available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Additional FAQs and resources are now posted on the website.

Thank you for your support, patience and understanding as we navigate unprecedented territory for our community.

Sincerely,

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Ryan Aiello
Director of Curriculum and Instruction

At a press conference today, Governor Inslee announced a ban on large gatherings and events of 250 people or more across three counties, including King County. Although no specific guidance was issued for schools at this time, we believe it is inevitable that school closures will be mandated in the coming days.

In response to the Governor’s announcement, the impact of revised social distancing guidelines and decreasing student attendance, Eastside Catholic School will be closed effective Friday, March 13. Please note that Eastside Catholic currently has no reported or confirmed cases of students, faculty or staff with COVID-19.

Our last day of instruction will be Thursday, March 12, which is an early release day. This day will be used to further prepare students for digital learning and answer their questions and concerns. Students will meet in Periods 1-7 and are asked to clean out their lockers and bring all necessary school materials home, including laptops, chargers and course materials. No Junk will provide breakfast and snacks at breaks but lunch will not be served.

Faculty and staff will engage in training and planning for digital learning on Thursday afternoon and all-day on Friday to ensure that we will be able to provide curricular content to meet the learning goals in each class, for all students while maintaining a strong sense of community during this closure.

Additional Closure Details:

• Friday, March 13 – school will be closed; students are encouraged to catch up on any schoolwork if needed, before DLD begins on Monday
• We will transition to our digital learning plan on Monday, March 16 – additional guidance, FAQs will be communicated this week
• We are tentatively planning to reopen the school and resume normal operations on Monday, April 20, after Easter Break. With that said, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Governor’s Office and Washington Department of Public Health and adjust our opening date as necessary. When school does resume, we will follow the current calendar schedule for all future events.
• All Eastside Catholic buildings and outdoor facilities will be closed, including the playfields. No students or parents and guardians should be on campus unless by appointment.
• Eastside Catholic administrators, faculty and staff will be accessible through email; you can find contact information on the website or the online directory on PlusPortals.
• All athletic practices and games for all spring sports, including CYO, are canceled until further notice.
• All arts (rehearsals and performances), clubs and activities are cancelled through Sunday, April 19. A complete list of cancellations and updates is listed below.
• IT Support for distance learning: our IT Team will be available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. by appointment or phone to troubleshoot technical challenges.
• The Facilities Team will continue to clean and prepare the campus for when we resume normal operations.

As public health officials have advised, please remember that school closures will not be effective unless they are accompanied by social distancing strategies used by students, parents and guardians. All community members should practice social distancing measures as outlined by the World Health Organization.

We understand this decision will affect every family differently and we will continue to look for ways we can support all members of our community. The theme of our auction (which will be moving online) is “Be the Light.” That theme speaks to hope. It speaks to the bright future of our students and our community to live purposeful lives so that others are encouraged to do the same. Your light will continue to shine for EC as we all pull together in this uncertain time.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Deliberation and decisions regarding the COVID-19 situation are ongoing as we analyze information in real time. We will continue to communicate updates via email and through this webpage. Thank you in advance for carefully reviewing these communications and bringing your questions or concerns directly to us. Rest assured, we are continually evaluating the shifting landscape.

Our Senior Administrative Leadership Team continues to meet regularly to assess risks to our students and community. With the input of medical professionals and information and updates from Public Health, Washington State Department of Health and CDC, we met today and considered the following information:

• Eastside Catholic does not have a current concern of active exposure to COVID-19 in our community.
• Public Health – Seattle and King County, as well as the CDC, continue to recommend schools remain open. Find the latest information on this webpage.
• The absentee rate at Eastside Catholic remains within the normal, acceptable range for illness, with a low percentage of families keeping students at home out of precaution.
• Our Leave Policy covers faculty and staff who are in a high-risk category or caring for someone in that population. Thus far, we have not seen significant numbers of employee absences. While some peer NWAIS schools have elected to close proactively, many more remain open. Schools are making decisions based on their specific needs and circumstances. Seattle Public Schools and most area districts remain open.
• There is an absence of information regarding under what circumstances schools that are closed would reopen.
• We believe education of students happens best face-to-face with the teacher-student and student-student interaction providing intangible benefits that online education cannot fully recreate.
• Each day at school gives us an opportunity to provide the highest level of instruction. During this time, we will continue to actively prepare students and faculty for a prolonged online experience to ensure any extended digital learning experience will meet the high standards Eastside Catholic sets for itself.

We know that the data and information is changing rapidly and we are prepared to respond promptly as new circumstances emerge.

Considering the above, Eastside Catholic remains open. At this time, we do not plan to close until there is current information or protocols indicating a closure is warranted to ensure the health of the Eastside Catholic community and the greater Seattle area. We do encourage and fully support families, faculty and staff to make decisions that reflect their own health needs and personal comfort.

The possibility of an extended closure is real, and we are preparing in earnest for this scenario. Our faculty are continuing to fine-tune digital learning plans and activities that will facilitate continued student learning as well as support parents during what could be an unusual time.

Health Safety Protocols
Students, faculty and staff have been reminded about health-safety protocols for preventing the spread of germs. We continue to emphasize that if our community members are sick or showing cold or flu-like symptoms, they should stay home and seek medical attention. If students are not attending school due to illness or caution, please have them reach out to teachers and check PlusPortals and OneNote for current assignments.

Digital Learning Plans
In preparation for an extended closure, families are asked to assess their home technology resources, including access to Wi-Fi and devices. Students should also make sure they are taking their laptop and charger to and from school each day and on weekends, in case of extended closure. We will work with families to support at-home technology needs for remote learning as indicated from the recent technology survey.

Absences
Please remember to call or email the Attendance Office (425-295-3019) if your student will not be at school, including information if the absence is due to illness. Our nurses are in contact with any student or family for which we have concerns.

Visitors
Effective March 10, Eastside Catholic will limit visits to campus from non-essential community members. This includes, but is not limited to, visiting alumni, parents and volunteers without an appointment, vendors and family members of employees.

School-Related Travel
Presently, all school-related out of state travel is postponed or cancelled. We will continue to monitor CDC recommendation for travel, making decisions that prioritize student health and safety and will communicate updates with families enrolled on these trips and outings. In-state travel will be assessed on a case by case basis. If changes are deemed necessary, updates will be sent out to the community.

Family Travel - Easter Break and Other
Many families travel regularly and/or may have plans to travel over Easter Break. Eastside Catholic will follow the travel recommendations put forward by the CDC. For any families with upcoming travel, the school recommends reviewing CDC Travel Frequently Asked Questions and Answers. Eastside Catholic asks that you follow the guidelines below if you are traveling internationally in coming weeks:

• Consult the CDC’s latest travel advisories and country-specific risk classification levels prior to travel.
• Consult the CDC again for updated information upon your return, as the situation is rapidly evolving.
• If any member of your family plans to travel to one of the countries classified by the CDC as Level 2 or Level 3, you must inform the school by contacting the Attendance Office.
• If any member of your family travels to one of the countries classified by the CDC as Level 2 or Level 3, and returns demonstrating symptoms of the flu, we ask that you not attend school and report your symptoms and exposure risk to the agencies listed above, and inform the school based on the recommendation of the agency and your physician. If you return and are asymptomatic, please consult your physician for guidance about the appropriateness of returning to school.

Changes and Cancellations
Any changes to activities, clubs, events or athletics are communicated via email, posted to this webpage and noted on our school calendar. Check these resources for the latest information and updates.

Thank you for your attention to this and all future communications regarding this issue. The health and wellness of our community is our top priority and we are prepared to adjust our school operations in response to this fluid situation.

Again, there are currently no known cases of positive exposure in our community to COVID-19. In any crisis, rumors tend to circulate and can cause fear and hurt. Several rumors have come to our attention regarding particular students, teachers and/or community service interactions. These rumors are not true. Our nurses are in contact with any student or family for which we have concerns. Be assured that we will share or communicate with you in the event that there is a change to our school operations.

It is times like these where our faith becomes a valuable source of strength for our entire community.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

We want to thank our faculty, staff, students and families for your cooperation as we continue dealing with the rapidly evolving COVID-19 virus situation. Our goal with email updates is to share the latest information, what we are doing and planning for and how families can help. We continue to follow the guidance and recommendations from the Washington State Department of Public Health and Center for Disease Control as we make decisions about the operation of our school. Today, Public Health issued the statement that it is “not currently recommending that schools proactively close unless they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff member or student…The reason we are not recommending school closures at this time is because children have not been shown to be a high risk group for serious illness from this virus. As much as possible, children should be allowed to carry on with their education and normal activities.” More information about their recommendation can be found on their website. Eastside Catholic will be closed Friday, March 6 to actively plan, prepare and further train our faculty for the possibility of extended digital learning days. Our hope is to be prepared to instruct students on Monday with regards to Digital Learning updates and enhanced tools. What We Are Doing Regular Communications Updates Going forward, our goal when possible is to communicate changes to school schedules, events and activities a minimum of 72 hours in advance. EC-related COVID-19 Webpage  We created this webpage to consolidate all EC-related COVID-19 updates and communications and offer external resources for our community. Digital Learning Days In the event of a school closure, we currently have in place digital learning plans which we implemented earlier this year during weather-related closures. These plans include using the the combined resources of PlusPortals and OneNote. Although we found this plan to be sufficient for short term closures, our goal is to add additional tools in the next several days in case of an extended school closure. A survey was sent to our community members to gauge accessibility for all students. School Events and Activities Updates At this time, many school activities are continuing, including athletic practices. Others are being cancelled, rescheduled, moved online or to other alternate solutions based on several variables, including location, exposure and size of gathering. Please refer to the list below for the latest changes. Emails will be sent to participants as necessary. March 6 - PTF has cancelled the Middle School Social – please see email from PTF leadership March 6 - Middle School Leadership meeting was cancelled by the hosting organization March 7 - High school registration for new and returning students will be moved to an online format – please refer to emails sent March 5 March 10 - Christ our Hope Church cancelled the Campus Ministry Leadership field trip March 10-11 - Middle School Student-Led Conferences – We are requesting that students to lead their conferences at home; as always, parents and guardians can schedule additional meetings with school personnel Campus Cleaning In addition to previously communicated campus cleaning protocols, the school will undergo a deep clean from an outside vendor over the weekend. Harlow’s Bus Service has also assured us that their buses are being wiped down after every trip with increased focus on common touchpoints including seats and railings. How Families Can Help Complete the Digital Accessibility Survey - A survey link to gauge internet accessibility for digital learning days was sent to all community members. Please complete the survey by 12 p.m. on Monday, March 9. Be Prepared for a School Closure - All students are being encouraged to take their laptops, work and supplies home with them each day to be prepared for digital learning in case of an extended closure. Please Keep Students Home If Ill - We encourage community members with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions to stay home. Any person staying home for any reasons related to COVID-19 should contact the Attendance Office at 425-295-3019. Absences will be excused. Symptoms that a student is too sick for school: Fever: temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; student must not have a fever for 24 hours before returning to school Vomiting: a student should not return to school for 24 hours following the last episode of vomiting Chronic cough and/or runny nose: continual coughing and excessive nasal discharge; these conditions may be contagious and may require treatment from your health care provider Diarrhea: especially if your student acts or looks ill; student should be symptom-free for 24 hours Sore throat: especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck Rash: body rash, especially with fever or itching Ear infection: with fever; without fever can attend school, but the student may need medical treatment and follow-up; untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss Eye infection: pink eye (conjunctivitis) or thick mucus or pus draining from eye Unusual appearance, behavior: abnormally tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable; this is sufficient reason to exclude a student from school Helpful Reminders: Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds, making sure to cover all aspects of hands including in between fingers, back of hand and fingertips. If water and soap are unavailable, use of an alcohol-based cleanser with at least 60% alcohol is recommended, rubbing vigorously until dry. Keep hands away from the face. The eyes, nose and mouth are portals for entry to viruses and bacteria. Please cough and sneeze into the elbow or shoulder.   Please know we are doing everything possible to provide normal routines and stability for students during this uncertain time for our community. We will provide another update once we have additional information to share. Sincerely, Gil Picciotto President Barbara Swann High School Principal Ashley Hylton Middle School Principal

In light of the recent news regarding an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in King County, rest assured that we continue to take the threat of the virus very seriously and are closely monitoring and following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of Washington’s Department of Health.

At this time, there are no recommendations for any changes to school operating schedules and Eastside Catholic will follow our normal operating schedule for all school and extracurricular activities.

Below are the ways we can work together to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in our school community:

Keep students home if they are ill.
Students who meet the following criteria while at school will be isolated and sent home.

Symptoms that a student is too sick for school:

• Fever: temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; student must not have a fever for 24 hours before returning to school
• Vomiting: a student should not return to school for 24 hours following the last episode of vomiting
• Chronic cough and/or runny nose: continual coughing and excessive nasal discharge; these conditions may be contagious and may require treatment from your health care provider
• Diarrhea: especially if your student acts or looks ill; student should be symptom-free for 24 hours
• Sore throat: especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck
• Rash: body rash, especially with fever or itching
• Ear infection: with fever; without fever can attend school, but the student may need medical treatment and follow-up; untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss
• Eye infection: pink eye (conjunctivitis) or thick mucus or pus draining from eye
• Unusual appearance, behavior: abnormally tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable; this is sufficient reason to exclude a student from school

Other ways to help:

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds, making sure to cover all aspects of hands including in between fingers, back of hand and fingertips. If water and soap are unavailable, use of an alcohol-based cleanser with at least 60% alcohol is recommended, rubbing vigorously until dry.
• Keep hands away from the face. The eyes, nose and mouth are portals for entry to virus’ and bacteria.
• People that are sneezing or coughing are asked to cough and sneeze into the elbow or shoulder.

Additionally, all classrooms have tissues, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer available to them. Our Facilities Team is proactive in regularly cleaning common surfaces with appropriate cleansers. The Health Room uses a hospital strength viricide on surfaces as well as drapes that are changed with each use. All bathrooms have flyers posted depicting good hygiene practices, instructions for proper hand washing as well as visuals depicting why people should resist temptations of touching the face with the hands.

The Health Room continues to monitor the percentage of illness in the school and coordinates with our Facilities Team for deep cleaning if the percentage shows a significant uptick of illness. In addition, custodians will continue with regular cleaning with an emphasis on touchpoints in all buildings.

Coronavirus is not specific to any race, nationality or ethnicity. We want to ensure that students and staff do not experience harassment or stigmatization as a result of concerns about the COVID-19 virus. Please report any concerns about harmful behaviors to a teacher, counselor or school administrator.

Additional Resources

• 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Public Health Seattle and King County (this site includes FAQ in English, Spanish and Chinese)
• Novel Coronavirus Outbreak 2020, Washington State Department of Health
• 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Guidance for Travelers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• WA State Department of Health novel coronavirus call center: 1-800-525-0127

We will provide updates to families once we have additional information to share. We know this is an uneasy time for our community, and we appreciate your cooperation as we work together to keep students and adults healthy.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President

Barbara Swann
High School Principal

Ashley Hylton
Middle School Principal

Many of you may be closely following the news about the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Though the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that they expect the virus to spread in the United States, to date, no guidelines have been published for schools.

It is important to note that there are currently no cases reported in King County, and the King County Department of Public Health has not issued any warnings at this time. Please see the King County Public health website or this COVID-19 fact sheet for more information.

The CDC also recommends the following steps to protect yourself and others:

1. Get your flu shot to protect against the flu or symptoms similar to those associated with the coronavirus
2. Wash your hands regularly with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds
3. Cover your cough or sneeze
4. Keep sick family members at home until symptoms resolve

Additional recommendations are available on the CDC website. As always, we ask that students, family members, employees and guests who are ill not come to campus; please wait until you have been fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

The following steps are being taken at EC:

• We will continue to follow our cleaning protocols that include sanitizing surfaces with disinfecting products.
• Teachers have been reminded to emphasize good hygiene with their students, including frequent hand washing and proper covering for coughs and sneezes.
• Our Health Room staff is actively monitoring the numbers of students who have been diagnosed with the flu and other illnesses. 
• We are continuing to monitor information and recommendations from local public health agencies regarding any outbreaks in this area.

Our school leadership team will continue to review, update and prepare for the unlikely event of a school closure. If closure is determined to be necessary, we would communicate and implement the Digital Learning Day protocols that were introduced during the January 2020 snow closures and any additional preventative measures, if needed.

Upcoming school-related student travel will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with currently available travel warnings. Any changes to student trips will be communicated directly with families who are impacted.

Parents and guardians play a key role in preventing and mitigating communicable diseases by keeping students home when ill or with a fever. We appreciate your cooperation to help promote a healthy environment for all.

Sincerely,

Gil Picciotto
President