Information & Resources: COVID-19

Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

As February comes to a close and we prepare for Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), Ash Wednesday, and the Season of Lent, let us all be mindful of the blessings in our lives and our ongoing need for repentance and conversion. In humility, we can acknowledge where we have fallen short, safe in the care of our God, a loving parent inviting us and welcoming us to forgiveness and growth.

February has also been a time of education and celebration of Black History Month. As a part of our ongoing education and in the Lenten spirit of repentance, we share with you an important and powerful letter from the Sisters of Charity Federation with a brief excerpt here:

Racism is an ongoing challenge for all of us as we face and acknowledge our individual and collective truths and continue to be faithful to ‘foster right relationships wherever we live and minister.’ We all must do the inner work that is needed for conversion and healing to take place, both for us as individuals and as a congregation. Let us together continue on this journey and meet our grace each day.

Beginning next week, we will transition away from these weekly Thursday communications and move to a newly-formatted eConnect email to regularly disseminate information to families. Thank you, as always, for your careful attention to all our communications in support of your children, our students. Below are important updates and reminders.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing This Week
Tomorrow, students will be provided a single rapid antigen test to take at home on Sunday, February 27. On Monday, February 28, parents must complete Ruvna to have their children come onto campus. We will be suspending these required surveillance COVID tests as of Feb 28. Thus, we will also be suspending the use of Ruvna to come on to campus. As always, should a student have any symptoms, they are to remain home and test negative before coming to campus.

Ash Wednesday and Lent
Please join our community in prayer by reflecting on the day’s readings and viewing this brief video, Lent in Three Minutes. Consider how your family might participate in the traditional practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving during this holy season.

Parents Association Meeting: Wednesday (3/2) at 7 pm via Zoom
Join us next Wednesday at 7pm on Zoom to hear from current SHC senior parents about their experience with the college application process. This is a highly attended meeting every year, as fellow parents share how they navigate this exciting and stressful experience with their child.

Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 860 3381 9900
Passcode: parents

Safety and Security Audit
Next Thursday, consultants from Joffe Emergency Services will be visiting our campus as part of our safety and security audit for future planning. We look forward to celebrating successes and strategically planning for future needs and opportunities.

Schedule Reminder
Please note that Friday, March 4, is a student holiday.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

We are grateful that the COVID case rates continue to fall in San Francisco and that the state has begun planning for the endemic phase (post-pandemic phase) in the very near future. We will continue to test for at least one more week (see below). May the long holiday weekend provide you all with some rest and relaxation. Below are important reminders and updates.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing This Week
Tomorrow, students will be provided a single rapid antigen test to take at home on Monday, February 21. On Tuesday, February 22, parents must complete Ruvna to have their children come onto campus. Ruvna will only be used on the first day of classes each week.

Indoor Masking Still Required at Schools (per SFDPH and CDPH)
Indoor masking is still required by the State for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in public transportation; health care settings; congregate settings like correctional facilities and homeless shelters; long term care facilities; and in K12 schools and childcare settings.

Communication Update
Beginning in March, we will transition away from these weekly Thursday communications and move solely towards a newly-formatted eConnect email to disseminate information to families. This weekly email will contain health and safety information for students, along with academic and cocurricular news. Once we have transitioned our Thursday communication to the weekly eConnect, you may view links to past issues here.

Vaccination and Boosters
There are some events that may require participants to be “up-to-date” (fully vaccinated and a booster shot) on their vaccinations in order to participate, either by size of event or venue. These may include school functions, such as prom. Please make sure you are aware of the protocols.

Up To Date: The CDC defines what it means to be “up to date” here. Note that meeting the requirements may be different for each person depending on age, health status, and when initially vaccinated.

Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. When dealing with any positive cases or close contacts, it is important for us to have up-to-date vaccination status for all of our students.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

As we head toward Valentine’s Day, may we remember the love shown in our actions for the benefit of others. Yes, some of those actions may be in flowers or chocolates, and some of those actions can also be a kind word, a written card, a smile, a handshake, the wearing of our masks, and spending time with those who may be lonely. May God’s love for us be shown through our actions in a special way over the coming days.

Below are important reminders and updates, including an update to our COVID testing protocols for next week.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing Protocol UPDATE
Tomorrow, students will be provided a single rapid antigen test to take on Sunday, February 13 (showing love for one another through our actions). On Monday, February 14, parents must complete Ruvna to have their children come onto campus. While we recommend that all students, faculty, and staff continue to test a second time each week, we are no longer requiring it. Thus, Ruvna will only be used on the first day of classes each week.

Indoor Masking Still Required at Schools (per SFDPH and CDPH)
Indoor masking is still required by the State for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in public transportation; health care settings; congregate settings like correctional facilities and homeless shelters; long term care facilities; and in K12 schools and childcare settings.

Communication Update
Beginning in March, we will be transitioning away from the weekly Thursday communications and move solely towards a newly-formatted eConnect email to disseminate information to families. This weekly email will contain health and safety information for students, along with the usual academic and cocurricular news found in our current eConnect.

Junior Prom Meeting for Parents
If your student is planning to attend the Junior Prom, a parent or guardian is required to attend an informational Parent Meeting next Wednesday, February 16 at 7 pm via Zoom. Please see the following meeting information:

Junior Prom Parent Meeting
February 16, 2022 at 7 pm Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 892 9997 4832
Passcode: 077187

Course Registration for 2022-23
Thank you to all of the students who joined counseling group meetings, completed their counseling videos, and/or attended the Academic Fair yesterday. The Virtual Academic Fair site remains open and limited enrollment placement tests and conferences with counselors will take place throughout March; students will register themselves for courses for next year via PowerSchool between March 28-April 8.

Vaccination and Boosters
There are some events that may require participants to be “up-to-date” (fully vaccinated and a booster shot) on their vaccinations in order to participate, either by size of event or venue. These may include school functions, such as prom. Please make sure you are aware of the protocols.

Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. When dealing with any positive cases or close contacts, it is important for us to have up-to-date vaccination status for all of our students.

The next vaccination clinic at SFO will be on Wednesday, February 16 from 8 am-4 pm.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

We hope you enjoy the three day weekend as our faculty and staff take time to pray, reflect and be on retreat to conclude Catholic Schools Week. We hope that our commitment models for you and your children, our students, the importance of taking time in our lives for spiritual rejuvenation and growth. We also celebrate the Lunar New Year and the beginning of Black History Month this week. We are incredibly blessed by the gifts and talents of our diverse community and each of its members.

Below are important reminders and updates, including an update to our COVID testing protocols for next week.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing Update
Today, we provided each student with a box containing two (2) rapid antigen tests. Students, faculty and staff are to take one on Sunday, February 6, and one on Wednesday evening, February 9. Students, faculty and staff may choose to take a PCR test in the middle of the week rather than a rapid antigen test, but we will no longer be providing the PCR tests for all students after school. Those students who are required to take PCR tests (e.g. specific sports teams) will continue to test on Tuesdays between 11 am-1 pm on the De Paul Campus.

Lunch Location Update
We will no longer use the Pavilion for lunch in the weeks ahead. Students will use the Dining Hall and the Plaza during lunch. On days when we have all school lunch (February 9 and 16), we will use the Practice Field as well.

Course Registration & Academic Fair - Wednesday, February 9
By now, 9-11th graders have either met with their counselors or have access to slide decks with comprehensive information about course requirements and options for next year. If you want to learn more about a particular class, course descriptions and brief video introductions are available on the ACADEMIC FAIR WEBSITE. Spend some time this weekend and in the coming weeks learning more about individual courses.

If you have questions that are not answered in the videos or course descriptions, academic department chairs and select teachers will host office hours next Wednesday, February 9, from 1:30-2:30 pm to answer your questions. The locations of teachers can be found here: Office Hours for Academic Fair Locations.

2022-23 School Year Parameter Dates
Here are the parameter dates for the 2022-23 school year for your planning purposes.

SHC Handbook Update
The SHC Student and Family Handbook has very clear reporting procedures for incidents of harassment. After various student listening sessions and their informative feedback from the end of last semester, we are now including a digital Incident Report Form as one more way in which our students can communicate this type of information to trusted adults on campus. The Report Form will be posted on Schoology in the Resources section of the SHC Announcements page and included future editions of the SHC Student and Family Handbook. It requires the use of an shcp.edu email address as it is intended for use by SHC students.

Give Pope Francis Your Insights (Synod)
The Holy Father has convened a Synod and has asked the People of God to participate in the synodal process. All parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco are currently participating in Pope Francis’ synodal process by participating in the Disciple Maker Survey and listening sessions. Parishes should already be communicating this information to all parishioners and Superintendent, Pam Lyons, asked us to include this information in our school communications to parents for the next two weeks. The survey closes on February 15. We think it is vital that we give our school families a voice in this important process. Parents can go to sfarch.org/synod to find the survey for their particular parish and sign up for upcoming listening sessions in their area.

Stop. Look. Go.
One aspect of our Faculty and Staff retreat tomorrow will invite people to focus on Gratitude. We invite you to take some time tomorrow to Stop. Look. Go.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Next week, we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week with various activities. This year’s theme is: Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service. Having attended or served in six different Catholic schools (and two different public schools), I am profoundly grateful for the teachers, colleagues, and students who have helped shape me and inspired me to pursue this vocation as a Catholic educator. We are grateful to all our SHC parents, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and benefactors who make the mission of Lasallian Vincentian Catholic education real, present, and accessible in our city. May God continue to bless us and all Catholic schools that provide a transformative education to so many young people. Let us always strive to be service-oriented leaders with a commitment to living the Gospel.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Surveillance Testing
Week of January 31-February 4 test requirement - one rapid test on Sunday (test distributed on Friday, January 28) and one PCR test during the week.

Looking ahead, we hope to update our testing protocols as case rates continue to drop. The timeline of these changes will depend on current COVID conditions in San Francisco and future guidance from SFDPH. We will remain with our current protocols until further notice.

1. Currently: one rapid antigen test (provided by SHC) and one PCR test each week.
2. Second phase: one rapid antigen test (provided by SHC) and a second test (PCR or rapid antigen) each week. Families will be responsible for the second test (not provided by or at the school).
3. Third phase: One rapid antigen test a week.
4. Final goal: We look forward, in hope, to a day that we will no longer require surveillance COVID testing for all employees and students.

Vaccine Boosters
Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. When dealing with any positive cases or close contacts, it is important for us to have up-to-date vaccination status for all of our students.

Updates to SF Health Order
Please note these updates for our San Francisco community. There are still school specific protocols that we will be following (e.g. masking indoors at all times) and encourage all community members to follow these protocols outside of school.

Register to take the SAT at SHC
SHC will be opening an additional 71 seats for the March 12, 2022 SAT Test. The seats are scheduled to be made available on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 6 am PST. Please know that the College Board opens the seats, so we cannot guarantee that they will open exactly on time. Also know that, once opened, anyone can register for these seats. We hope to serve as many SHC students and families as possible. A reminder that you must be fully vaccinated to test at SHC (vaccination card and ID required). Please contact the College Board for any SAT related questions or technical support.

SHC Course Registration (9th - 11th Grade Students)
SHC Counselors are sharing information now about the course registration process for the 2022-23 school year. All SHC courses and their prerequisites are described on the Departments and Courses page of the website. Last week, our counselors met with all ninth graders to share information about the process, using the slides below. Mr. Farrell, School Counseling and Advising Department Chair, emailed the following information to sophomores and juniors this week:

Frosh Slide Deck

Sophomore Introductory Video
Sophomore Slide Deck
Sophomore Google Form (students only)

Junior Introductory Video
Junior Slide Deck
Junior Google Form (students only)

Go Niners!
All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to wear San Francisco 49ers gear to school this Friday, January 28, in lieu of regular dress code to support our team in the NFC Championship game this Sunday. Go Niners!

Dear SHC Families and Students,

In the calendar of the Catholic Church, we are now in what is referred to as “Ordinary Time.” It strikes me as a powerful hope that we might once again find “ordinary time” in our lives. With hope in our hearts, we read today of the COVID case rate falling in San Francisco (see below for more information). Please continue to be vigilant with testing, vaccination, and mask wearing to ensure that this downward trend continues. As we continue our efforts to protect ourselves and one another, we keep medical professionals in our prayers, since Omicron continues to impact their work. While the time we are living through is extraordinary, may each of you find some peace, blessing, and solace in the small, everyday, ordinary places in your lives.

Below are important reminders and updates, including the need to take a rapid antigen test TONIGHT in order to come on campus tomorrow, Friday, January 21.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing
All students received a kit with two (2) rapid antigen tests. All students need to test tonight. You will need to verify that you tested and received negative results, through Ruvna, to come onto campus tomorrow. Please keep the instructions and use the second test on Sunday, January 23, to come onto campus next Monday.

Next week (Jan 23-29), we will return to our regular practice of requiring a rapid antigen test prior to the first day of classes ()noted above) and a PCR test during the week (Tuesday, 11 am-1 pm, 2:30-4 pm; Wednesday 2:30-4 pm). Those adults and students who tested with COVID Testing Today this week got their results in 48 hours.

We encourage all families to maintain a supply of rapid antigen tests at home. Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four free at-home tests from USPS.com here.

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Vaccine Booster
Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. When dealing with any positive cases or close contacts, it is important for us to have up-to-date vaccination status for all of our students.

New COVID Cases on the Decline in SF (Press Release)
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) announced today that COVID-19 cases are dropping rapidly following the highest peak in the two-year pandemic. Data shows that cases peaked on January 9 with a 7-day average of 2,164 cases per day and have steadily dropped each day since then to 1,076 cases per day on January 12. COVID-19 hospitalizations, which trail a peak in cases, are expected to peak in the next few days at a level that remains within the health care system’s bed capacity.

Schedule Changes
Please note the bell schedules on Thursday and Friday, January 27 and 28. Thursday is now a blue schedule (7,1,2,3) and Friday is now a green schedule (8,4,5,6). Counselors will be emailing information regarding 2022-23 course registration to sophomores and juniors in lieu of the class meetings originally scheduled for those days.

Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

We hope the upcoming holiday weekend will provide you with some time to relax and refresh. We are grateful to pause and remember the life and work of Dr. King, a champion for justice and equality. As a writer and orator, he also inspires a love of learning and models the importance of education and the impact it had on his own life. Inspired by his Christian faith, he believed leadership must be service-oriented and committed to living out the Gospel message of Jesus.

Please be mindful of the ongoing COVID surge and practice appropriate safety measures during the extended weekend. Our school community is a safe environment to the degree that all members of it abide by public health directives when both on and off campus.

Below are important reminders and updates, including an update regarding our testing protocols for next week. We are providing a rapid antigen test to all students this Friday for them to take on Monday, January 17 (MLK Holiday), in order to come on campus on Tuesday, the first day of classes.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccine Booster
Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. It is important for us when dealing with any positive cases or close contacts to have up-to-date information on all students vaccination status.

Rapid Antigen Testing Update
As we have been able to secure a sufficient supply, as the Omicron surge has not yet peaked, and as we want to provide a good level of surveillance testing for the health and safety of our entire community, we will once again be distributing a single rapid antigen test to all students this Friday, January 14. As we did last week, we will distribute them to students in classrooms during the last block of the day. These rapid antigen tests are to be taken on Monday, January 17 (a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Any student not on campus this Friday may come by campus on Saturday (9 am - 3 pm) to pick up their test. SHC student IDs will be required and will be cross referenced against Friday’s attendance.

We ask all families to continue to plan and purchase rapid antigen tests for use at home. We will not be providing such tests indefinitely, but we will continue to require them for all students and employees at the beginning of each week. Moreover, they are very helpful if a student begins to experience symptoms and can test for COVID at that time. Please note that it has been reported that private insurers will soon have to cover the cost of eight at-home coronavirus tests per member per month.

Our original planning from December had us prepared to provide a rapid antigen test for every community member the first two weeks of January. Based on the ongoing surge and our ability to secure more supplies, we are now hoping to provide one to all students each week throughout the month of January.

COVID Testing Today - On Campus Testing Update
Thank you for your patience with the delays in lab results from our PCR testing. We know that some people have still not received results from last week’s PCR testing. Please know that when those results come in, you do not need to communicate with us as we receive notification from the company. Our plan of testing twice a week proved essential given this delay, as all students would have still taken a rapid antigen test this past Sunday, January 9, before coming onto campus this week.

For the week of January 16 - 22, our testing protocol will change. Along with the rapid antigen test required by all students, faculty and staff on Monday, January 17, we continue to require a second COVID test each week. For this coming week (Jan 16-22), however, this second test may be a PCR test that you get on your own, an at home rapid antigen test (if you have one available, it will not be provided by the school), or a rapid antigen test done on campus by COVID Testing Today. Please read here for more information about COVID Testing Today’s change to rapid antigen testing for this coming week due to shortages of supplies and staffing at the laboratories. The company states that, “all laboratories doing PCR tests are ramping up to be able to deliver next-day results again within the next 5 to 8 days.” We will return to doing weekly PCR testing when they are able to provide more timely results.

SHC Website - Updated COVID Page Links
Please note that the links on the left hand side (sidebar) of the shcp.edu COVID page has been updated to include the most timely and most important links for now. It is a central resource in order to support you during this time.

Ninth Grade Counseling Meetings
On January 20 and 21, school counselors will be meeting with their 9th grade students at the beginning of the day (8 - 9:30 am). The school counselors have emailed their students directly with more specific information regarding dates and location.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Happy New Year and happy new semester!

We are so grateful to GATHER together as a school community even during (or especially during) such challenging times. We thank you for your support and extraordinary efforts to keep our community in good health. As always, our goal is to continue to provide the highest standard of care for our students and colleagues. Toward that end, there are important updates and reminders (below), including information about the distribution of a rapid antigen test for every student tomorrow. Please read carefully.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Prevention (Vaccination/Booster and Masking)
Vaccination and Booster
Medical data to date show that individuals who have received a booster shot increase their immunity to a level that confers significantly more protection from all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron variant, and generally prevents severe disease. Boosters are now available to ages 12 and above. COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources may be found here. Please upload vaccine and booster information to Magnus. Vaccination and booster status now impacts quarantine guidelines for anyone who is a close contact to a positive case.

We are planning to host a vaccine booster clinic at SHC on the morning of Saturday, January 15. When details are finalized, we will share those and sign-up information with you.

Up-to-date on all COVID Vaccines means you are (a) two weeks past completing the full initial course of vaccines — either two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or one dose of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine AND (b) one week after receiving a booster of any type once a person is eligible for a booster. Until a person is eligible for a booster, they are considered up-to-date on vaccination two weeks after completing their initial vaccines. Being eligible for a booster involves both the person’s age and needs to be at least six months after completing the full initial course of a vaccine.

Masking
Along with being up-to-date with COVID vaccinations and maintaining our ventilation strategies at home and school, masking is a third key tool to prevent being infected by COVID. A well-fitted mask that can be comfortably worn is most important. Double masking is an effective way to improve fit and filtration. A close-fitting cloth mask can be worn on top of a surgical/disposable mask to improve the seal of the mask to the face. K95, KN95, KF94 are most effective, and surgical masks are more effective than cloth masks. To get the most out of your masking, please consult this CDPH site.

Mitigation of Spread (Testing and Isolation/Quarantine)
Testing
A key part of our mitigation strategy is weekly testing. SHC Student COVID Testing Requirements for next week are linked here. In order to support these requirements, we will be providing a rapid antigen test to all students during the last class period of the day tomorrow (Block 6). These rapid antigen tests are to be taken on Sunday, January 9. Any student not on campus tomorrow may come by campus on Saturday to pick up a test. SHC student IDs will be required and will be cross referenced against Friday’s attendance.

Note: A rapid antigen test will still be required at the beginning of each week through the month of January. After Saturday, January 8, the responsibility to acquire those tests is the family’s. Please order online today and continue to check local pharmacies for supplies. You have ten days from today to get a test for Sunday, January 16.

Our on campus PCR testing this week went reasonably well. Thank you for signing up, and thank you for your patience as we work closely with our provider, COVID Testing Today, to clarify their processes and our communication with you. For your reference, general information regarding the COVID PCR Testing at SHC may be found here. Next week, the PCR testing at SHC will be on Tuesday (Seniors/Juniors) and Wednesday (Sophs/Frosh) after school. As with rapid antigen testing at the beginning of each week in January, we are requiring a PCR test for all students, faculty and staff during each week of January. Please email results to attendance@shcp.edu if you took your PCR test somewhere other than at SHC. Drop in testing sites, by day of the week, can be found here.

Isolation/Quarantine/Staying Home if Sick
Testing Positive: If you test positive for COVID, please fill out the information at this Google Form. After reporting your positive case, please read and apply these guidelines to your situation. Please also refer to these guidelines regarding your isolation, return to campus, and ongoing requirements with regard to both rapid antigen and PCR testing.

Close Contact: Being up-to-date with the COVID vaccine helps maintain your in-person learning should you be a close contact with a positive case. Close contacts who are up-to-date do not need to quarantine. Close contacts who are not up-to-date may be required to quarantine for five days depending on where the close contact occurred.

College Advising for Juniors
College advisors will be in Ethics classes January 18-21 and will begin meeting individually with juniors on February 1. All juniors will receive an introductory message from their college advisor during the last week of January. Juniors and their parents/guardians should be sure to join the Schoology Group, SHC College Advising for the Class of 2023.

The Junior College Nights program will take place via Zoom from January 11 to 13, starting at 6:30 pm. The twelve breakout sessions include presentations from a range of college admissions professionals. Here is the link to the full schedule: Junior College Nights Schedule.

Excerpt from Today’s Gospel (Luke 4:14-22)
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

January 2, 2022

Dear SHC Families and Students,

This email serves to remind and update you about crucial information, including steps where your prompt action is needed. This communication has information that is important. Please read it carefully.

All students are required to test negative for COVID tomorrow (Monday, January 3), prior to coming onto campus for the first day of classes on Tuesday, January 4.

For those in need of an antigen rapid test, we will provide one for each student tomorrow.

Families will need to use Ruvna on Monday, January 3, in order to pick up your at-home COVID test from SHC. For those new to SHC (9th grade and transfer students/families) and for those needing a reminder, important information regarding Ruvna is found below.

Parents/guardians (not students) will receive an email/text from Ruvna on January 3 that must be completed to receive a QR code in order to obtain a test kit from SHC. Only one text kit will be given for each QR code. The parent/guardian can pick up the test kit with the QR code or can give the QR code to their child (our student) or another parent/guardian/student to pick up the test kit. Once a QR code is used, it will no longer be valid to pick up a test kit. Please do not share the QR code with anyone other than an SHC student or parent/guardian. To space out the delivery of test kits, we ask that you follow the schedule below. If you are unable to meet the specific time assigned, however, you may come at any time between 8am- 4 pm. We want all SHC students to have access to a rapid antigen test tomorrow. Come to the Student Life Center entrance (glass doors) at 1055 Ellis Street to pick up your COVID test kit.

On Tuesday, January 4, you will also need to use Ruvna to enter campus and will do so every day for the next few weeks. Some of the yes/no questions on Ruvna may be counterintuitive. Please read them closely and carefully before answering. While the algorithms are not ideal for some of the current circumstances, the self-health check system Ruvna has proven very useful to our community throughout this pandemic.

Important note (PCR Testing required within last week for students not fully vaccinated)
A weekly PCR negative test result is still required for any student not fully vaccinated. In order to come to campus on Tuesday, January 4, these students must have a negative PCR COVID result from no later than December 27, 2021. The weekly PCR testing requirement for these students continues.

Testing requirements for all other students going forward:

• Thursday, January 6: Negative test required to come to campus on Friday, January 7.
• Sunday, January 9: Negative at-home test required to come to campus on Monday, January 10. It is the family’s responsibility to provide this at-home rapid antigen test.
• Going forward, students must either test twice per week with antigen rapid tests (recommended days: Sunday and Wednesday) or once per week with a PCR test.
  • For those choosing rapid antigen tests, it is your family’s responsibility to purchase them going forward. The school will not be providing them.
  • For those choosing once-a-week PCR tests, COVID Testing Today will provide them on SHC’s campus each week for the next several weeks. More information and how to register will be sent later this week. For those choosing PCR testing, the January 9 rapid test will cover the “lag” between the Thursday, January 6, rapid test and the PCR test offered at SHC January 11 and 12.

Increased Case Rate
We have had more positive COVID cases (employee and student) in the past two weeks than we have had at any other time. We anticipate having more positive COVID cases in the next few weeks. We will need to support and encourage one another in various ways, including:

1. Ensure we’re testing ourselves weekly and isolating/quarantining if positive (more information on testing is below)
2. Ensure we are “up to date” with our vaccination (see definition of “up to date” and other vaccination information below)
3. Ensure we wear masks at all times indoors except when actively eating
4. Ensure we follow SFDPH guidelines at all times - at school, outside of school, and at home.

If you tested positive for COVID recently
If you have tested positive for COVID recently (since December 19), please fill out the information at this Google Form. It is important that you do this, even if you have reported your positive case via email already.

Due to the number of positive cases we are dealing with, we may or may not be able to get back to you with specific details about your isolation and return to campus. Please read and apply these guidelines to your situation (see below and/or click on this link to read more specific information about the isolation/quarantine period).

We really are all in this together, not just as a school community but as citizens, neighbors, and Bay Area residents. We must support and rely on each other to test, isolate (as necessary), mask, vaccinate, and protect the most vulnerable. We are human and imperfect, so we need to remind and encourage each other. We believe this approach proves more successful and more life-giving than chastisement and judgment. We also believe that, given our community’s past performance with vaccination, mask wearing, ventilation, etc., we have earned a level of trust and support for which we, as school leaders and as parents, are very grateful.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing Options from SFDPH

• COVID-19 testing sites and resources: sf.gov/find-out-about-your-covid- 19-testing-options
• Starting today through January 9, @SFUnified is partnering with Safer Together to offer mobile rapid testing as staff and students return from winter break. Testing will be available to staff, students, and the community. Visit bit.ly/sfusdtesting to register. Since this testing is available to “the community,” we assume it is available to our students and families as well.

Vaccination Information from SFDPH

• Up-to-Date on Vaccination means you are either (a) two weeks past completing the full initial course of vaccines—either two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or one dose of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine AND (b) one week after receiving a Booster of any type once a person is eligible for a Booster. Until a person is eligible for a Booster, they are considered Up-to-Date on Vaccination two weeks after completing their initial vaccines.
• Everyone who is eligible (currently open to age 5 and above) for a COVID-19 vaccine should get vaccinated and stay up to date with boosters (currently open to age 16 and above if enough time has passed since their initial vaccination).
• COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources: sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against-covid-19

Medical data to date show that individuals who have received a booster shot increase their immunity to a level that confers significantly more protection from all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron variant, and generally prevents severe disease. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health now recommend that everyone who has been vaccinated receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible because immunity wanes several months after completion of the initial vaccine series. And the CDC and CDPH recommend that people receive the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna booster if they can. That preference applies to all initial vaccination series, regardless of which vaccine an individual received. Visit sfcdcp.org/booster for more information on booster eligibility.

Ruvna System Information
SHC uses a self-health check system called Ruvna which screens students using a short survey. The Ruvna self-health check must be completed in order for students (and faculty and staff) to enter campus. See below and click here for more information.

How does it work?

• Parents/guardians of all students should get an email and a text asking them to complete the health screening each day of classes. Ruvna does not communicate directly with students.
• This notification will come at 6:50 am.
• You can respond using a phone or a computer. It's your choice. You do not need to download an app to respond.
• If you don't complete the screening, you will get a reminder notification(s) at 7:50 am.

What you need to do:

• If your child is coming to campus, parents/guardians need to complete the screening.
• Once complete, they will receive a QR code with the student’s name and the date.
• Students must have this QR code in order to enter campus, so please have your parents/guardians forward the link or take a screenshot of it.
• SHC Campus Security will scan the QR code with an iPad or cellphone when the student comes to campus.
• If your parents/guardians get a denied access message, do not come to campus.
• If your student is not coming to campus on a given day, you can ignore the Ruvna notification(s).

Please note: Some of the yes/no questions on Ruvna may be counterintuitive. Please read them closely and carefully before answering. While the algorithms are not ideal for some of the current circumstances, the self-health check system Ruvna has proven very useful to our community throughout this pandemic.

For the upcoming week (January 3-7):
Monday, January 3 - Parents/guardians will receive the Ruvna text to confirm if you will be coming to campus that day to pick up the box of at-home rapid COVID test.

On Tuesday (January 4) and Friday (January 7) there will be a Ruvna question to make sure you did the rapid test and were negative, in addition to the symptom and close contact check verification.

On Wednesday (January 5) and Thursday (January 6) Ruvna will be strictly a symptom and close contact verification.

Staying Home, Quarantine, and Isolation
Who must stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

• People with COVID-19.
• People with symptoms of COVID-19 who haven't been tested or are waiting for their test results.
• People who had Close Contact to someone with COVID-19 and are not Up-to-Date on their COVID-19 vaccination (see definition below).

If you have symptoms possibly related to COVID, you should stay home (not come into school) until either:

• You have a negative COVID‑19 test result, collected after your symptoms started, AND you have had no recent Close Contact to someone with COVID-19. You are encouraged to stay home until you feel better, so that you don't spread other illnesses.
• You get a doctor's note or clinic note that you do not need to isolate. A healthcare provider can give you a note that allows you to end isolation and leave home in two situations:
  • They decide that your symptoms are caused by a medical condition that you already have, like allergies or asthma.
  • They determine that your symptoms are caused by another disease, like strep throat, which is less likely to infect others.

Updated Quarantine Requirements from SFDPH
Students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 can return after 5 days of isolation (previously 10 days) IF:

• they no longer have a fever, AND
• their other symptoms are getting better, AND
• they have a negative test collected on or after day five (5). Both PCR/NAAT and antigen tests are acceptable. Note: Either an antigen or PCR test is fine, but an antigen test is preferred to leave isolation or in people who have had a recent COVID-19 infection. Over the counter tests are acceptable to end isolation or quarantine.

As part of the updated recommendations for isolation, these individuals must wear masks while around others, indoors and outdoors, for a total of 10 days.

The changes above apply for isolation (someone who has tested positive). At this time, there are no changes to quarantine for exposures or close contacts in schools or childcare.

If testing continues to be positive on days 6-10, the individual must quarantine for a full 10 days.

COVID Test Pick-up Schedule (January 3, 2022)
To space out when people come to campus and the distribution of the take-home COVID tests, we ask families come to the atrium (Ellis at Franklin) at the following times on Monday, January 3:

8-9 am: Student Last Name A-C
9-10 am: Student Last Name D-F
10-11 am: Student Last Name G-I
11-noon: Student Last Name J-L
Noon-1 pm: Student Last Name M-O
1-2 pm: Student Last Name P-R
2-3 pm: Student Last Name S-U
3-4 pm: Student Last Name V-Z

A few more FAQs
Do students who have recently had COVID need to do a test on Monday to come to school Tuesday?
If the student has tested positive for COVID recently (since December 19), please fill out the information at this Google Form. Please adhere to the updated isolation/quarantine guidelines from SFDPH (10 days total OR after 5 days with a negative COVID test result on the 5th day). For the next 80 days (90 days since positive result and after 10 days of isolation, a test result is not required according to SFDPH). The school requires proof of a negative test result if used to end isolation before 10 days.

Is remote/distance learning an option?
At this time, we are not offering a remote or distance learning option. Students who need to quarantine at home will keep up on their schoolwork by utilizing Schoology and communicating with their teachers via email and Schoology. We are asking teachers to be especially thorough in posting resources and directions on Schoology during the next several weeks. We are also asking them to include some office hours on Zoom to support students who have to quarantine.

Do people returning from isolation need to do negative COVID tests on the day before their return or do they just follow the same schedule as the other students?
If the student is returning to school after the fifth day of isolation/quarantine (or any day thereafter up to the tenth day), they must provide proof of a negative COVID test result (send to attendance@shcp.edu). If they have isolated/quarantined for 10 days, they may simply return to school.

December 30, 2021

Dear SHC Families and Students,

We hope you have had a healthy and restful holiday break and Christmas season thus far. The SHC Leadership Team met earlier this week to review the current health context and to plan for the upcoming week. We have also consulted with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, including their recent statement reaffirming their support for in-person learning in the current context. We will continue with our schedule for next week with the following requirements:

All students are required to test negative for COVID on Monday, January 3, prior to coming onto campus for the first day of classes on Tuesday, January 4.

To support this expectation, we have a take-home test kit available for each and every student. You may pick it up on Monday, January 3, based on the schedule below. If you already have take-home tests or have other testing options, you are not required to use the kit provided by SHC. Specifically, the kit we will provide has two tests in the box. This is helpful because all students will need to re-test negative for COVID on Thursday, January 6, prior to coming onto campus on Friday, January 7. Please keep the directions and follow them carefully for at-home testing on both Monday and Thursday.

COVID Test Pick-up Schedule
To space out when people come to campus and the distribution of the take-home COVID tests, we ask families to plan on picking them up based on the following schedule, Monday January 3:

8-9 am: Student Last Name A-C
9-10 am: Student Last Name D-F
10-11 am: Student Last Name G-I
11-noon: Student Last Name J-L
Noon-1 pm: Student Last Name M-O
1-2 pm: Student Last Name P-R
2-3 pm: Student Last Name S-U
3-4 pm: Student Last Name V-Z

We will also be requiring all faculty and staff to test two times next week. Please know we are also in communication with the testing company we have been using weekly to see if we can offer on-site Covid-19 testing for all students over the next several weeks.

Ruvna is back! For the first few weeks, we will be using Ruvna for all students, faculty and staff coming onto campus to ensure that everyone can confirm they are symptom free, have had no close contacts, and have tested negative for COVID on specific dates. Given the use of at-home testing, the use of Ruvna is our best and most effective option for tracking this information. Please note that parents are required to complete the Ruvna information on behalf of their child(ren), our student(s).

Important: You will need to use Ruvna on Monday, January 3, in order to pick up your at-home COVID test from SHC. You will also need to use it to enter campus for the next few weeks.

For those new to SHC (9th grade and transfer students/families) and for those needing a reminder, important information regarding Ruvna is found below. Please read it carefully as it will be needed to arrive on campus over the next several weeks.

While it is challenging to find ourselves in the midst of another COVID spike, we are in a much better place than we have been during previous spikes. Our Bay Area community and our SHC community have a high rate of vaccination, continue to mask regularly, and have not experienced a stress on our hospital capacity. Moreover, new oral antiviral treatments for COVID seem to be effective and have received FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

We are blessed by our SHC families and by the students entrusted to our care. We are committed to the health and well-being (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) of all our students, faculty and staff.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Ruvna System Information
SHC uses a self-health check system called Ruvna which screens students using a short survey. The Ruvna self-health check must be completed in order for students (and faculty and staff) to enter campus. See below and click here for more information.

How does it work?

• Parents/guardians of all students should get an email and a text asking them to complete the health screening each day of classes.
• This notification will come at 6:45 am.
• You can respond using a phone or a computer. It's your choice. You do not need to download an app to respond.
• If you don't complete the screening, you will get a reminder notification(s) at 7:45 am.

What you need to do:

• If your child is coming to campus, parents/guardians need to complete the screening.
• Once complete, they will receive a QR code with the student’s name and the date).
• Students must have this QR code in order to enter campus, so please have your parents/guardians forward the link or take a screenshot of it.
• SHC Campus Security will scan the QR code with an iPad or cellphone when the student comes to campus.
• If your parents/guardians get a denied access message, do not come to campus.
• If your student is not coming to campus on a given day, you can ignore the Ruvna notification(s).

For the upcoming week (January 3-7)
Monday, January 3 - Parents/guardians will receive the Ruvna text to confirm if you will be coming to campus that day to pick up the box of at-home rapid COVID test. Click yes if you are coming and you’ll get a QR code, click no if you are not coming to SHC to pick up a test on this day.

On Tuesday (January 4) and Friday (January 7) there will be a Ruvna question to make sure you did the rapid test and were negative, in addition to the symptom and close contact check verification.

On Wednesday (January 5) and Thursday (January 6) Ruvna will be strictly a symptom and close contact verification.

Vaccination and Testing Options from SFDPH

• COVID-19 testing sites and resources: https://sf.gov/find-out-about-your-covid- 19-testing-options
• Everyone who is eligible (currently open to age 5 and above) for a COVID-19 vaccine should get vaccinated and stay up to date with boosters (currently open to age 16 and above if enough time has passed since their initial vaccination).
• COVID-19 vaccination sites and resources: https://sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against- covid-19

Testing Positive for COVID
If you tested positive over break, the quarantine period still in effect by SFDPH is for 10-days at this time. While the CDC has provided updated guidelines, the California Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Department of Public Health have not updated their directives or guidelines.

The first day of symptoms or of a positive test (date test is taken) is considered “day 0.”

Isolating for 10 days would be counted from the next day, “day 1,” until 10 days have passed, “day 10.”

A student may then return to school if symptoms are gone or have improved on “day 11.”

An example:

• Symptoms began 12/25. Positive test on 12/26
• Symptoms (day 0) - 12/25
• Isolate (day 1-10) - 12/26-1/4
• Return to school (day 11) - 1/5

We anticipate that the quarantine timeline may be updated. Until then, we continue to protect ourselves and our community by adhering to the current directives and guidelines of the SFDPH. While it can be a challenge to be away from school for this period of time, it is essential that we do not come to campus with symptoms or with an active case of COVID.

January 4 - Bruce-Mahoney Boys Basketball Game Postponed
Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Ignatius have jointly decided to postpone the previously scheduled January 4, 2022 Bruce-Mahoney boys basketball game. See this communication for more information.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.
And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Dear SHC Families and Students,

May God bless each one of you this Christmas season, and may the celebration of Jesus’ birth be a light in the darkness and warmth in the cold.

On Tuesday, I shared with the entire student body how proud and grateful we are of them (and you, their families) in their efforts to keep our school community safe and healthy this entire semester by adhering to our mitigation policies and procedures. As we look forward to the holiday break, we are aware of the realities that the new Omicron variant presents. Therefore, we ask you to read the important updates and reminders below regarding vaccinations, travel, masking, and COVID testing (especially for all who are traveling or gathering in groups indoors).

Stay safe, be well, get some rest, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccine and Booster Shot
Yesterday, the SFDPH marked the one year anniversary of vaccines in San Francisco (press release). Eighty percent of the population is vaccinated and 98% of our SHC community (adults and students) are vaccinated. While grateful for these numbers, more and more infectious disease experts suggest that a booster shot is essential for individual and collective health. These booster shots are available to all adults and to 16 and 17 year olds. We encourage everyone eligible within our community, in consultation with their primary health care provider, to get vaccinated and to get a booster shot. Eligible individuals should go first to their health care provider if they have one, or pharmacy.  San Francisco is committed to provide boosters to anyone in need; visit SF.gov/booster for information on how to access a booster dose.

Masking
California has updated its Masking Guidance, to ensure that we continue to collectively protect the health and well-being of all Californians; keep schools open for in-person instruction; and allow California's economy to remain open and thrive. Please follow these directives and guidelines during the break.

COVID Testing Prior to Return to Campus
SFDPH recommends that all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, get tested for COVID-19 1-2 days prior to returning to school, even if they are asymptomatic. The test can be done with a home test, or a PCR or rapid antigen from a clinic or testing site. While we will not be collecting the results, we are asking ALL faculty, staff, and students to have a negative COVID test result (home test, PCR test, or rapid antigen test) within 1-2 days prior to returning to SHC as a means of keeping our community safe, preventing exposures and outbreaks, ensuring access to in-person learning, and protecting the most vulnerable among us.

During breaks and holiday seasons where different households gather and mix indoors or travel to different areas, people are at higher risk for exposure to, and infection with, COVID-19. As an important layer of safety for our community, proactive testing before returning will serve us all well.

As always, should any family member test positive for COVID, please notify the school immediately and follow SFDPH isolation and quarantine guidelines.

Travel and CDC Recommendations
International Travel
If traveling internationally over the winter break, we ask that you adhere to these CDC recommendations upon returning to the US:

• Get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 3-5 days after travel.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.

If You Are NOT Fully Vaccinated
In addition to the testing recommendations above:

• Stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if you test negative at 3-5 days.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

Domestic Travel
If traveling domestically over the winter break, we ask that you adhere to these CDC recommendations upon returning to the US:

• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.

If You Are NOT Fully Vaccinated
In addition to the testing recommendations above:

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after returning from travel.
• Stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if you test negative at 3-5 days.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

First Semester Grades
Please note that first semester grades will be finalized on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Congratulations students and great work this semester!

Health and Wellness - Parent Association Meeting
Join the Parent Association meeting on January 5, 2022, for a presentation and discussion regarding health and wellness. Both student and parent health and wellness will be considered.

California State Champions
Congratulations to our State Championship Football Team (SHC’s 10th State Title) and thank you to the Mayor’s Office for recognizing this accomplishment with the lighting at City Hall on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. Go Irish!

The winter holiday season is meant to bring us warmth of many kinds at the coldest and darkest time of the year. It's meant to lift our spirits, bring us good cheer, draw us together in our traditions and rituals, ease our burdens, and renew our hopes.
- Fred Rogers

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Happy second week of Advent! Students, as we come closer to the end of the first semester, please remember to finish strong by studying regularly each day in preparation for final assessments and by getting enough sleep, hydration, and regular sustenance each day. As the daily Wellness reminders have been emphasizing, these habits are important for overall health and also promote academic success. We continue to invite you to consider participating in our Season of Giving as part of your Advent journey.

We look forward to seeing many of you this weekend at our Winter Chorus Concert and the California D4-A State Championship Football Game.

Purchase your tickets to the Chorus Concert and ring in the Christmas season with performances by the Concert Choir, Women’s Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Vocal Jazz, and student-led A Cappella groups. Performances are December 10 at 7:30 pm and December 11 at 3:30 and 7:30 pm.

The State Championship Football Game is this Saturday at 6 pm at Kezar. Purchase your tickets here. Please note that there is no cash box at Kezar, digital ticketing only. Click here for important information regarding game day. Come support our student-artists and student-athletes this weekend. If you can't make it out to the football game, you can stream it here: NFHS stream. There is a fee required so sign on early.

There are important updates and reminders below, including information about COVID testing, new vaccination approvals, final assessments and SAT testing.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Tests
As many of you know already, we have been offering weekly COVID PCR tests on-campus for members of our community who need to provide a weekly negative result for participation in specific programs/aspects of school. Updated information on these tests including the upcoming schedule are available here.

Booster Shot Approval (16-17 year olds)
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. “Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.

Final Assessments Information
The first semester final review and assessment schedule may be found here.

The Library will be open regular hours during Study Week and for the following times during final exams. Silent study will be in effect.

• December 15: 7 am-4 pm
• December 16: 7 am-4 pm
• December 17: 7 am-noon

The Testing Center

• Will be open during Study Week with extended hours (8 am-3:45 pm)
• Will be closed during Final Exam days (December 15-17)

The Fitness Center hours include:

• December 13 & 14, 8-9 am, and 2:30-5 pm
• During Finals
  • December 15, 9 am-3:30 pm
  • December 16, 9 am-1 pm
  • December 17, 9 am-1 pm

To honor the holiday, we will turn off PowerSchool push notification on mobile devices from Saturday, December 18, 2021, through Sunday, January 2, 2022. Users may always log into PowerSchool to check grades. Schoology notifications will remain as they are; remember that Schoology is not our official gradebook.

SAT Saturday Testing
SHC will host SAT tests on three Saturdays this spring. Our test administration is intended primarily to serve SHC juniors, but the College Board will not allow us to restrict Saturday testing to SHC students. Information about the best times for our students to register has been emailed to all juniors and their parents, and will be posted in Schoology via the Class of 2023 Counseling Groups and SHC Announcements. Our test administration is for fully vaccinated students (or SHC students who meet our COVID testing requirements).

Happy December and Happy Advent! We look forward to tonight’s Lessons and Carols, an intimate and glorious celebration of community, love, and song at Saints Peter and Paul Church. We also invite you to consider participating in our Season of Giving as part of your Advent journey.

As we pray for light in the midst of darkness, let us pray in a special way for the school community in Oxford, Michigan, in this time of grief and mourning. We ask God to be with them in the witness of support from their community.

There are important updates and reminders below, including information about the end of the semester. We celebrate our CCS Champion Football Team and look forward to the Northern California Championship Game at Kezar Stadium this coming Saturday.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Variant
We are carefully following the updates regarding the pandemic and the most recent variant, Omicron. As seen here, the first confirmed case in the United States has been found here in San Francisco. It is essential that we continue to be vigilant with getting vaccinated, including boosters for all who are eligible, and wearing our masks at all times when indoors.

COVID Tests
As many of you know already, we have been offering weekly COVID PCR tests on-campus for members of our community who need to provide a weekly negative result for participation in specific programs/aspects of school. Updated information on these tests including the upcoming schedule are available here.

Academics and End of Semester Information
The first semester final review and assessment schedule may be found here.

The Library will be open regular hours during Study Week and for the following times during final exams. Silent study will be in effect.

• December 15: 7 am-4 pm
• December 16: 7 am-4 pm
• December 17: 7 am noon

The Testing Center

• Will be open during Study Week with extended hours (8 am-3:45 pm)
• Will be closed during Final Exam days (December 15-17)

The Fitness Center hours include:

• December 6-10, 13 & 14, 2:30-5 pm
• During Finals
  • December 15, 9 am-3:30 pm
  • December 16, 9 am-3:30 pm
  • December 17, 9 am-12:30 pm

To honor the holiday, we will turn off PowerSchool push notification on mobile devices from Saturday, December 18, 2021, through Sunday, January 2, 2022. Users may always log into PowerSchool to check grades. Schoology notifications will remain as they are; remember that Schoology is not our official gradebook.

PSAT Scores
The College Board plans on sharing results with students on Tuesday, December 7. In the spring, counselors will discuss PSAT scores along with other prerequisites for registering for limited enrollment courses for the 2022-23 school year.

As we enter into Thanksgiving week and welcome this time of rest and gathering with family and friends, I encourage each of you to express your gratitude to those in your life who love and sustain you. In this spirit, we give thanks for Br. John Hoover, FSC, who celebrated a birthday this weekend. Please say a prayer of thanksgiving for his ministry and service to SHC students and families.

In the coming days, we celebrate three great Vincentian Feasts: The Feast of the Miraculous Medal (November 27), the Feast of St. Catherine Laboure (November 28), and the Foundation of the Company (388 years ago on November 29). These feasts always coincide with Thanksgiving, and often in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays they get lost. Throughout the ages, Our Blessed Mother appears most often during times of strife and unrest. This was true in the France of St. Vincent’s time and the France of St. Catherine’s time as it is true for us today. Her message is always the same: not to fear, care for one another, bring our troubles to her and trust in her Son, Jesus.

Please review the important updates and information below, especially in regards to COVID-19 safety and an important school policy we wish to highlight.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID-19 Information
Linked here are some reminders about ways to celebrate safely during the holidays and COVID-19 vaccination booster shot availability. We ask that all students and families follow the CDC Guidelines for Travel if you will be traveling during the Thanksgiving break.

SHC Harassment Policies and Protocols
SHC stands in solidarity with victims of sexual violence and against cultural attitudes that perpetuate sexual violence. Last week, a student-led gathering voiced concerns for and solidarity with victims of sexual violence. This week, school leaders have met with our Student Council and hosted four other listening sessions to hear directly from our students.

As a result of student input, we want to remind all of you (parents and students) about SHC’s official Harassment Policy found in the SHC Student and Family Handbook. Please take a minute to review this section and discuss it as a family. Along with reiterating this policy and our protocols, we will meet with Student Council members next week to see how we might communicate this information more consistently and more effectively. We will also review ways to make reporting as effective and efficient as possible. Any incident reported to school leadership has been and will be investigated and dealt with in accordance with school policies and procedures (see Harassment Policy). We do not address allegations or rumors posted online unless they are brought to our attention by an SHC student/family or by local authorities. We will also continue to discuss with and teach students about navigating and assessing information on various platforms.

We aim to support any of our students who may have experienced any form of harassment. SHC School Counselors are not merely academic counselors, they each also “guide, support, encourage and nurture students to advance emotionally, socially and spiritually from adolescence to adulthood.” We invite parents to discuss any issues or concerns directly with their child’s school counselor. Our website provides more information regarding our Counseling and Advising mission, model, and goals. Our School Counselors also assist families and students to connect with therapeutic counseling professionals if interest or need arise.

Student Perception Surveys - Week of November 29
During the week after we return from Thanksgiving Break, students will provide feedback on each of their courses through Student Perception Surveys that are completed at the end of each semester. This feedback provides important opportunities for the growth and development of our curriculum, our faculty, and our students’ ability to provide constructive feedback.

First Semester Study Week and Final Assessments
The schedule for the conclusion of our first semester is here. Our semester assessments:

• Are intended to allow students to demonstrate their competency in the skills and content of each course and to demonstrate their growth during the semester.
• Are part of all SHC courses except Academic Support, PE and Health classes.
• Include two class meetings for each class (for a total of four class days) prior to the final exam days. These are designated as “Study Week'' because students will be reviewing and preparing for final assessments in English, Math, Religious Studies, Science (including Computer Science) and Social Studies. These final assessments and due dates are organized by department and are scheduled for December 15-17.
  • Because final assessments in Languages Other Than English and VPA require more time, those finals will occur during Study Week (December 9-14).
  • Students should contact Dean Sazo if they have conflicting exams or three exams on one day.
• First semester grades are posted January 5, 2022.

Winter Ball
The holidays are here! “A Fairy Tale” Winter Ball is Saturday, December 4 from 8-11 pm at City View in the Metreon. Tickets are on sale now; check SHC Spirit on Schoology and your school email for more information! Before purchasing tickets, please be aware of our Winter Ball Behavior and Dress Guidelines. Parents, please make sure you are familiar with these as well.

CCS Football Semi-Finals
Come support our football team this Saturday, November 20, as they play Mountain View in the CCS Semi-Finals at Kezar Stadium, 6 pm. Go Irish!

As we commemorate Veterans Day, we pray in gratitude for all who have served our country, especially the veterans among our SHC parents, faculty, staff, and alumni, both living and deceased. This past weekend we also celebrated the birthday of Br. Joseph Fabiano, FSC. Please say a special prayer of thanksgiving for his ministry and service to generations of SHC students.

On a more somber note, it is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Mr. Charles Love. Charles has been a leader at SHC for decades, serving on our Board of Regents (including as Board Chair) and inspiring our students as a speaker at Social Justice Assemblies and Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Services. Please keep his wife, Gloria, sons, Jaie ’94 and Justin ’96 (deceased), and their families in your prayers. This video from a Bay Area Lasallian gathering gives you a sense of who Charles is and how he became connected to SHC and our mission.

Lastly, please see some important updates below regarding students voicing solidarity against sexual violence and regarding returning to school after having symptoms that could be associated with COVID-19.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Students Voicing Solidarity Against Sexual Violence
As you may be aware and has been reported over the past few weeks, high school students on campuses throughout the Bay Area have voiced concerns about and solidarity with victims of sexual violence. As a school, SHC stands in solidarity with victims of sexual violence and against cultural attitudes that perpetuate sexual violence. We are aware that some of our students may want to express themselves tomorrow in this regard and we will support them in their endeavors. We also look forward to listening and learning from our students and their experiences in the coming weeks to see how we can continue to grow in support of them and their efforts to create a more just world.

Updated Protocols for Community Health and Safety
Linked here are our updated protocols regarding COVID testing that is required before returning to campus after experiencing symptoms that could be COVID related. Please adhere to these as an ongoing means of keeping each of us and our whole community safe, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Thank you.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Happy November! Today we enjoyed celebrating Sr. Frances Meyer’s birthday. She will continue the celebration with our band and dance teams performing at the Chase Center tomorrow evening before the Golden State Warriors game. We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Our return to the Dining Hall and Plaza for lunch has worked well. As an added layer of mitigation, we have placed new, industrial strength “air scrubbers” in the Dining Hall. We are grateful that the FDA and CDC have approved COVID vaccines for children 5-11 years old and that they are available locally. Help keep our community safe by considering vaccinating your younger children.

Our winter sports have begun and our fall play, 1984, opens tomorrow. Break a leg to the cast and crew! We have no other significant updates or reminders to share at this time. Enjoy the shorter message.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Thank you to all the parent and student volunteers who helped welcome thousands of guests onto our campus this past Saturday for our Open House. Our current students and families are always such wonderful ambassadors for our community. Thank you.

This coming Monday, November 1, is a school holiday. There are no classes. More importantly, Monday is All Saints Day. Let us continue to ask for the prayerful intercession of all saints, especially our founders: St. John Baptist de la Salle, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for us.

Below are a few more important reminders and updates. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Class Rotation Change - Tuesday, November 2
Starting on Tuesday, November 2, the Blue Schedule rotation will be 7,3,1,2 and the Green Schedule rotation will be 8,6,4,5. Click here to subscribe to the Daily Schedule Google calendar. You can also find a breakdown of each day's schedule on the Schoology Announcements calendar.

Lunch Location Change
Starting next week and in accordance with all SFDPH directives and guidelines, we will use our Dining Hall and Plaza for student lunches. We will no longer use the Practice Field for lunches. Students may choose to eat indoors (Dining Hall) or outdoors (Plaza). We have two large tents on the Plaza to provide shade and protection from inclement weather.

Health and Safety at School
For the health and safety of our community and each individual member, we ask that individuals stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Along with vaccinations (both flu and COVID-19) and staying home when symptomatic, mask wearing is an essential part of our mitigation strategy. Recently, the California Department of Public Health put out a press release reaffirming that masking indoors at school is effective and will continue.

First Semester Study Week and Final Assessments
The schedule for the conclusion of our first semester is here. Our semester assessments:

• Are intended to allow students to demonstrate their competency in the skills and content of each course and to demonstrate their growth during the semester.
• Are part of all SHC courses except Academic Support, PE and Health classes.
• Include two class meetings for each class (for a total of four class days) prior to the final exam days. These are designated as “Study Week'' because students will be reviewing and preparing for final assessments in English, Math, Religious Studies, Science (including Computer Science) and Social Studies. These final assessments and due dates are organized by department and are scheduled for December 15-17.
  • Because final assessments in Languages Other Than English and VPA require more time, those finals will occur during Study Week (December 9-14).
  • Students should contact Dean Sazo if they have conflicting exams or three exams on one day.

Parents Association Meeting
Join us on Zoom next Wednesday, November 3 at 7 pm for our Parents Association meeting. Our focus will be SHC's work in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We will include a preview of an activity that your children will participate in an upcoming Advisory period.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9377...
Meeting ID: 937 7459 5280
Passcode: SHCParents

Celebrate Safely
Advice from the CDPH on how to stay safe when celebrating Halloween and Día de los Muertos may be found here. Also, the SF Emergency Management and Health Department provides advice on safe gatherings in preparation for busy and high-trafficked weekend festivities, including Outside Lands.

Spam email
Please note that we have received reports of a spam email going to families that is not related to the Epicurean Catering Company nor SHC. The email address is donotreply@shcp.edu and the message has been the following:

Dear Parents or Guardian:

Your child's account now has a charge balance. Please send enough money to cover this balance. You may also deposit funds at this time into your child's account to allow additional meals to be purchased from his/her account.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

The joy of community is all around us!

It’s been a fun-filled homecoming week with spirited dress each day for students and faculty/staff. This past weekend, we welcomed the Class of 1971 to campus for their Gold Diploma celebration with special Mass celebrant Bishop Tom Daly ’78. This coming weekend, we will host prospective students and families at our Open House, and then our own students at the Homecoming Dance that evening. As always, all of our events adhere closely to the SFDPH directives and guidelines to support the health and well-being of the entire community.

Below are some important reminders and updates. Please pay close attention to the reminders related to our health protocols and an amendment to our Student and Family Handbook.

Stay safe, stay dry, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Important Health Protocols
Daily Health Screening: Parents are responsible to keep a student home who displays any symptoms of COVID-19. Parents must do a health-check on their child(ren) every day before sending the student(s) to school. Please refer to this COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Check for parents and guardians of students.

Mask Wearing: Mask wearing, over the nose and mouth, are required at all times when indoors. Please remember this is a key mitigation strategy in keeping our community safe. The only exception to this directive is when a person is actively eating or drinking indoors. With the recent inclement weather, lunch now often occurs indoors. While eating indoors is permitted by SFDPH, masks must continue to be worn when not eating. Thus, masks must be worn during the lunch period when a student is not eating. The lunch period is not a “free period” from mask wearing. We ask parents to help us reinforce with our students the importance of wearing one’s mask, covering the nose and mouth, at all times while indoors.

Flu Shots: The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) strongly recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine to safeguard their health, as November brings the start of flu season that will overlap with COVID-19 this year. San Franciscans can prepare for the combined circulation of flu and COVID-19, which have many of the same symptoms, by vaccinating against both.

Student and Family Handbook Amendment
The following update on our alcohol and drug policy is based on insights from peer institutions and for greater consistency within our own school practices. It is not in response to any current issue or specific situation, rather it is to ensure a healthy experience for all our students and families. We are updating the Handbook at this point as we will be hosting our first all-school dance this weekend where we will practice this new protocol. As is already the case in our school policies with overnight school trips, students who participate in any school activity or function (e.g. dance, sporting event, etc.) are subject to random testing for drugs, including alcohol. A positive test will result in the student being required to leave the event, a parent required to pick up the child from the event, and a follow-up with the Deans of Students for assessment or treatment and appropriate disciplinary consequences. Thank you for your understanding and support for keeping all school activities a healthy environment for the young people entrusted to our care.

Homecoming Football Game Schedule and Location Change
Due to current and forecasted weather conditions, the SHC football games against Riordan have been changed as follows:

• Varsity Game: Friday, October 22, 3:30 pm at Westmoor High School
• Frosh Game: Saturday, October 23, 1 pm at Riordan High School

SHC and the Golden State Warriors
On Friday, November 5 at 7 pm, Sacred Heart Cathedral will be featured at the Warriors home game versus the New Orleans Pelicans. The SHC Band is scheduled to play the National Anthem and the SHC Dance Team will have a pre-game performance. We will have a section of tickets for SHC faculty, staff, students and families with a group discount. Students who are performing will not need to purchase tickets. We anticipate receiving the link from the Warriors and posting it on Schoology tomorrow.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Congratulations to all SHC students for working hard and completing the first quarter of the school year. Let’s Go, Giants! I’m going to keep this message short so we can focus on Game 5 tonight.

Thanks to all Parent Volunteers at last Friday’s Bruce-Mahoney Football Game. The tri-tip was delicious. What a great celebration and a great win for the Fightin’ Irish. A special shout-out to the band and dance team for their performances as well. Thank you to all who attended the Junior Unity Ceremony earlier this week to celebrate the members of the Class of 2023. Thank you to all who donated blood today in service to our brothers and sisters in need.

Along with the SFDPH, we encourage you all to get your flu vaccine as soon as possible (see more information below). Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Flu Shot Information
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) strongly recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine to safeguard their health, as November brings the start of flu season that will overlap with COVID-19 this year. San Franciscans can prepare for the combined circulation of flu and COVID-19, which have many of the same symptoms, by vaccinating against both.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Happy Orange October! It’s been quite a week. The Giants clinched the Division. Fleet Week is here and the Blue Angels are flying overhead as I write. The Parent Association hosted a Zoom meeting with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) to talk about the importance of mental health. The Bruce-Mahoney Volleyball and Football games are here and include great spirit, bands, dance teams, and athletics. Br. Kenneth and SHC students participated in the Archdiocesan Rosary Rally this weekend. And it's the last week of the first quarter with grades posted early next week.

Please find some time this weekend to rest and relax. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

First Quarter Ends this Friday, October 8
Our first quarter ends on Friday, October 8, and final grades for the quarter are posted Tuesday afternoon, October 12. Quarter (or midterm) grades comprise 40% of a semester grade.

PSAT and SAT - Wednesday, October 13, 8:30 am
Wednesday (October 13) is PSAT and SAT day. Students should be on campus by 8:30 am; most students will finish between noon and 12:30 pm. Per College Board guidelines, students will NOT be allowed to leave the test to move cars, so please plan your transportation accordingly. Student Guides with practice questions and room assignments may be found in the Schoology SHC Announcements Resources folder. Students are expected to come in regular dress, and should bring number two pencils, student ID, a calculator, water and snacks.

Mask Mandate Communication
As you may be aware, Bay Area health officers have issued criteria for lifting the COVID-19 indoor masking requirements. While this is welcome news and an indication of our improved situation as a community, please note that, “California’s masking guidelines in K-12 schools would ... not be affected by changes to local health orders.” We look forward to a time when the mask mandate will be lifted for schools, but the current criteria will not change the directives and guidelines for K-12 schools at this time.

Junior Unity Ceremony - Tuesday, October 12, 2:45 pm
All junior parents and guardians are invited to attend the Junior Unity Ceremony which will take place on Tuesday, October 12, beginning at 2:45 pm in the SHC Pavilion. This event celebrates the gifts of our junior class and challenges them to accept the call to leadership and unity as they become upperclassmen and women. During this event, all juniors will receive a blessed SHC commemorative keychain and, for those who ordered them, a class ring.

Blood Drive
Our Fall Blood Drive is next Thursday, October 14. Thank you for the great interest and support — all appointment slots are now taken!

Rosary Rally Shout-out
The organizer of the event wrote to us and stated, “Thank you for all your efforts in choreographing the students at last Saturday's Rosary Rally. They were superb; enthusiastic, joyful, prayerful and polished. They followed your script to perfection. The ASL signers were very professional and well practiced. Sacred Heart Cathedral has set the standard.”

September 30, 2021

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Happy last day of September! We had a wonderful faculty and staff retreat on Monday, the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul, and we are grateful for your prayers and support of this important work to help us fulfill our mission and deepen our understanding of and commitment to Lasallian Vincentian Catholic education. Linked here are some resources on hope curated by Ms. Kathy Lorentz that were shared as part of our day together.

We also share the good news of SHC alumna and former SHC teacher, Sr. Georgina Severin, DC ’98, who pronounced her formal vows as a Daughter of Charity for the first time this past Saturday, September 25. We congratulate Sr. Georgina and the Daughters, and give thanks to God for her vocation and service as a Daughter of Charity committed to education. For those interested, see more information below.

This coming Monday is the Feast of St. Francis, patron saint of and for whom our city is named. May we be inspired by his faith, simplicity and love of nature.

Please see below for important updates and reminders. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

First Quarter Ends next Friday (October 8)
Our first quarter ends on Friday, October 8, and final grades for the quarter are posted Tuesday afternoon, October 12. Please encourage your child(ren) to take advantage of teacher office hours as the end of the first quarter approaches.

Standardized Testing (ACT, SAT, PSAT) & Counseling/Advising
Seniors who have registered with us will take the ACT on Tuesday, October 5, in lieu of their first two blocks. Those seniors are required to stay on campus for lunch and for their last class block of the day (Block 1).

On Wednesday, October 13, ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students will take the PSAT 8/9 or the PSAT and those seniors who registered for the SAT will take their tests. No SHC classes will meet that day.

Counselors are explaining the procedures and uses of the PSATs in their group meetings, happening this week and next week. Links to the PSAT 8/9 and PSAT Student Guide are here and are posted in SHC Announcements Resources to allow students to become more familiar with the question format or to take practice tests. Standardized tests such as the PSAT comprise one element of the SHC course selection process (honors, AP, and the like) and prepare students for the SATs and ACTs, which remain a part of many college applications.

Wednesday, October 6 - Parents Association Meeting
Next Wednesday we will hold our second Parents Association meeting of the year, and it will be conducted on Zoom. Based on parent feedback, we have asked NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) to go over with parents some of what we will be covering in upcoming Advisories with your children: breaking the stigma associated with mental health, signs that someone’s mental health may be suffering, and concrete steps to support someone who is struggling. The meeting begins at 7 pm and the link is posted on Schoology.

Tuesday, October 5 - Bruce-Mahoney Volleyball
The first ever Bruce-Mahoney Volleyball Game will take place next Tuesday evening at Kezar Pavilion. We look forward to celebrating this historic rivalry and cheering on our female student-athletes.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test)
Currently 96% of our student body is fully vaccinated. As usual, all students must share proof of full vaccination or a weekly negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) to be on campus. Please note that unvaccinated students who are deemed to be close contacts with any positive case are not allowed to participate in cocurricular events (athletics, dances, etc.) for a period of time based on SFDPH directives and guidelines. Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Sr. Georgina Severin, DC ’98
This weekend our graduate and former colleague, Sister Georgina made her vows as a Daughter of Charity. Sister Adella Armentrout, our Councillor of Education provides this overview:

Sr. Georgina pronounced vows for the first time on Saturday, September 25 at 11 am Mass. She pronounced them aloud for all present to hear. It is the only time that she will state her vows aloud, after that, she will renew them in silence every March 25th at Mass after the homily.

Our vows are non-religious and we make them annually. Which means that every year we renew our vows on March 25th. So, from March 24th until we renew our vows on March 25th we are technically free from our vows. However, we do not view our vows as temporary, but as a lifetime commitment. Our annual renewal allows us to reflect, review and strengthen our commitment to God and our service to the Poor.

A Daughter of Charity’s commitment begins the day she enters the seminary. Between 5 and 7 years she will pronounce vows for the first time. Our vows are a confirmation of a commitment that we have already made and are already living and wish to live with continued and renewed fervor. It is inspiring to me to know that every March 25th Daughters all over the world will renew their vows on the same day. I know that when I wake up the Sisters in Asia have already renewed their vows and the Sisters in Europe are preparing to and that those of us in the West will be the last to renew. I like to think that the light of our collective and individual “Yes” circles and enfolds the earth with the love of God.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Thank you to all who joined us for last week’s Back to School Night. We also celebrated our 32nd annual Walkathon at the Polo Fields last Friday. It was fun to gather as a full community, outdoors, and enjoy a literal walk in the park. We are grateful for the funds raised (a new record high) in support of educational projects and student travel grants.

This week, the students gathered by grade level to listen to presentations as we continued to critically reflect on our One School, One Question: “How does language express culture?” Also this week, Dr. Skrade and I gathered with other Lasallian presidents and principals from throughout the western United States to share best practices in education and to reflect on our shared mission. Later in the week, we met with presidents and principals from other Archdiocesan schools for similar purposes. This weekend we look forward to meeting with SHC’s Board of Regents to continue our strategic planning and visioning for SHC.

Next week, the entire faculty and staff will gather for a retreat on Monday, September 27, the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, one of our Founders. Vincent de Paul was recognized as a saint by the Church in 1737 and declared the patron saint of charitable works. To learn more about St. Vincent, click here. On this day, we will keep you and your child(ren) in our prayers and ask that you keep us in yours. It is essential for us to pause, reflect, and remember that we are in the holy presence of God, always. I hope that our example will model for our students the importance of such retreat days and opportunities, especially those afforded them here at SHC.

Other important updates and reminders are below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Monday, September 27 - No school for students
Faculty and staff have a retreat on Monday, and there will be no classes that day.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - Saturday, September 25
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, September 25, to be on campus for the week beginning Monday, September 27. This testing must have occurred no sooner than September 19 to meet the weekly requirement.

Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Vaccination Requirement for Large Indoor Events - Bruce-Mahoney (Student-Athletes, Fans, Etc.)
The SFDPH has specific requirements for indoor events with more than 1,000 people. For certain events (e.g. Bruce-Mahoney Volleyball and Basketball games), there will be more than 1,000 people. EVERYONE (12 years or older) participating in or attending such events must be fully vaccinated. This requirement includes the players and the spectators. Children under 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the indoor event. Please note that it can take 6-8 weeks to get fully vaccinated, so please plan accordingly.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Today marks a full month of on-campus, in-person classes. We continue to be grateful for your support and the adherence by your children, our students, to the established safety protocols (e.g. mask wearing). The daily COVID-19 case rate in San Francisco continues to decline and the SHC vaccination rate as of this weekend will be 98% of all faculty and staff and 95% of all students fully vaccinated.

We look forward to having parents and guardians join us for Back to School Night this evening via Zoom and our entire student body at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park for our Walkathon event tomorrow. The Walkathon event is a mandatory school gathering for all students. Students should arrive and be seated with their homerooms by 8:30 am. More details for both these events are found below.

Next week, our class schedule for Blocks 1-6 will rotate. Blue Days will still begin with Block 7 (8 am) and then have Blocks 2, 3 and 1 meet in that order. Green Days will still begin with Block 8 (8 am) and then have Blocks 5, 6, and 4 meet in that order. Founders Days will follow this same pattern without a Block 7 or 8 class meeting.

Below are important updates and reminders, including an opportunity for parents and guardians to participate in a Focus Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at SHC.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Walkathon - TOMORROW (Friday, September 17)
The Walkathon is a wonderful community-building event with music, prizes, games, the schoolwide walk, and a BBQ lunch to close out the day. We aim to dismiss students around noon. It is an early dismissal day, so please be sure to speak with your student about what they plan to do after the Walkathon ends.

• Students should arrive and be seated with their homerooms at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park by 8:30 am (Map and Directions). Students should report to the bleachers at the north side of the Polo Fields.
• As an outdoor event, masks are not required but still strongly recommended.
• There will be a special schedule for the SHC commuter bus that day, which will include round-trip service. The morning is scheduled to be a Charter Bus and the afternoon is scheduled to be a Yellow CYO Bus.
• Students are supervised until approximately noon at which point the school event is officially concluded. Lunch is included and provided for all students.
• Students must wear walking or tennis shoes only; no sandals please.
• Dress in layers, apply sunscreen, and bring water bottles. To reduce waste, we will not be providing water cups.
• Please leave pets and sports equipment at home.
• Parents who have signed up to volunteer should report to the Volunteer Table at the north side of the Polo Fields track by 8:30 am.

Back to School Night - TONIGHT
Tonight (September 16), parents and guardians are invited to join our virtual Back to School Night! Please follow the list of classes emailed home to join each ten-minute presentation via the Zoom links posted on their student’s course pages in Schoology. Times are below. Note: Not all students have blocks 7, 8 or 9 classes.

Parent/Guardian Focus Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SHC
As part of SHC's ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive and equitable community, the school has been working on a strategic plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This plan will provide structure for our initiatives and set goals for SHC in this area for the next few years. We are seeking feedback on the plan from various groups within our school. We will hold a small focus group of parents/guardians via Zoom on September 27 at 7:30 pm. We invite interested parents/guardians to submit their names for consideration or to share any suggestions of parents in our community whom they think might be a good fit for this group. Please email DEI Working Group Coordinator Dr. Angelica Bailon if you would like to be added to the interest list.

Vaccination Requirement for Large Indoor Events - Bruce-Mahoney (Student-Athletes, Fans, Etc.)
The SFDPH has specific requirements for indoor events with more than 1,000 people. For certain events (e.g. Bruce-Mahoney Volleyball and Basketball games), there will be more than 1,000 people. EVERYONE (12 years or older) participating in or attending such events must be fully vaccinated. This requirement includes the players and the spectators. Children under 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the indoor event. Please note that it can take 6-8 weeks to get fully vaccinated, so please plan accordingly.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - Saturday, September 18
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, September 18, to be on campus for the week beginning Monday, September 20. This testing must have occurred no sooner than September 12 to meet the weekly requirement.

Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

What’s Today’s Schedule?
A reminder to parents that there are several ways to access the Daily Schedule:

• You may subscribe to the Daily Schedule google calendar from our website.
• You may view it on the SHC Announcements Schoology page (clicking the schedule shows times).
• You may view it on the Schoology app on your phone, in the calendar view (clicking the schedule shows the times).
• You may use the QR codes in the printed wall calendar (to be distributed soon) to view the schedule for the month.

Research of Student Faith in Lasallian Schools (including SHC) - News Release
The Lasallian District of San Francisco New Orleans (SFNO) announces the launch of a collaboration between the District and Springtide Research Institute of Bloomington, MN, one designed to better understand young people’s realities within the everyday challenges and the shifting religious landscape of our world.

The collaboration will involve the analysis of survey data regarding the faith and lives of SFNO high school students. The anonymous data will be collected annually at the District’s schools (including SHC) and will contain students’ responses to questions about their experience of religion and spirituality. Springtide will evaluate the data and offer conclusions and insights that will serve SFNO’s ministry of accompanying students in their faith formation.

Founded in 2019 with the support of Saint Mary’s Press of Winona, MN, Springtide Research Institute conducts research and gathers data to “amplify the lived realities of young people as they navigate shifting social, cultural, and religious landscapes.”

An Opportunity to Support Afghan Refugees
The La Salle International Foundation is accepting donations to help refugees from Afghanistan.

Relief services are racing to provide support to the Afghans who will be received by the United States. Emotional, psychological, legal, and medical services are part of the full social service package being provided collaboratively by NGOs, such as La Salle International.

September 9, 2021

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Our school community gathered to experience our charisms in two special ways this week. We joined Sr. Frances Meyer, DC in celebrating her 68th year as a Daughter of Charity and we offered our first liturgy of the year, a joyful and thoughtful Mass of the Holy Spirit.

The Student Life team and student leaders at each grade level are excited to host a Sophomore Social on Friday, September 10, and a Junior Social on Friday, September 17. We appreciate both the students’ enthusiasm and their willingness to comply with public health guidelines to facilitate these safe and fun gatherings. Their efforts are paying off: just today, the San Francisco Department of Public Health posted a press release noting low COVID-19 numbers among students and reiterating that San Francisco schools are safe settings.

The first of our college mini-fairs will take place during lunch on Wednesday, September 15. Interested seniors should stop by the tables of the various colleges set up on the plaza.

On Thursday, September 16, parents and guardians are invited to join our virtual Back to School Night! In the coming days, Ms. Zermani will email all families an up-to-date list of their students’ courses. On the 16th, parents will join each ten-minute class via the Zoom links posted on their student’s course pages in Schoology. Please see the full schedule for that evening below.

Academic Explorations are playful, one-unit, pass/fail courses that take learning outside the classroom. They are optional for most students. Fall AE Registration is open now; please see the link for details of time and cost, etc.

Our 32nd Annual Walkathon has already set records even before we gather in Golden Gate Park on Friday, September 17! We appreciate our students’ initiative and the generosity of our many investors. Please remind students to stop by the Advancement Office on the DePaul Campus if they need additional support to reach their personal goal. Alumni and community supporters are ready to sponsor a student. Logistical reminders for the day are below.

As always, other important details may be found below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - Saturday, September 11
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, September 11, to be on campus for the week beginning Monday, September 13. This testing must have occurred no sooner than September 5 to meet the weekly requirement.

Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Daily Health Screening
No one experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms is to come to campus. Any student (including those who are fully vaccinated) will need a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to return to campus after having symptoms.

Back to School Night Schedule
See the 9/16 communication for a full listing of the schedule for Back to School Night. Note: not all students have blocks 7, 8 or 9. ONLY 9th grade PE/Health classes will meet.

Walkathon Logistics for September 17

• Students should report to the bleachers at the north side of the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park by 8:30 am.
• There will be a special schedule for the SHC commuter bus that day, which will include round trip service. Details to come next week, or you may contact bus@shcp.edu for more information.
• Students are supervised until approximately noon at which point the school event is officially concluded.
• Parents should be sure to know your child(ren)’s plans for the rest of the afternoon.
• Students must wear walking or tennis shoes only; no sandals please.
• Dress in layers, apply sunscreen, and bring water bottles.
• Please leave pets and sports equipment at home.
• Parents who have signed up to volunteer should report to the Volunteer Table at the north side of the Polo Fields track by 8:30 am.

Parking In the Neighborhood
We ask when you are picking up your child after school that you do not park in any driveways in the neighborhood. You may park in the Cathedral if you need a location to pick up your child. Thank you for helping us be good neighbors!

COVID-19 Safety Protocols
We want to thank everyone in our community for their continuing efforts to follow our COVID safety protocols. Wearing a mask at all times while indoors is challenging. Since there is no mask mandate when outdoors, it can help to “take a mask break” while walking outside between campuses or while in the Plaza or on the Field.

September 2, 2021

Dear SHC Families and Students,

May this Labor Day Weekend be full of rest from your work and blessings for each one of you.

Warm thanks to the Class of 2025 parents and guardians who joined us for the Frosh Counseling Parent Meeting this past Monday, and to the many parents and guardians who joined us for the Parent Association meeting last night. You may find the slide deck from that meeting here and the slide deck from the Frosh Counseling Parent meeting here.

Next Wednesday, September 8, we will celebrate our Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first all school liturgy of the year. In an abundance of caution, students will gather in their advisory homerooms to participate in the Mass as it is live-streamed from our school chapel. Due to the format, and because we know families are still awaiting delivery of some clothing items, the day will not be a dress-up day.

On Thursday, September 16, parents and guardians are invited to join our virtual Back to School Night! Prior to that night, our registrar, Ms. Zermani, will email an up-to-date list of students’ courses (blocks 1 to 9). On the evening of September 16th, parents will join ten-minute classes via the Zoom links posted on their student’s course pages in Schoology. See the full schedule for that evening below.

Our 32nd Annual Walkathon has already set records even before we gather in Golden Gate Park on Friday, September 17! We appreciate our students’ initiative and the generosity of our many investors. Please remind students to stop by the Advancement Office on the DePaul Campus if they need additional support to reach their personal goal. Many wonderful alumni and community supporters will sponsor a student. Some logistical reminders for the day are below.

As always, important updates and reminders are found below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - Saturday, September 4
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, September 4, to be on campus for the week beginning Tuesday, September 7. This testing must have occurred no sooner than August 29 to meet the weekly requirement.

Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Daily Health Screening
No one experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms is to come to campus. Any student (including those who are fully vaccinated) will need a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to return to campus after having symptoms.

COVID Safety Protocols
We want to thank everyone in our community for their continuing efforts to follow our COVID safety protocols. Wearing a mask at all times while indoors is challenging. Since there is no mask mandate when outdoors, it can help to “take a mask break” while walking outside between campuses or while in the Plaza or on the Field.

Senior Portrait Makeups
Seniors who have not taken their senior portraits: our final make-up portrait date is from 9/8 to 9/10 from 12pm to 6pm in the dining hall. If interested:

• Search for an email from "Prestige" with your appointment date and time, or email Mr. Chu (tchu@shcp.edu). The basic "yearbook only" package is free, but you may upgrade to other packages with different poses.
• You MUST take your photo on the day and time of your appointment. If it happens during class time, Mr. Chu will arrange a pass to leave class for 30 minutes to have your photo taken. If you miss your appointment, we will pull you out of class on Friday to be photographed, whether you're prepared or not.
• Proofs will arrive two to three weeks after your shoot.

Back to School Night Schedule
This is a full listing of the schedule for Back to School Night. Note: not all students have blocks 7, 8 or 9. (see 9.9.21 communication)

Walkathon Logistics for September 17

• Students should report to the bleachers at the north side of the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park by 8:30 am.
• There will be a special schedule for the SHC commuter bus that day, which will include round trip service. Details to come next week, or you may contact bus@shcp.edu
• Students are supervised until approximately noon at which point the school event is officially concluded.
• Parents should be sure to know your child(ren)’s plans for the rest of the afternoon.
• Students must wear walking or tennis shoes only; no sandals please.
• Dress in layers, apply sunscreen, and bring water bottles.
• Please leave pets and sports equipment at home.
• Parents who have signed up to volunteer should report to the Volunteer Table at the north side of the Polo Fields track by 8:30 am.

Parking In the Neighborhood
We ask when you are picking up your child after school that you do not park in any driveways in the neighborhood. You may park in the Cathedral if you need a location to pick up your child. Thank you for helping us be good neighbors!

An Update to the Bruce-Mahoney Tradition
As announced on Wednesday, Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Ignatius updated our Bruce-Mahoney tradition to include girls sports. Enjoy this article from the San Francisco Chronicle covering this story. We look forward to the school spirit and school pride that will be shared at all of the Bruce-Mahoney contests.

August 26, 2021

What an amazing week! Along with our second week of classes, we had a wonderful Senior Night last Friday evening and a fun-filled Activity Fair on the plaza yesterday. Students are discovering myriad ways to get involved and engaged in the cocurricular life of the school. Preparations for our fall play, 1984, will kick off soon, with an audition workshop on Monday, August 30, and auditions on September 1, 2 and 3. Fall athletic teams have begun competitions and school counselors are meeting with students individually and in small groups.

While more reminders and updates are found below, I want to highlight two specific items regarding Wednesday, September 1.

Schedule Change: We will not be meeting for an entire school assembly during this day as originally planned. The schedule is being changed to a Blue/Green schedule WITHOUT Block 7 or 8 occurring. That morning (8-9:30 am), clubs and Catholic Community Cohorts (CCCs) will have a chance to meet and follow-up on this week’s Activity Fair and new student interest. These meetings are optional. The first class of the day, Block 4, will begin at 9:30 am.

Parent Association Meeting: This on-campus, in-person meeting begins at 7 pm, and will include orientation to Homeroom Advisories, Health & Wellness curriculum, and campus tours for those parents interested. Refreshments will be served starting at 6:30 pm, and the meeting will begin in the theater at 7 pm. As Back to School Night will be virtual this year, please consider joining in this meeting if you are interested in meeting other parents and getting a sense of our campus.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - Saturday, August 28
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, August 28, to be on campus for the week beginning Monday, August 30. This testing must have occurred no sooner than August 22 to meet the weekly requirement.

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for those 16 and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. Please visitthis site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Daily Health Screening
No one experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms is to come to campus. Any student (including those who are fully vaccinated) will need a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to return to campus after having symptoms.

9th Grade Counseling Meetings
While half of our ninth grade students met today with their counselors, others will meet tomorrow at 8 am. Most meetings are on the first floor of La Salle, and your counselor told you in the email what classroom you are in and what day your meeting is. If you have a Block 8 or 7 class other than PE/Health (i.e., VPA or Academic Success), please go to that class.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

What a wonderful first week of classes we’ve had. It is a blessing to gather our entire community together and learn in-person. Thus far, the students have done a tremendous job keeping their masks on throughout the school day. Today, we held our first Homeroom Advisory periods as part of our updated programming to build community and provide support and guidance for the social, emotional and spiritual growth of our students.

Last Saturday, we welcomed new families onto campus to provide a welcome and orientation. We are grateful for the strong support from our families in all that we do. One clear example of that support are the vaccination numbers within our community. As of our first day of classes (8/16), over 91% of our student body and over 95% of our faculty and staff are fully vaccinated. Those who are partially vaccinated will complete their vaccinations in the days and weeks ahead. All non-vaccinated students, faculty, and staff are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) on a weekly basis to be on campus. Thank you all for your partnership in keeping our community and our families as safe as possible.

Below are specific updates and reminders for the week ahead. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Saturday - August 21
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, August 21, to be on campus for the week beginning Monday, August 23. This testing must have occurred no sooner than August 15 to meet the weekly requirement.

Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance. Also note that San Francisco has announced that it will be offering a third vaccine dose to those who are immunocompromised.

Daily Health Screening
No one experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms is to come to campus. Any student (including those who are fully vaccinated) will need a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to return to campus after having symptoms.

Senior Night this Friday (8/20) 7-10 pm
A primarily outdoor event with dancing and games for our senior class will be held this Friday evening. Tickets are on sale through Friday at noon (no tickets sold at the door). Any unvaccinated student who plans to attend must receive a negative COVID-19 rapid test result that will be administered at SHC on Friday afternoon.

Parents Association Meeting - September 1
Please join our Parents Association meeting on the evening of September 1. This meeting will be held on campus, starting at 7:00pm, and will include some orientation and campus tours for those parents interested. PA meetings are always voluntary but we like to gather with parents too!

September Event Updates
In order to limit the overall number of in-person events and potential exposures for various groups within our community, we will be making some of the following adjustments:

Mass of the Holy Spirit (9/8) - We will still celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit but will not be gathering the entire community in a single indoor location.

Back to School Night (9/16) - As we did last year, Back to School Night will be virtual this year. This evening will provide the opportunity to meet your child(ren)’s teachers and learn about the curriculum and course expectations. More detailed information will be provided in the weeks ahead.

Sophomore Service Learning at St. Anthony’s - We will not be taking students down to St. Anthony’s in the month of September and are working to reschedule those key learning events later in the school year.

Student Activity Fair next Wednesday (8/25)
Get involved at SHC! Next Wednesday our Activity Fair will introduce students to the various aspects of our Student Life programming (e.g. clubs, Catholic Community Cohorts [CCCs], etc.) where they can get involved. Ninth Grade Students have a cocurricular requirement, and the Activity Fair allows students to explore all the ways SHC offers to gather with other students with similar interests.

Outdoor Lunch Updates
We strongly advise students to wear sunscreen and hats during their lunch periods. Being outdoors helps with COVID-19 safety protocols but does increase sun (UV ray) exposure.

Technical Support
If you still have questions or concerns about Schoology, Powerschool, or any other digital learning platform at SHC, email support@shcp.edu for assistance.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Throughout the past several months, we have encouraged all students and family members, in consultation with your primary care physicians, to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) has stated, one of the most effective ways to decrease the risk of COVID-19 in school communities is through full vaccination. A person is fully vaccinated if it has been at least two weeks since they got the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Please visit this site to learn about or to schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

We require proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) for any student to be on campus who is not fully vaccinated. Originally, we planned to maintain the schedule of every two weeks that we used last year. In the past several weeks, however, the conditions of the pandemic have changed with a significant increase in positive cases in San Francisco.

Last Wednesday, August 11, the SFDPH put out new guidelines requiring all employees who are not fully vaccinated to need proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) every week to be on campus. Based on the changed context, the updated directive, the desire to be consistent with all community members, and the desire to provide a greater sense of overall safety, we are now requiring any student who is not fully vaccinated to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) every week in order to be on campus.

Thus, all students who are not fully vaccinated will need to get tested this week (August 16-20) and provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Saturday, August 21.

In order to support the overall health of our community and to help best serve our families, we are working to once again provide a COVID-19 testing option on our campus. We will communicate more detailed information when we have secured this testing option. For now, please see these resources (including drop-in locations and days) to get tested this week. San Francisco also just announced the opening of a new, high volume testing site in response to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

ANY STUDENT who is not fully vaccinated or does not have a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) on file from this week (August 16-20), will not be allowed on campus next week — Monday, August 23, 2021.

Thank you, as always, for keeping yourself, your family, and our community safe through these measures.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

Here we go! All faculty and staff gathered on campus this Tuesday to officially begin the 2021-22 school year. It was wonderful to be together and to welcome our 10th-12th grade students to campus for orientation today. We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2025 tomorrow and new families on Saturday morning. We are blessed by your presence.

Important reminders and updates to ensure a healthy opening for the school year are listed below. One of the most important ways to protect ourselves and our community, especially those most vulnerable, is for all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. At present, the SHC community (students, faculty, and staff) are reporting a higher vaccination rate than the already high vaccination rate in San Francisco County (85% with one shot and 78% fully vaccinated for those eligible to be vaccinated). Together, we can help save lives and bring an end to this pandemic.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 test result (PCR Test) Due Tomorrow - August 13
All students must have uploaded their vaccination information through Magnus or have sent a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to attendance@shcp.edu by Friday, August 13, to be on campus for our first day of classes on Monday, August 16.

Frosh Orientation and New Family Orientation Schedules - August 13 & 14
Friday, August 13

• 9th Grade Student Orientation begins at 10 am in the Pavilion (Student Life Center, 1055 Ellis Street). This student orientation concludes at 9 pm. Both lunch and dinner are provided.

Saturday, August 14

• 9th Grade Student Orientation continues on this day and begins at 9 am on the De Paul Campus (1100 Ellis Street).
• New Family Orientation (parents and guardians) also begins at 9 am in the Student Life Center (1055 Ellis Street). We ask that at least one family member attend.
• Both student and family events will conclude at 11 am with lunch provided at that time for you to enjoy on our outdoor plaza with classmates and family members or to take with you as you leave.

Common Application Workshop for Seniors - Friday, August 13
College Advisors are hosting a repeat Common Application Workshop just for 12th graders from 9:30 - 11:30 am.

Purchasing Lunch at SHC through MySchoolBucks
Our newest families will receive an email from the Deans of Students Office tomorrow (Friday, August 13) with information about how to register for MySchoolBucks, the sole means of paying for lunch at SHC. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mario Sazo.

Lunches will be Outdoors
All students will be directed to eat outside (Practice Field and La Salle Plaza) during most school days. On Founders Days, when the entire student body has lunch at the same time, large indoor spaces will also be used (Dining Hall, Pavilion, and Gym) along with outdoor spaces to spread students out.

Schoology and PowerSchool Login Credentials
Our newest students and families should have received emails with their login credentials for Schoology (our Learning Management System or LMS) and Powerschool (our Student Information System or SIS) by this time. Please contact support@shcp.edu if you have not, or if you have other questions about digital technology at SHC.

First Day Classes (Special Schedule)
Students will meet with their Block 1-6 teachers and classes on Monday, August 16. Below is our special schedule for this first day. Students are reminded to have all books and resources by this day and to be in the SHC dress code. We understand that a small number of families have experienced some issues with orders/purchases given the pandemic’s impact on the supply chain. If your student will not have a text by the first day, please have them email their teacher so the teacher can plan accordingly. Any issues with dress code should be addressed to the Deans.

Block 1 - 9:00 to 9:40
Block 2 - 9:50 to 10:30
Block 3 - 10:40 to 11:20

Lower Division
Lunch - 11:20 to 12:00
Block 4 - 12:10 to 12:50

Upper Division
Block 4 - 11:30 to 12:10
Lunch - 12:10 to 12:50

Block 5 - 1:00 to 1:40
Block 6 - 1:50 to 2:30

Daily Health Screening
No one experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms is to come to campus. Any student (including those who are fully vaccinated) will need a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) to return to campus after having symptoms.

Information at shcp.edu
We will keep updates and our regular Thursday communications on our website COVID-19 resources page for your reference and convenience.

Dear SHC Families and Students,

I hope and pray that you are safe, well, and looking forward to the upcoming school year as much as I am. We welcomed our newest faculty and staff to campus for a few days of orientation this week, and fall athletics formally begin this Friday. Next week, all faculty and staff will gather on campus and student orientation by grade level will take place (see below for specific dates and times).

As always, important reminders and updates to ensure a healthy opening for the school year are also listed below. With the recent information regarding the COVID-19 Delta variant and updated directives from the SFDPH, it is essential that we all do our part to protect ourselves and our community, especially those most vulnerable. One of the most important ways to do this is for all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. Together, we can help save lives and bring an end to this pandemic.

I look forward to seeing each of our students very soon as we gather together for a new school year. Enjoy the last few days of summer! Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Student Orientation Dates and Times
Thursday, August 12

• 10th Grade Orientation including 10th Grade Transfer Students begins at 9 am in the Pavilion (Student Life Center). It will conclude at 1:30 pm for those who were on campus last year and 2 pm for those who stayed remote for all of last year and for Transfer Students.
• 12th Grade Orientation begins at 12:30 pm in the Collins Theater (De Paul Campus). Note: From 9:30-11:30 am, College Advisors are hosting a Common Application Workshop.
• 11th Grade Orientation begins at 2 pm in the Collins Theater (De Paul Campus).

Friday, August 13

• 9th Grade Orientation begins at 10 am in the Pavilion (Student Life Center, 1055 Ellis Street). It will conclude at 9 pm.
• Note: From 9:30-11:30 am, College Advisors are hosting a repeat Common Application Workshop just for 12th graders.

Saturday, August 14

• 9th Grade Orientation begins at 9 am on the De Paul Campus (1100 Ellis Street).
• New Family Orientation also begins at 9 am in the Student Life Center (1055 Ellis Street).

Monday, August 16 - First Day of Classes
Campus will open at 7:30 am and classes begin at 9 am. A special schedule will have students meet with their Blocks 1-6 classes on this first day. The all-school assembly originally scheduled for that opening day has been postponed. Please note that all students are to be on-site and in-person for every class day this fall semester unless experiencing symptoms. There is no cohorting or social distancing required at this time.

Vaccination Reporting Deadline - Due Tomorrow, August 6
All students and all eligible family members living with students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. Families must upload student vaccination status no later than August 6 throughMagnus. Please only upload completed/full vaccination documents. If you are in the process of getting vaccinated, please provide proof of a negative COVID test (PCR) until fully vaccinated. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dean of Students Mr. Mario Sazo.

Please visitthis site to learn about and to schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Regular COVID-19 Testing for any students not fully vaccinated
Students who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) every two weeks beginning the week of August 8. A person is fully vaccinated if it has been at least 2 weeks since they got the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Please note: scheduling, cost and reporting of these regular tests are the responsibility of the family. For any students not fully vaccinated, a COVID-19 test must occur during the week of August 8 with results submitted to attendance@shcp.edu by August 13 in order to attend school the week of August 16.

ANY STUDENT who is not fully vaccinated or does not have an up-to-date negative COVID-19 test result (PCR test) on file, will not be allowed on campus as of Monday, August 16.

We strongly encourage all students and eligible family members to get vaccinated.

Daily Health Screening
Parents are responsible to keep a student home who displays any symptoms of COVID-19. Parents must do a health-check on their child(ren) every day before sending the student(s) to school. This health check will no longer be tracked through Ruvna at the school site as of Monday, August 9. Please refer to thisCOVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Check for Parents/Guardians of students.

Masks, Cohorting and Social Distancing
Everyone must wear face masks indoors at school, even if fully vaccinated (SFDPH directive). A scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck, collar, or single layer of fabric or any mask that has an unfiltered one-way exhaust valve do NOT satisfy the requirement. Face masks are not required when outdoors (i.e., on the Plaza, Practice Field, crossing between campuses, etc.). Physical distancing and cohorts are not required at this time.

More Information
More extensive information for those interested may be found here and will continue to be posted on our website COVID-19 resources page going forward.

July 29, 2021

Dear SHC Families and Students,

We are excited to approach the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. We will continue our Thursday communications with you in support of our commitment to the overall safety and well-being of the entire Sacred Heart Cathedral community during this ongoing pandemic. Below are important reminders and updates to ensure a healthy opening for the school year.

Vaccination Reporting Deadline - Due August 6

All students and all eligible family members living with students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. In fact, we expect all eligible students to get vaccinated. It is an essential aspect of our return to school. One of the most effective ways to decrease the risk of COVID-19 in our school community is through full vaccination.

Families must upload student vaccination status no later than August 6 through Magnus. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Mario Sazo, Dean of Students. Please visit this site to learn about and schedule a vaccine appointment. Vaccines are free to people who live, work, or learn in San Francisco. You do not need insurance.

Regular COVID Testing for any unvaccinated students

Students who are not vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test) every two weeks beginning the week of August 8. Please note: scheduling, cost and reporting of these regular tests are the responsibility of the family. For any unvaccinated students, a COVID test must occur during the week of August 8 with results submitted by August 13.

ANY STUDENT who is not vaccinated or does not have an up-to-date negative COVID test result (PCR test) on file, will not be allowed on campus as of Monday, August 16.

We strongly encourage all students to get vaccinated.

Daily Health Screening

Parents are responsible to keep a student home who displays any symptoms of COVID-19. Parents must do a health-check on their child(ren) every day before sending the student(s) to school. This health check will no longer be tracked through Ruvna at the school site as of Monday, August 8. Please refer to this COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Check for Parents/Guardians of students.

Masks, Cohorting and Social Distancing

Everyone must wear face masks indoors at school, even if fully vaccinated (SFDPH directive). Face masks are not required when outdoors. Physical distancing and cohorts are not required at this time.

More extensive information for those interested may be found here; and below are reminders for a few key upcoming dates and events.

• Friday, August 6 - Fall Athletics begin. Check here (scroll down for athletics) for start dates by sport and grade level.

• Thursday, August 12 - Orientation for 10th, 11th and 12th Grade Students (mandatory)

• Friday, August 13 - Orientation for 9th Grade Students (mandatory)

• Saturday, August 14 - Ongoing orientation for 9th Grade Students (mandatory) and New Family Welcome.

We look forward to a great school year as we GATHER together while supporting the health and safety of ourselves, our families, and our community. We hold each of you in our prayers and give thanks for your ongoing support.

Dear SHC Families,

We had a wonderful celebration of the Class of 2021 this past Saturday on the Plaza of St. Mary’s Cathedral. Congratulations to our newest alumni and their families. Today, our faculty and staff gathered to celebrate and give thanks for this school year. We are grateful for the work and the ministry we have been called to and give thanks for the students, your children, who have become a part of our lives and our community. May God bless each one of you as we enter into the summer months.

This email communication will be our final, regular Thursday communication. Please know that this weekly communication was specifically utilized this year given the evolving pandemic and the need to adjust schedules and plans throughout the year. It has not and will not be a part of our future communication strategy.

Today, we also share in our Bay Area community's collective grief over the tragic loss of life in the shootings that occurred yesterday at the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA) in San Jose. We pray for the souls of the nine victims who perished, their families and loved ones who grieve and all those traumatized by this attack.

Important updates and reminders are below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Academic Reminders

• Semester grades will be finalized on the afternoon of June 1.
• Summer High School Registration information can be found here.
• Summer assignments, including the One School, One Question books selected by the LOTE Department for all students to read can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine if they have other summer assignments.
• The Book and Resource List for 2021-22 can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine which books and resources they will need for next year. Please note, the links to pay for digital resources and AP tests will be live in July (when final schedules are mailed to students).

Dear SHC Families,

As we journey to the end of this school year, we also journey to the end of the Easter Season. With the celebration of Pentecost this Sunday, we celebrate the gift of God’s Holy Spirit poured out into the world.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.

In a special way, we pray for our seniors who will celebrate their Commencement this Saturday. Our thoughts, prayers, and immense Irish Pride are with you, the Class of 2021, and your families as you celebrate your graduation from Sacred Heart Cathedral. May you go forth, as service-oriented leaders, and renew the face of the earth.

Important updates and reminders are below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Academic Reminders

• Our study week, final assessment and AP exam schedule may be found here.
• Summer High School Registration information can be found here.
• Summer assignments, including the One School, One Question books selected by the LOTE Department for all students to read can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine if they have other summer assignments.
• The Book and Resource List for 2021-22 can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine which books and resources they will need for next year. Please note, the links to pay for digital resources and AP tests will be live in July (when final schedules are mailed to students).

Seniors and Graduation Reminders
Commencement Ceremony Rehearsal tomorrow, May 21. Check in at De Paul Campus entrance at 9:30 am.

Please note that while SFDPH is publishing updated protocols today, we will not be making any adjustments to our Commencement Ceremony planning. All previously communicated expectations and plans remain the same. Over the past two days, emails have been sent directly to seniors and to all their registered guests regarding the ceremony. Some of it is repeated below here for your convenience.

Seating Chart
Linked here is the seating chart for the Commencement Ceremony. Please note your section (SE, SW, NE, NW), column (A-M), and row (1-25). That said, please familiarize yourself with your seating location and the information below regarding the entrance to use.

Ruvna Self-Health Check (serves as your ticket to enter the event) - 8 am
Each guest must complete Saturday morning’s Ruvna self-health screening. The unique QR code will be each individual’s “ticket” to participate in-person for the Commencement ceremony. We will also send you a Ruvna notification on Friday, May 21, at 8 am as a test. You will receive it as a text and/or email depending on the information provided by your senior on the registration form. You do not need to complete the health screening on Friday, but if you do NOT receive it, please contactMr. Andy Chanby 3 pm Friday and include your name, your email address, cell phone number, and name of your senior student.

Entrances
There will be four entrances to the Cathedral Plaza. The entrance you are assigned is based on the section in which your senior is seated (see seating chart attached).

• Section SE (South East): Enter on stairs from Cathedral Parking lot nearest Gough Street
• Section SW (South West): Enter on stairs from Cathedral Parking lot nearest Cleary Court
• Section NE (North East): Enter from sidewalk on Geary nearest to Gough Street
• Section NW (North West): Enter from sidewalk on Geary nearest to Cleary Court

Livestream Link
The link for the livestream of the Commencement Ceremony will be posted on the home page of the school website (shcp.edu) on Saturday morning, May 22.

Masks
Everyone must wear face coverings at all times.

Plaza and Pictures
The Plaza, where the ceremony will take place, will not be open for others to enter after the ceremony. You may take pictures with other graduates and invited guests in that space, and possibly within the Cathedral itself, if you are interested. The side plaza areas (next to the east and west side entrances of the Cathedral) may be areas to take photos as well. Once you leave the main plaza, however, you will not be able to return.

Transportation and Parking
Public Transit: The following MUNI bus lines will get you to SHC, near the Cathedral:

• 47 Van Ness
• 38 Geary
• 31 Balboa

BART: Civic Center Station
Use the Google Maps transit planner for the most detailed instructions.

Metered, hourly street parking is available to visitors, but please be aware of time limits and restrictions concerning area permits. St. Mary’s Cathedral parking lot is available, but space is limited. Below is a list of nearby parking garages that you may want to consider.

Japantown Garage - 1660 Geary Boulevard at Webster Street, 415.921.2793

Civic Center Plaza Garage - McAllister Street between Polk and Larkin streets, 415.863.1537

Opera Plaza Garage - 601 Van Ness at Golden Gate Avenue, 415.771.4776

Vaccine Reminders and Updates
If you received your first Pfizer injection at SHC’s vaccination clinic on Friday, April 30, please make sure you’re registered for your second injection for tomorrow, May 21, at this site: shcppfizervaccine2.dragonflyphd.com

SFDPH Information
Anyone age 12 and over can receive a vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG) or Southeast Health Center, as both of these sites offer Pfizer.

• ZSFG: 1001 Potrero Avenue - vaccinating 12+
  • Mondays through Saturdays 8 am to 4 pm
  • Anyone age 12 or over can receive a vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General
  • If you are under 18, staff will try to get parent or guardian consent. Consent can be provided in-person or over the phone
• Southeast Health Center: 2401 Keith Street - vaccinating 12+
  • Daily 9 am to 4 pm
  • Anyone age 12 and over can receive a vaccine at the Southeast Health Clinic
  • If you are under 18, staff will try to get parent or guardian consent. Consent can be provided in-person or over the phone

San Francisco Health Network link - provides additional information, such as how to prepare for one's drop in vaccine visit and what to expect: sfhealthnetwork.org/covid-19-vaccine

Family Vaccination Events Flyer (in English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino)

Dear SHC Families,

As we continue our celebration of Easter this sixth week, today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. May God bless each of you and let us keep one another in our prayers as we enter the final weeks of the 2020-21 school year. I continue to be grateful for our entire community’s collective effort on behalf of our students, your children. We look forward to hosting a vaccine clinic at SHC this Saturday for students and celebrating the Class of 2021 at our Commencement Ceremony next Saturday, May 22. What an incredible journey we have shared.

Important updates and reminders are below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Seniors
Today, all members of the Class of 2021, have been sent a Commencement Ceremony Registration form from me via SurveyMonkey. Each member of the class must complete this form no later than Monday, May 17, if they want to participate in our Commencement Ceremony on May 22, 2021.

Vaccine Clinic at SHC (Saturday, May 15)
Due to overwhelming demand, all 900 vaccination slots for Saturday, May 15, were filled within just a few hours of our Tuesday evening communication. As this is our site’s maximum capacity, SHC will not be able to accommodate walk-up vaccinations nor is there a waitlist. See below for other ways to access the vaccine for 12+ individuals. Let’s all do our part to bring this pandemic to an end.

Ruvna Message (Saturday, May 15)
Since we have many students coming on-campus for vaccinations on Saturday, May 15, we will send a Ruvna notification for all students at 6:45 am. Please disregard if you are not coming to SHC. If you are coming to campus, please complete the Ruvna screening so you can show your QR code at the entrance. This will tremendously help Campus Safety with the flow of traffic into the building for the 900+ vaccinations scheduled for that day.

COVID Testing Update
At the request of SFDPH and in accordance with current guidelines, we are ending the asymptomatic COVID testing requirement for both adults and students as of May 30. We still require a negative COVID test within a two week period for anyone on-campus or at an SHC event through May 30. This includes in-person learning, on-site AP exams, Graduation and other Senior events, athletic practices and competitions, etc. COVID tests taken at SHC on May 11 or 12 suffice for the remainder of this school year. Starting 5/31, we will no longer be tracking negative COVID tests of individuals on our campus.

Academic Reminders

• Teachers’ last formal office hours by department will be this Friday, May 14.
• Our study week, final assessment and AP exam schedule may be found here.
• Registration for Summer Academic Explorations closes May 18. More information on these adventurous, optional, pass/fail classes can be found here.
• Summer High School Registration information can be found here.
• Summer assignments, including the One School, One Question books selected by the LOTE Department for all students to read can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine if they have other summer assignments.
• The Book and Resource List for 2021-22 can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine which books and resources they will need for next year. Please note, the links to pay for digital resources and AP tests will be live in July (when final schedules are mailed to students).

Updated Vaccine Information from SFDPH (People 12 and older are now eligible)
Starting today, May 13, in accordance with state and federal guidance, individuals age 12 and over in San Francisco are now eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine approved for this age group, is very effective in teenagers with studies showing that it prevents up to 100% of COVID-19 infections and produces protective antibodies.

In anticipation of the FDA emergency use authorization to administer Pfizer to the newly eligible group, SFDPH issued a new emergency health order, C19-19, that enables minors 12 and older to consent to receive FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. The healthcare provider administering the vaccine must reasonably attempt to notify a person with legal authority to consent to medical care for that minor, such as a parent or guardian, and allow that person the opportunity to object to administration of that dose.

On Wednesday, May 12 at 7 pm, San Francisco’s Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip; Dr. Lillian Brown, Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCSF - HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine; and Dr. Lee Atkinson-McEvoy – UCSF Division Chair of Pediatrics; hosted a COVID-19 Pediatric Town Hall to addressed questions from the public. The meeting isarchived here on SFGovTV’s YouTube channel. Visit SF.gov/covidvaccine for regular updates to the public about the vaccine.

Vaccine Appointment Information
When possible, the city recommends scheduling an appointment to guarantee a spot. Visit sf.gov/getvaccinated to locate a site that is administering the Pfizer vaccine.

Drop-in sites with the Pfizer vaccine serving residents living in the following priority zip codes: Bayview (94124), Visitacion Valley (94134), Excelsior/Outer Mission (94112), Mission/Bernal (94110), Potrero/Dogpatch (94107), Tenderloin (94102), SOMA/Civic Center (94103), Western Addition (94115) and Treasure Island (94130):

• Bayview: Southeast Health Center, 2401 Keith St., 7 days a week, 9 am - 4 pm; For residents in all priority zip codes
• Mission: 24th and Capp, Sunday-Wednesday, 9 am - 4 pm; Priority given to Mission residents
• Mission: 18th and Shotwell, 3271 18th St., Thursday-Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm; Priority given to Mission residents
• Mission/Potrero: Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., Monday-Saturday, 8 am - 4 pm; For residents in all priority zip codes
• Starting May 15 - Sunnydale: 2055 Sunnydale, Saturday, 9:30 am - 3 pm; Live, work or receive services in 94112, 94124, 94134
• Starting May 18 – Tenderloin: Larkin Street Youth Service, 134 Golden Gate Ave., Tuesday 9:30 am - 3:30 pm; Live, work or receive services in 94102, 94103
• Starting May 19 – OMI: 50 Broad St., Wednesday and Friday 9 am – 6 pm, and Saturday 9 am – 3 pm; Live, work or receive services in 94112, 94127 and 94132

Drop-in hours at sites serving all eligible residents. If individuals wish to make an appointment instead, visit the website listed above.

• City College UCSF, 55 Frida Kahlo Way. Drive-thru drop-ins today, 5/13
• SF Market, 901 Rankin Street, Monday-Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
• University of San Francisco (Operated by Kaiser Permanente), 2975 Turk Blvd, Monday-Friday, 10 am - noon and 1 - 4 pm

Individuals who are 65 and older, with disabilities and who are unable to easily access the internet or schedule an appointment through their provider, may call 628.652.2700 to learn about vaccine options and receive assistance in booking an appointment to some locations.

Other Potential Vaccination Options

• CVS - https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine
• Walgreens - https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-vaccine.jsp

Dear SHC Families,

What a wonderful week it has been. San Francisco has officially entered the yellow tier and our seniors enjoyed a fun, outdoor event on the practice field after school today, including the classic San Francisco It’s It ice cream sandwiches. SFDPH indicated they will be releasing updated protocols by the end of this week for schools, graduation ceremonies, athletics and the like. We look forward to sharing updated information as it becomes available to us.

A special message of thanks and appreciation for all our mothers as we celebrate them this weekend. As a mother herself, St. Louise De Marillac, whose feast day we celebrate this weekend, knew well the love and sacrifice needed for the raising of young people. We pray in thanksgiving for our mothers and for Vincentian educators throughout the world inspired by St. Louise. We say a special prayer for our sister school named in her honor, De Marillac Academy.

Important updates and reminders are below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Student COVID Testing
Next week, May 11 and 12, will be our final week for testing all students. These tests will cover students for AP Exams, Graduation, and the final weeks of school.

COVID Vaccine Update
News reports suggest that the FDA will grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer COVID vaccine for people 12 years old and older. We are hoping to host another vaccine clinic at SHC and invite all our incoming 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students to get vaccinated (as well hosting the second phase of our first clinic.). Should the EUA be granted early next week, we tentatively plan to host vaccines onsite Saturday, May 15. We will keep you updated as plans become official.

Mask Wearing
The SFDPH has formally adopted the CDPH protocols for mask wearing. At SHC, we ask that all continue to wear masks, even when outdoors. Outside of SHC, please follow these protocols to keep our entire community as safe as possible.

Student Perception Surveys (May 10-13)
Next week, the final 10 minutes (1:35-1:45 pm) of all Block 3 and Block 6 classes will be used to administer the Student Perception Surveys (SPS). On Monday, May 10, students will view a video presentation that provides instruction and information regarding this process and how to develop skills of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. We value the feedback our students provide as part of our ongoing professional reflection and growth.

Senior Events and Graduation
Linked here is a one-page reference for seniors and teachers of seniors that may be helpful in your thinking and planning for the next few weeks. A separate email was also sent to all seniors and senior families yesterday with more specific information.

Founders Mass, Friday, May 7
We will celebrate Founders Mass on Friday beginning at 1 pm. Fr. Donal Godfrey, SJ, will preside and Dr. Mike Daniels, Director of Education for the SFNO Lasallian District, will share a Gospel Reflection. Please find the link here. Note: All sophomores will attend the Mass as part of the Sophomore Reflection/Retreat.

Academic Updates and Reminders

• This Friday and next Friday are our final Founders Fridays. The last formal department office hours will be Friday, May 14 (though teachers are continuing to work with students outside of class meetings and Department Office Hours on an individual basis).
• The final assessment and AP exam schedule may be found here. Students with conflicting exams or AP tests should be on the lookout for the form from Dean Mario Sazo to arrange for alternative dates.
• Registration for Summer Academic Explorations is open until May 18. More information on these adventurous, optional, pass/fail classes can be found here.
• Summer High School Registration information can be found here.
• Summer assignments, including the school-wide read selected by the LOTE Department, One School, One Question, can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine if they have other summer assignments.
• The Book and Resource List for 2021-22 can be found here. Students should use their 2021-22 course schedule to determine which books and resources they will need for next year. Please note, the links to pay for digital resources and AP tests will be live in July (when final schedules are mailed to students).
• Parameter dates for the 2021-22 school year can be found here.

1WeekIrish
Next week is 1WeekIrish! There are many fun activities to join including a pizza making night at home, a cocktail making night at home, and a silent auction which includes an SHC parking pass for next year!RSVP for any of the events here or check out the silent auction here! Looking forward to you joining us.

Dear SHC Families,

Continued Easter season blessings to all of you. Important updates and reminders are below, including news about the Class of 2021 Graduation.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.


Class of 2021 - Commencement Ceremony
We are pleased to announce that Sacred Heart Cathedral, honoring a 169 year tradition of educating in the heart of the city, will hold our Baccalaureate and Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 22, at our traditional location, St. Mary’s Cathedral, at 10 am. The event will be held primarily on the plaza in front of the Cathedral. Given the space available and San Francisco Department of Public Health guidelines, all graduates will be able to have two guests accompany them to the in-person event. The ceremony will be live streamed for all others. More specific information will continue to be shared directly with the students and families in the Class of 2021.

COVID-19 Vaccination at SHC (Tomorrow, April 30)
Appointment times start at 9 am and go through 1:30 pm but may be extended if there is a need. We invite all SHC students who are aged 16+ and all SHC family members who are aged 16+ to register and get vaccinated. Together, we can help end this pandemic. For more information and to register for the April 30 event,please click here.

You may still register tonight, and if you are having any issues with registering, you may walk-in before noon and someone can assist you in the process. That said, parents who haven’t filled out the registration forms would need to accompany their minor children (16-17 years old) if they are walking in for the vaccine and would need identification and insurance information (if applicable). If you do not have health insurance, you will be asked to indicate so by clicking “no.”

Student COVID testing cost
PMH Laboratories bills a family’s insurance company for the student COVID testing done at SHC. Families do not need to pay anything out of pocket. You may receive (or see online) statements or explanation of benefits (EOBs) indicating the amount your insurance did not cover and state that you MIGHT be billed for that amount. We have an agreement with PMH Labs that they WILL NOT be billing any of our families and they will only accept whatever payment comes from the insurance company.

If you receive an actual bill asking for payment from PMH Labs, please forward it to our COVID-19 Safety Coordinator Andy Chanso we can address it directly with them. We have not had this happen, but have had some questions about language on statements and explanation of benefit forms (EOBs).

Dear SHC Families,

What a wonderful week it has been. We welcomed a huge number of seniors back to campus for all class days. Many fully vaccinated faculty and staff also returned to campus this week. It is such a grace to have so many of our community members together on campus. We look forward to the fall when we hope and plan to have all of us on campus and learning together.

Next week, on Tuesday, April 27, we will be hosting the SAT Exam on campus for registered juniors. All other students will be learning from a distance that day. On Friday, we will all be enjoying a school holiday as we achieved our goal in the Walkathon! Thanks to all who provided such generous support.

Please see important reminders and updates below. We need responses from seniors in the next several hours. Please encourage your children in the Class of 2021 to complete these items. Thank you.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Schedule Next Week (SAT and Distance Learning on Tuesday)
Monday (4/26) - Seniors, Green Cohort and Student COVID Testing
Tuesday (4/27) - SAT Test on campus for juniors who registered, all other students - Distance Learning
Wednesday (4/28) - Seniors, Blue Cohort and Student COVID Testing
Thursday (4/29) - Seniors, Blue Cohort
Friday (4/30) - Walkathon School Holiday - Congratulations!

Student COVID-19 Testing - April 26 & 28 (Monday and Wednesday)
A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Testing will take place on campus before school, at lunch, and immediately after school in the upper Atrium for all on-site students (Green Cohort on Monday, Blue Cohort on Wednesday). Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming for in-person learning may test curbside between 2:30-3:30 pm on Monday or Wednesday.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links/downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

Ruvna Health Screening
Ruvna Health Screenings will continue to be sent on every in-person school day to all members of the student body at 6:45 am. Next week, due to the SAT Testing on-campus, this daily Ruvna notification will be sent on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday only. On Tuesday, April 27 only the students taking the SAT at SHC will receive the Ruvna notification.

Seniors - Responses needed
Graduation - Please complete the items below by the end of this week, Friday, April 23, in preparation for our Graduation ceremony.

1. Loyalty and Service Award Nomination 2021 - please nominate one of your classmates who you think best exemplifies continued loyalty and service to SHC.
2. Scholarship Award Form 2021 (digital) - If you are receiving a scholarship or a special award from a college or university that you applied to (whether you plan to attend or not) please submit proof for recognition. Award information is often included in our Commencement Program and is important to parents, grandparents, etc.

Senior Evening - Tonight (4/22) is the last night to purchase tickets for the Senior Evening event on May 8. Purchase tickets ($25) here. Ticket sales close at midnight.

TEDxYouth@SHC
We will be hosting our annual TEDxYouth@SHC Conference this Sunday in the Sister Collins Theater. Thank you to all who created and supported this year’s effort.

Dear SHC Families,

Once again, we share in the pain and the grief of another young black man unjustly killed in our country. Every human life is sacred and we pray for Duante Wright, his parents and his family. This is yet another loss for an already traumatized and outraged community and this tragedy comes in the midst of the trial of Derek Chauvin just miles away from Duante’s shooting. We continue to hold George Floyd and his family in our prayers and are mindful of the recent incidents of violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

To our Black brothers and sisters, especially those who are alumni, parents, and students at SHC: We love you, we value you, and we are committed through our mission of Lasallian Vincentian Catholic education to help build a world that is more just and more prophetic in fighting the sin and scourge of racism. There can be no doubt from the statistics that violence against Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) is a systemic issue that we must face as individuals, communities, and a nation.

We must continue to ask ourselves what we can do in our own communities to work against systems of injustice and racism and uphold and support marginalized communities. In our own school community, we are continuing our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work with our faculty and staff. Our student Catholic Community Cohorts (CCCs) continue to meet and discuss their lived experiences and how to build an inclusive Catholic community of faith. Our mission calls us to be transformative, so we will continue to focus on how we can grow, change, and cultivate a more just and equitable community within our school and beyond. Some resources we shared previously are again shared below to help you think about and talk about racism, hatred, and bias of any type with your children.

Please see important reminders and updates below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Resources for Discussing Race
Linked here are some books, videos, and other materials curated by our own Dr. Alicia Tapia, Director of Library and Information Services, who just completed her doctoral degree in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco. Linked here are resources entitled “Responding to Racism” shared with us by Dr. Mike Daniels, Director of the Office of Education for the De La Salle District of San Francisco New Orleans.

Junior Wellness Meeting (Mandatory) - Friday, April 16 at 12:30 pm
Junior students should check their Religion Schoology Course page for Zoom credentials and participation expectations. This meeting will focus on building resilience.

Ruvna Health Screening
Starting the week of April 19, with more students coming to campus, with seniors on campus four class days a week, and with more cocurricular activities occurring that involve Blue, Green and Gold Cohort students, Ruvna notifications will be sent to the parents/guardians of all students each class day (Mon-Thur) for the remainder of this school year. This allows us to ensure that anyone who comes to campus on any day, for any reason, has done a health screening and checked in through the Ruvna system.

Proof of Negative COVID Test Result (PCR Test required)
A reminder that all students need a negative COVID test result from April 5 or later to be on-campus next week. If you have not tested at SHC since April 5, please send attendance@shcp.edu a copy of your negative COVID test result (must be a PCR test, not a rapid test).

Classroom Changes
Please be aware that many classroom locations have been changed to accommodate the students and teachers returning to campus next week. Students should check their classroom locations in one of two ways: 1) On PowerSchool, the classroom location is listed next to the class names & teacher names. Remember that an "L" in front of a number means that the class meets on the La Salle campus and that a "D" in front of a number means that the class meets on the De Paul campus. 2) Teachers will post on Schoology where classes will be meeting.

Lunch Period Switch (Beginning April 19)
Starting next Monday (April 19) UPPER division classes will have their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 10:25 - 11:35 am and have their lunch after those blocks. LOWER division classes will have their lunch right after Block 1 and Block 4 and will meet with their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 11:10 am - 12:20 pm. The change to schedule has been updated here.

Get Vaccinated
Every San Franciscan age 16 or older are now eligible to get the COVID vaccine. We encourage you all, especially our students who are eligible, in consultation with your primary health care provider, to get the vaccine as soon as possible per the recommendations of public health officials. Please see sf.gov vaccine site about making an appointment. Everyone 16+ living in zip codes 94124, 94134, 94107, 94110, 94112, 94102, 94103 & 94130 can access a drop-in vaccine site where no appointment is needed (SF General, 1001 Potrero Avenue, open daily from 9 am-3 pm). Let’s do all we can to end this pandemic.

Important Mitigation Strategies
San Francisco Country remains in the orange tier for a fourth week. It is important for all students and families to continue the key mitigation strategies on and off campus: mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene. Thank you for ensuring the health and safety of all, especially the most vulnerable among us.

New Travel Protocol
The CDPH issued a new travel advisory that references the CDC travel guidelines. We are adjusting our SHC travel protocols as follows:

1. If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine you can travel within the United States and do not need to quarantine upon your return home. People are considered fully vaccinated: 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
2. If you are not fully-vaccinated but your travel was within California, you do not need to quarantine.
3. If you are not fully vaccinated, if you travel outside of California but within the United States: Get a PCR COVID test 3-5 days after returning from travel AND do a travel quarantine for a full 7 days after travel. Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days of the travel quarantine. You may come off of travel quarantine on day 8 if you are asymptomatic and the COVID test you took 3-5 days after returning from travel is negative. If you don’t get tested, then your travel quarantine should be 10 days and you may come off of travel quarantine on day 11.

Please read through this protocol and apply it to your own situation. If your situation is not described above or if you need assistance in understanding all the details and applying it to your situation, please reach out to our COVID Safety Coordinator, Mr. Andy Chan for guidance.

Re-enrollment for Current Students
Re-enrollment for the 2021-22 school year begins Wednesday, April 28, 2021. On that day, families will receive an email from TADS to initiate and facilitate this process. Families must re-enroll no later than noon PST on May 20, 2021. If you have technical difficulties with re-enrollment related to TADS, please contact TADS technical support at 800.477.8237. For general inquiries related to re-enrollment, please contact Michelle Ong in the SHC Finance Office at 415.775.6626 ext. 567.

Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation (May 22)
Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation will take place on Saturday, May 22, at 10 am. Updates from SFDPH regarding graduation ceremonies are supposed to be released today. We will provide more information to seniors and their families early next week.

Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Opportunity
Please see this virtual opportunity shared with us by the San Francisco Interfaith Council.

"God of love, set me aflame with love for you and for my neighbor.”
-St. John Baptist de La Salle

Dear SHC Families,

Happy Easter Week! The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of teachers, on Wednesday, April 7. We wish a happy Feast Day to all of SHC’s Christian Brothers Community members (especially Br. Joseph, Br. John, Br. Tom, Br. Martin, Br. Joe K. and Mr. H. Ruiz), all our Lasallian faculty and staff, and all Brothers and Lasallian educators throughout the world.

Please see important reminders and updates below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Distance Schedule Week (April 12-16)
A reminder that we will use our Distance Schedule for the week of April 12-16. No students will be on campus for classes this coming week and blocks/lunch will follow the Distance Schedule. Juniors who are signed up for the ACT exam (Tuesday, April 13) will be on campus that day.

Calling all students, especially SENIORS
We believe in-person learning is most effective for most students and hope you will choose to join us on campus beginning April 19. If your child is currently in the Gold Cohort and you are planning to have them come onto campus for in-person learning, please complete this form by next Thursday, April 15. This will be the final opportunity to opt in for on-campus, in-person learning for this school year.

All Seniors Welcome Every Class Day
We especially invite and encourage all seniors (Class of 2021) to be on-campus for in-person learning four days a week (all class days) beginning April 19. Along with your wonderful teachers who want to share the last several weeks with you in-person, Ms. Buell, Ms. Diaz, and the Community Life team have planned some fantastic senior events for the weeks ahead. We will maintain our Green and Blue Cohorting for grades 9-11.

Lunch Period Switch (Beginning Week of April 19)
Starting April 19, UPPER division classes will have their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 10:25-11:35 am and have their lunch after those blocks. LOWER division classes will have their lunch right after Block 1 and Block 4 and will meet with their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 11:10 am -12:20 pm.

COVID Testing
COVID testing will be provided on-campus on Tuesday, April 13 (starting at noon for ACT test takers, 2 pm for others) and Wednesday, April 14 (starting at 2 pm), in the afternoon until 5:30 pm. Please ensure that you have an updated negative COVID test result within two weeks of April 19th for return to campus. Tuesday is aimed at Green Cohort students (and students who took the ACT and are already on-campus). Wednesday is aimed at Blue Cohort students. Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming on to campus may test curbside between 4-5:30 pm on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Students taking the SAT on April 27, these COVID tests are an opportunity to get a COVID test prior to that test.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links/downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

Ruvna Health Screening
Ruvna notifications will be sent as follows next week:

• Tuesday April 13, ACT student takers only, 6:45 am
• Tuesday April 13, Green Cohort students for COVID testing purposes, 10 am
• Wednesday, April 14, Blue Cohort students for COVID testing purposes, 10 am

There will be no Ruvna notifications sent on Monday April 12, Thursday April 15, or Friday April 16. Students participating in any in-person SHC activity will need to be screened verbally by campus safety or by their coach/teacher/moderator.

Looking ahead to the week of April 19, with more students coming to campus, with seniors on campus four class days a week, and with more cocurricular activities occurring that involve Blue, Green and Gold Cohort students, Ruvna notifications will be sent to the parents/guardians of all students each class day for the remainder of this school year. This allows us to ensure that anyone who comes to campus on any day, for any reason, has done a health screening and checked in through the Ruvna system.

Campus Updates over Break
Previously planned updates and improvements are happening during this week. We are replacing all the fire sprinkler heads in the Atrium, Dining Hall and attached stairwells. We are also upgrading some core switches in our technology network.

Thankful Thursday
Each Thursday, we challenge ourselves to thank at least one student, parent, or colleague in some tangible way (call, email, card, note, small treat, etc.) I would like to invite our families to participate in these Thankful Thursdays by expressing thanks to a teacher, counselor, fellow parent, friend of your child, or someone in the SHC community for whom you are thankful. As with all gratitude, the more specific you can be about what you are thankful for the better.

On that note, I would like to thank Eric Keith and our facilities staff, as well as Jerry Vigil and our technology staff, for their planning and work during this week to maintain the outstanding structures that we all rely on for safety and learning (see note on Campus Updates above). I would also like to thank the SHC Christian Brothers for their faithful service to our mission, students, families, and staff. Finally, a thank you to all our Lasallian Vincentian teachers and their mission-centered service during this most challenging of years. We are truly blessed by the service and commitment of so many individuals in the Fightin’ Irish community.

Dear SHC Families,

As we enter into the holiest season of the Church’s year, the Triduum, I pray for each one of you, your children (our students), and your intentions at this time. May the celebration of Christ’s rising to new life remind us of God’s self-giving love for us, His beloved children, brothers and sisters all. In that spirit, we also recognize that this is a very special time of year for so many families of various faith traditions as we are in the midst of Passover and Ramadan will begin while we are on break. In his letter Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship), Pope Francis shares a story of St. Francis that “shows his openness of heart, which knew no bounds and transcended differences of origin, nationality, colour or religion.” A more complete excerpt is found below.

Please see the updates and reminders below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Easter Break (April 2-11)
Classes will not be in session tomorrow or throughout next week.

Travel Reminder (Juniors taking the ACT on April 13 please note)
A reminder that for travel out of state, there is still a 10-day travel quarantine regardless of vaccination status. The way you “count” the 10 days is: Return home-Apr 8. Quarantine Apr 8-18. Return to campus-Apr 19. If your travel quarantine will cause your child to be remote for classes on April 19 or beyond, please contact attendance@shcp.edu. If you travel out of state past tomorrow, April 2, you are not to come to campus for the April 13 ACT testing.

Distance Schedule Week (April 12-16)
In order to support any who may plan to travel out of state during Easter Break (April 2-11) to visit family or friends and in recognition that Tuesday, April 13 is already scheduled as a distance teaching/learning day for the ACT exam on-campus, we will use our Distance Schedule for the week of April 12-16. We ask that you not schedule out-of-state travel beyond April 11 so that we can all be on campus for the week of April 19-23. As a reminder, anyone traveling out of state must still quarantine for 10 days upon return home. For your planning purposes, COVID testing will be provided on-campus on Tuesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 14, in the afternoon until 5:30 pm.

A Final Opportunity (4/19) - Moving from Gold Cohort (Distance) to Green/Blue Cohort (On-campus)
As we continue our progressive reopening and because we believe in-person learning is most effective for most students, we hope you will choose to join us on campus beginning April 19. If your child is currently in the Gold Cohort and you are planning to have them come onto campus for in-person learning, please complete this form in the next two weeks.

All Seniors Welcome Every Class Day
Based on the new directives, we especially invite and encourage all seniors (Class of 2021) to be on-campus for in-person learning four days a week (all class days) beginning April 19. We will maintain our Green and Blue Cohorting for grades 9-11. We look forward to having the Class of 2021 be able to conclude their SHC educational journey together, on campus. Again, if you are planning to come onto campus for in-person learning, please complete this form in the next two weeks.

Lunch Break Time Change - Starting April 19, UPPER division classes will have their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 10:25 - 11:35 am and have their lunch after those blocks. LOWER division classes will have their lunch right after Block 1 and Block 4 and will meet with their Block 2 and Block 5 classes from 11:10 am - 12:20 pm.

Lunch Break Location - Seniors will continue to have lunch on the Lasalle Plaza while Juniors (and any Sophomores in upper division classes) will have lunch on the Practice Field.

Vaccine Update
Starting today, people 50 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. In two weeks it will open to everyone 16 and over. Read Press Release here. Also, please see this website for more information: Get Vaccinated - It’s Safe, Effective, and Free.

Thankful Thursday
I am thankful for Pope Francis and the words he shares below.

Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship) Excerpt - Pope Francis

3. There is an episode in the life of Saint Francis that shows his openness of heart, which knew no bounds and transcended differences of origin, nationality, colour or religion. It was his visit to Sultan Malik-el-Kamil, in Egypt, which entailed considerable hardship, given Francis’ poverty, his scarce resources, the great distances to be traveled and their differences of language, culture and religion. That journey, undertaken at the time of the Crusades, further demonstrated the breadth and grandeur of his love, which sought to embrace everyone. Francis’ fidelity to his Lord was commensurate with his love for his brothers and sisters. Unconcerned for the hardships and dangers involved, Francis went to meet the Sultan with the same attitude that he instilled in his disciples: if they found themselves “among the Saracens and other nonbelievers”, without renouncing their own identity they were not to “engage in arguments or disputes, but to be subject to every human creature for God’s sake”.[3] In the context of the times, this was an extraordinary recommendation. We are impressed that some eight hundred years ago Saint Francis urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble and fraternal “subjection” be shown to those who did not share his faith.

4. Francis did not wage a war of words aimed at imposing doctrines; he simply spread the love of God. He understood that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 Jn 4:16). In this way, he became a father to all and inspired the vision of a fraternal society. Indeed, “only the man who approaches others, not to draw them into his own life, but to help them become ever more fully themselves, can truly be called a father”.[4] In the world of that time, bristling with watchtowers and defensive walls, cities were a theatre of brutal wars between powerful families, even as poverty was spreading through the countryside. Yet there Francis was able to welcome true peace into his heart and free himself of the desire to wield power over others. He became one of the poor and sought to live in harmony with all.

Dear SHC families,

Happy Spring and Happy Feast of the Annunciation! On this feast day, Mary said “yes" to become the Mother of Jesus, and this feast day is chosen by the Daughters of Charity all over the world to say “yes” again and to renew their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and service of the poor. Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for our own Sr. Frances, for Sr. Julie, Sr. Adella and Sr. Marjorie Ann who serve on the SHC Governance Board, and for all Daughters of Charity throughout the world. We are truly blessed and inspired to continue our own “yes” to each of our unique vocational commitments. May God sustain each one of us in the year ahead.

On Tuesday, San Francisco officially entered the orange tier. A special thank you to all members of the SHC community for your efforts to maintain healthy communities, off and on campus, by following the directives and guidelines of our public health officials.

Some important updates and future planning items are included below.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Updates and Reminders

SFDPH School Updates
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) recently updated its guidance to schools in light of changes announced by the CDC and the CDPH. Below is a brief summary of these important updates.

• Student seats should be at least 3 feet apart, and do not need to face the same direction.
• Plexiglass barriers or other partitions no longer routinely recommended, regardless of the distance between student seats.
• Students may participate in up to two extracurricular cohorts (with some exceptions).
• Singing and wind instruments are allowed outside with face masks and instrument covers.

Vaccine Availability Update
As reportedby the San Francisco Chronicle, the COVID vaccine will be available to all 50-year old and older individuals beginning April 1 and for all 16-year old and older individuals beginning April 15. In promotion of the common good, we encourage you all (in consultation with your primary health care provider) to get the vaccine as soon as possible per the recommendations of public health officials. According to Mayor Breed, over 300,000 San Franciscans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, representing over 40% of residents over 16-years old.

All Seniors Welcome Every Class Day (Cohorting Update starting April 19)
Based on the new directives, we invite and encourage all seniors (Class of 2021) to be on-campus for in-person learning four days a week (all class days) beginning April 19. We will maintain our Green and Blue Cohorting for grades 9-11. We look forward to having the Class of 2021 be able to conclude their SHC educational journey together, on campus.

Graduation and End of Year Events
Planning for our Commencement and end-of-year ceremonies is ongoing. Graduation will be on May 22 at 10 am. Current options for location include the Cathedral, the Plaza in front of the Cathedral, Kezar Stadium, and Lang Field. We are planning to have all seniors present and hope to include at least two other family members (more if possible), depending on conditions and public health guidelines. Our Baccalaureate Mass may be a separate event, as usual, or we may combine Baccalaureate Mass and the Graduation Ceremony. Prom planning is currently looking at an early to mid-May date and having it on campus.

Senior Survey
Next week, we will ask seniors to complete a survey providing feedback for our planning the last two months of the school year.

Holy Week Prayer Services
Next week we will be offering two Holy Week Prayer Services on both Tuesday (3/30) and Wednesday (3/31) at 2 pm on the plaza. We are offering the same prayer service twice so that students in each cohort have the opportunity to attend in person. The service will also be live-streamed (see SHC Announcements in Schoology for further information).

Class Registration: 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Students
Remember to sign up for classes for the 2021-22 school year! The portal to sign up for classes will remain open for one more week on PowerSchool. If you need help or have questions about your course options for next year, please connect with your school counselor or with Director of Studies Ms. McFadden ASAP! It really will take just a few minutes so don't delay.

ACT Testers and COVID-19 Testing
All juniors planning to take the ACT on-campus on April 13 will need to have a COVID test in the next two weeks. For those students, for students participating in co-curriculars during Easter Break, and because Easter Break disrupts our regular schedule for COVID testing every two weeks, we will be having student COVID-19 Testing next week on-campus.

Due to Easter Break - Student COVID-19 Testing - March 30 & 31 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Given the interruption in the two week cycle presented by the timing of Easter Break, testing will take place next week on campus before school, at lunch, and immediately after school in the upper Atrium for all on-site students (green cohort on Tuesday, blue cohort on Wednesday). Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming for in-person learning may test curbside between 2:30-3:30 pm on Tuesday or Wednesday.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links and downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

Library Hours
Our library hours have extended and are now from 8 am - 4 pm.

Planning for 2021-22 School Year
At this point, we are planning to return to our block schedule next fall with classes meeting in-person, on-campus throughout the week (Monday - Friday). Depending on the public health context and guidelines of SFDPH, we may or may not be offering distance learning for students and families. Our hope is to safely have all faculty, staff and students on campus beginning in the fall.

Thankful Thursdays
Each Thursday, we challenge ourselves to thank at least one student, parent, or colleague in some tangible way (call, email, card, note, small treat, etc.) I would like to invite our families to participate in these Thankful Thursdays by expressing thanks to a teacher, counselor, fellow parent, friend of your child, or someone in the SHC community for whom you are thankful. As with all gratitude, the more specific you can be about what you are thankful for the better.

On that note, I would like to thank John Gumina ’91, Tim Burke ’70, Jonathan Lim, and Andreana Villa ’03, our outstanding Admissions team for their mission-centered work all year long and especially this week as we formally welcome the newest members (Class of 2025) of our SHC family. I would also like to thank Phil Freed ’80, Margi Beima, Caesar Smith ’98, and all our coaches who are serving our students in playing the sports they love. We are blessed by their mission-driven leadership and take great joy in celebrating the return of the Fightin’ Irish!

Dear SHC Families,

This week marks the beginning of the Fourth Quarter for the 2020-21 school year. We welcomed another group of students who transitioned from the Gold Cohort (Distance) to the Blue/Green Cohorts (On-Campus). We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day yesterday and look forward to St. Joseph’s Day tomorrow. While celebrations for the universal Church, these days are special to many Irish, Irish-Americans, Italians and Italian-Americans. Celebrating our heritage, our cultures, and our faith calls us to action: to live our mission of preparing students to be service-oriented leaders with a commitment to living the Gospel. That commitment demands an affirmative recognition and defense of the intrinsic dignity of each human person, regardless of race or country of origin.

We have been pained and angered by the news that a mass shooting in Atlanta resulted in the killing of eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. As SHC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group Coordinator Dr. Angelica Bailon stated in a communication to all our faculty and staff yesterday:

This is just the latest violent crime in a surge of racial violence against Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the last year. According to the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate’s 20-21 National Report, they have received reports of 3,795 hate incidents since March 2020.

Racial violence against the AAPI community is not new. It has been part of our experience in America since the first individuals from Asia and the Pacific Islands arrived on these lands. But the increasing violence in the past year should disturb us all and activate us to work against racial violence in all forms. Long cast as perpetual foreigners, a virus, but simultaneously as the model minority, AAPIs need to know this--we belong, we are valued, we are deserving of care.

It is imperative that as the SHC community, we continue to acknowledge, condemn, and work against racial violence in all forms.

We agree. As a Lasallian Vincentian Catholic school community and as school leaders, we stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and pledge to advance our mission to be an inclusive Catholic community of faith for all and to stand up and speak out against racial injustice, violence, and inequity.

Eighteen years ago, we were fortunate to work with the Archdiocese of San Francisco on the ordination of the first Asian American bishop in the United States, Bishop Ignatius Wang. As Archbishop Cardinal Levada said at the time:

Every Bishop serves in a particular church, but also serves the universal Church as a member of the Apostolic College of Bishops. The appointment of Bishop-elect Wang will no doubt bring joy to Chinese Catholics, and to the Chinese people, throughout the United States and beyond. I hope it will also recognize the welcome presence among us of so many Asian people, especially here in California, both in the Church and in society at large. While Bishop-elect Wang is the first Bishop of Asian background to be appointed in the United States, I feel confident that his appointment also signals the desire of the Church in this country to accompany the pilgrim journey of Asian-Americans from many different countries with the appointment of bishops in the future.

At that time, we called a school holiday and invited our entire community to the ordination ceremony and shared the following:

The history of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is closely tied to the immigrant story of San Francisco. For over 150 years we have been educating young men and women, many of whom themselves or their parents have been recent arrivals to this great land. It is fitting that a school with such a strong affinity for this segment of our population pause to honor and join in celebrating this very significant and historical moment in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.

Sacred Heart Cathedral has been blessed and continues to be blessed by our AAPI students, families, and staff. We thank you for enriching our community and our teaching and learning by your unique gifts and cultures.

Along with updates and reminders listed below, we are also sharing some resources that have been shared with our faculty and staff regarding ways each of us might show care for and support the AAPI community.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Updates and Reminders

Mandatory 10th Grade Wellness Meeting - Friday, March 19, 12:30 pm
Check your Religion Schoology Course page for Zoom credentials and participation expectations.

Admissions and the Class of 2025
SHC acceptance letters will go out at the end of this week. During the week ahead, please wear your Irish gear with pride and be strong public ambassadors for our growing community.

Student COVID-19 Testing - March 23 & 24 (Tuesday & Wednesday)
A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Testing will take place on campus before school, at lunch, and immediately after school in the upper Atrium for all on-site students (green cohort on Tuesday, blue cohort on Wednesday). Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming for in-person learning may test curbside between 2:30-3:30 pm on Tuesday or Wednesday. We encourage all students being tested to be eligible for athletic competitions to get tested on Tuesday.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links/downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

Seniors - Valedictorian and Salutatorian Process (3.0 GPA or higher required)
Please note that there is an optional information session tomorrow (March 19) at noon to discuss the Valedictorian and Salutatorian process. Please contact Mr. Gumina or Mr. Lim if you have any questions.

• Zoom Meeting Link
• ID: 8923902929
• Passcode: 056083

Thankful Thursdays
Within our faculty and staff, we are practicing gratitude, especially on Thursdays. Each Thursday, we challenge ourselves to thank at least one student, parent, or colleague in some tangible way (call, email, card, note, small treat, etc.) I would like to invite our families to participate in these Thankful Thursdays by expressing thanks to a teacher, counselor, fellow parent, friend of your child, or someone in the SHC community for whom you are thankful. As with all gratitude, the more specific you can be about what you are thankful for the better.

On that note, I would like to thank Dr. Angelica Bailon, the DEI Working Group members, and the Catholic Community Cohort (CCC) facilitators in their ongoing work and support for all our students. A Strategic Planning group that will work with our DEI consultant will have its first formal meeting this Friday.

Resources for support of the AAPI Community
After Atlanta: Teaching About Asian American Identity and History by Liz Kleinrock
List of resources compiled by Anti-Bias/Anti-Educator Liz Kleinrock
How to Hold Space for Violence in Atlanta (Dena Simmons)
Virtual training sessions regarding bystander intervention by Asian-Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Resource Guide on Anti-Asian Violence
Apex for Youth - Anti-Asian Racism Discussion Guide

What can I do?

• Learn more about the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The ongoing violence and discrimination cannot be separated from understanding the legacy of imperialism in Asia and the Pacific, and its impact on immigrants from those parts of the world to the United States.
• Support organizations (locally and nationally) that have advocated for the AAPI community and are committed to anti-racism.
• Speak up when you hear anti-AAPI speech or witness harmful actions.
• Amplify AAPI stories and voices.
• Support your local Asian-American/Pacific Islander-owned small businesses.
• Self-reflection: How may we individually perpetuate words and actions that harm our AAPI brothers and sisters? What can we do to change this behavior and thinking?

From the San Francisco Interfaith Council
In response to the recent surge of anti-Asian racism, the respected non-profit Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and their partners at Stop Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Hate launched a reporting center to track and respond to incidents of racial bias. From March 2020 through December 2020, over 3,000 self-reported accounts were documented throughout the country and over 700 in the Bay Area. Recent incidents of violence against Asian elders have sparked outrage and attention from community members, faith leaders, media, elected officials, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Earlier today, the San Francisco Interfaith Council (SFIC) hosted the 43rd in a series of weekly COVID-19 response briefings for faith leaders. Today's program focused on the respected nonprofit Chinese for Affirmative Action and their partners at Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate's efforts to address the immediate harm and root causes of Anti-Asian racism/violence, as well as prevention-oriented solutions. Chinese for Affirmative Action Co-Executive Director Cynthia Choi presented.

SFDPH Citywide Spanish Town Hall
MAÑANA: Seminario Virtual sobre las vacunas contra COVID-19 en Español

¿Tiene preguntas o dudas de la eficaz de las vacunas contra COVID-19? Por favor de participar a un Seminario Virtual sobre las vacunas contra COVID-19 en español! Aprenda más sobre cómo acceder a las vacunas en San Francisco y obtenga respuestas a sus preguntas por parte de expertos en salud de la ciudad y del Latino Task Force.

FECHA: Este viernes, 19 de marzo

HORARIO: 1– 2 pm

Regístrese: https://bit.ly/3cGrTJ0

Las instrucciones para llamar se recibirán en el correo electrónico de confirmación después de registrase.

Dear SHC Families,

One year ago today, on March 11, 2020, Sacred Heart Cathedral had our first distance learning day. In a communication to all families earlier in that week we stated:

While the SHC community currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our student, faculty, staff or parent population, we have decided to proactively close the SHC campus effective Wednesday, March 11, through Sunday, March 15 [2020]. We make this decision as a prudent and responsible preventative measure to conduct a deep cleaning of our campus, to minimize possible transmission of disease, and to practice distance learning for the first two days of the Fourth Marking Period (March 11 & 12). Friday, March 13, had been a planned holiday. Our school campus will reopen on Monday, March 16 (Gr, 7,1,2,3), and we will communicate with you to confirm this date.

Over the next several days, the decisions were made to close campus indefinitely and the city issued its stay at home order. March 11, 2020 was also the date that the World Health Organization formally declared the situation a “pandemic.” Today we mark a full year of living through this global challenge. We remember those we have lost and the friends and families who grieve and adapt. We pray for those who have faced significant economic hardship during this time.

And we give thanks:

• For those who treat, care for, and counsel those in need.
• For those who have developed and distributed the vaccines that are becoming more widely available every day.
• For your children, our students, who have shown resilience, fortitude and adaptability in continuing their learning.
• For each of you who have also shown resilience, fortitude and adaptability in supporting your children during these challenging times.
• For our faculty and staff who have adapted and served our students and families with a commitment to the school’s mission and the social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual growth of the students entrusted to their care.
• Lastly, we give thanks for you, each member of the SHC community, who have supported one another and have helped one another by sheltering in place, social distancing, and wearing masks. Our collective efforts have saved lives.

Updates and Reminders

Mandatory Senior Wellness Session
A mandatory Senior Wellness Session is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, March 12 (12:30-1:30 pm). March 19 is our Sophomore Spring Wellness session and April 16 is our Junior session.

Registering for Classes
The registration portal in PowerSchool will be open from Monday, March 15, through Thursday, April 1. SHC students are responsible for registering themselves for their courses for the upcoming year. Course information is posted in Schoology SHC Announcements Resources and school counselors are always happy to answer questions.

Third Quarter Grades
Quarter three grades will be finalized in PowerSchool next Tuesday, March 16.

Advanced Placement Exams
AP students should have completed their registration with the College Board for EACH exam they will be taking this year; for privacy reasons, the school cannot register students with the College Board. Tomorrow is the deadline to complete that registration process. Please see May 18-28 on our Academics calendar for specific exam dates. AP students are asked to respond promptly to Mr. Fickenscher’s upcoming survey ensuring their readiness for the exams by the end of next week. SHC faculty are beginning to work now on our own assessment schedule but anticipate 9th-11th graders being in final exams through May 26 (as scheduled).

Senior Events
We want to confirm that the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2021 will be on Saturday, May 22, for your planning purposes. We are still exploring various possibilities for the venue. We are also working to plan other end of year events, including a Senior Prom and Senior Awards Ceremony. More information will be shared in the weeks ahead.

Summer School at SHC
SHC Summer High School registration is open for anyone who may be interested.

Fightin’ Irish Athletics
Our first Cross Country, Tennis and Volleyball matches of the season have occurred and we’re proud of our student-athletes and their families. More games and more sports to come. GO IRISH!

Dear SHC Families,

Happy March! As we continue our journey through Lent, be certain that God holds you in the palm of His hand. Important updates and reminders are below.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Friday, March 5 - Faculty and Staff Meetings in the morning. No Office Hours.

Thursday, March 11 - End of Third Quarter (Grades finalized Tuesday, March 16)

Moving from Gold Cohort (Distance) to Green/Blue Cohort (On-campus)

All Gold Cohort Families and Students should have received an email earlier today with information about the next opportunity to opt in for on-campus, in-person learning. As we continue our progressive reopening approach (including athletic competition) and because we believe in-person learning is most effective for most students, we hope you will choose to join us on campus beginning March 15. If for any reason you did not receive the email, please contact Carrie Booth (cbooth@shcp.edu) to receive the information. The next and last opportunity to move to on-campus, in-person learning will be April 19.

Student COVID-19 Testing - March 9 & 10 (Tuesday and Wednesday)

A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Testing will take place on campus before school, at lunch, and immediately after school in the upper Atrium for all on-site students (green cohort on Tuesday, blue cohort on Wednesday). Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming for in-person learning may test curbside between 2:30-3:30pm on Tuesday or Wednesday.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links/downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

April 2 - 11 - Easter Break

April 12 - 16 - Distance Schedule Week

In order to support any who may plan to travel out of state during Easter Break (April 2-11) to visit family or friends and in recognition that Tuesday, April 13 is already scheduled as a distance teaching/learning day for the ACT exam on-campus, we will use our Distance Schedule for the week of April 12-16. We ask that you not schedule out-of-state travel beyond April 11 so that we can all be on campus for the week of April 19-23. As a reminder, anyone traveling out of state must still quarantine for 10 days upon return home. COVID testing will be provided on-campus on Tuesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 14, for your planning purposes.

Fightin’ Irish Athletics

We are grateful that our student-athletes have returned to practicing and look forward to our first competitions later this week (Cross Country meet) and next week (Volleyball match).

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
(MT 7:7)

Dear SHC Families,

While today’s Gospel does not always seem to be true in my own life, I believe that by turning (converting) my heart and perspective, I recognize that the seeking, knocking and asking are what I am invited to in my prayer life and in my relationship with God. May we all continue this Lenten journey knowing that we can and will encounter the “holy presence of God,” by asking, seeking and knocking.

Along with the beautiful weather this week, more good news is that many faculty and staff members have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines as SF County has now made it available to those working in education. While all our current protocols (masks, social distancing, hand hygiene) will remain in place throughout this semester, the ongoing vaccination of our employees provides another layer of mitigation to help reduce virus spread and improve our overall safety as a community. The vaccines will also allow more and more faculty to return to campus in the weeks ahead.

As always, some important reminders and updates follow below. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Founders Friday (Next Two Weeks)
February 26: Frosh Families will not be meeting tomorrow
March 5: Faculty and staff workday; student holiday. Departmental Office Hours will not be held.

Travel and self-quarantine
As many of you have probably already heard, as of February 23, 2021, SFDPH has lifted the mandatory travel quarantine for travel outside the Bay Area 10 counties.

There continues to be a strong recommendation that people follow the existing State travel advisory, which advises against non-essential travel, 1) anywhere out of the state or 2) 120 miles away from your home (this includes Tahoe, Big Sur, and Mount Shasta).

At Sacred Heart Cathedral, our updated policy as of today will be:

1. Everyone (faculty/staff and students) who has been on travel quarantine as of the February 23, 2021, needs to COMPLETE their travel quarantine before returning on-campus.
2. Moving forward, if you travel outside the state, you will need to quarantine for 10 days upon your return before returning to campus. As always, please notify attendance@shcp.edu to report travel plans and self-quarantine.
3. If you travel within California but BEYOND 120 miles from your home, you are not required to quarantine but it is RECOMMENDED by the State. If you choose to voluntarily self-quarantine, please contact attendance@shcp.edu to inform us.
4. If you travel WITHIN 120 miles of your home only, you are NOT required to quarantine.
5. Please note that the Ruvna question about travel will be changed to ask if you have traveled outside of the state.

Last Day: ACT and SAT Exam for SHC Juniors
We have arranged to administer the ACT and the SAT to SHC juniors during the fourth quarter. If you already signed up, you should have received a confirmation window at the time of sign up. Formsite does not send an email confirmation and you do not need an entry ticket for the test. If you still want to sign up, please usethis link to register and pay by February 26. Contact SHC’s Standardized Testing Coordinator Mr. Ryan Fickenscher with any questions.

• ACT: Tuesday, April 13 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)
• SAT: Tuesday, April 27 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)

SHC does not anticipate hosting any standardized tests this summer.

College Application Process: SHC Parent Experience
Wednesday, March 3 @ 7 pm
A panel of parents of current SHC seniors will be discussing the college application process for all who are interested. Provided by the Parents Associaiton, the Zoom link for this meeting can be found on the Parents Association Schoology page.

Fightin’ Irish Athletics
As the City and County of San Francisco begins to move from the Purple Tier to less restrictive tiers, we expect more sports will be permitted to begin soon. Please visit the Athletics Frequently Asked Questions webpage for more information. GO IRISH!

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness.
(Joel 2:12-13a)

Dear SHC Families,

May God bless each one of you as we begin this holy season of Lent. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we are called to a conversion of heart, a return to our God who cares for the sick and dying, the lost and lonely, the widow and orphan, the outcast and abandoned. May we help make God’s unconditional love a lived reality in those we encounter each day.

It has been a joy to see more new student faces back on campus this week for in-person learning. Thank you all for continuing to adhere to SFDPH directives and guidelines, including those who are staying at a distance after traveling. We continuously strive to improve our practice and ask students to focus on maintaining six feet of social distance from one another when not in the classroom. We have desks in the plaza, visual markings on the ground, and adults reminding and enforcing the social distancing. We need students to embrace the responsibility of maintaining social distance in protecting themselves and others. Please encourage your child(ren) to be leaders in public health through this practice.

Our overall number of students on campus is still around half of the student body each week. We have purposefully not shared specific numbers as we want families to make the best decisions for their child(ren) and home/living situation. As you are likely aware, the number of students currently on-campus varies from grade level to grade level. If a family decides it is best for their child(ren) to learn from a distance, we do not want information of 60-70% of their classmates being on campus to pressure them (or have their child pressure them) to make a different decision. Similarly, if a family decides it is best for their child to learn on-campus, we would not want the information that 30-40% of their classmates are on campus to pressure them (or have their child pressure them) to make a different decision.

We are grateful that we have not had a positive COVID case for any on-campus student or staff since the beginning of the second semester. Again, we are thankful to all of you for adhering to the SFDPH directives and the SHC Community Health Pledge while both on and off campus. We plan for and assume that we will eventually have a positive case or cases given that the virus is still very much present in the broader Bay Area community. As always, we will coordinate directly with the SFDPH and communicate to you the necessary information.

A final note for families of seniors. As we near the fourth quarter, we are hopeful to provide some programming, even if it has to be by cohort, that can safely bring seniors together and celebrate their remaining time together at SHC. While no decisions have been finalized, we are also strongly leaning toward maintaining the graduation date as planned, May 22. We are looking at outdoor venues as well as planning for various alternative ceremonies depending on what SFDPH allows in terms of gathering size (outdoors or indoors).

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Course Registration for 2021-22
Appeals for limited enrollment classes courses will be happening next week. Please see the Course Registration 2021-22 folder in the SHC Announcements Resource folder on Schoology for more information.

Final Reminder: ACT and SAT Exam for SHC Juniors
We have arranged to administer the ACT and the SAT to SHC juniors during the fourth quarter. If you already signed up, you should have received a confirmation window at the time of sign up. Formsite does not send an email confirmation and you do not need an entry ticket for the test. If you still want to sign up, please use this link to register and pay by February 26. Contact SHC's Standardized Testing Coordinator Mr. Ryan Fickenscher with any questions.

• ACT: Tuesday, April 13 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)
• SAT: Tuesday, April 27 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)

SHC does not anticipate hosting any standardized tests this summer.

Student COVID-19 Testing: February 23 & 24 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Testing will take place on campus before school, at lunch, and immediately after school in the upper Atrium for all on-site students (Green cohort on Tuesday, Blue cohort on Wednesday). Gold Cohort students or students in a situation that prevents them from coming for in-person learning may test curbside between 3:00-3:30pm on Tuesday or Wednesday.

For testing, you need to have registered with PMH Laboratories by completing this Google Form (only need to do this once). Also, please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links and downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading “Student COVID-19 Testing”.

Dear SHC Families,

Wishing you all a safe and happy Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day this weekend. While the trends are positive, in terms of COVID-19 case rates declining and vaccine distribution increasing, the next several weeks are critical with new variants of COVID-19 spreading. We can help save lives by continuing to follow the SFDPH directives and guidelines. It is still our policy that, if students travel outside the Bay Area Counties, families must alert attendance@shcp.edu that their children will be learning from a distance for 10 days upon their return.

We look forward to almost 100 more students choosing to move from Gold Cohort (Distance) to Blue/Green Cohort (Hybrid) this coming Tuesday, Feb 16. In order to safely come on campus, please make sure that you have completed all paperwork and submitted a negative COVID-19 test result. Remember to dress warmly as some classes are meeting in the plaza, all classrooms have their windows open, and lunch is outside.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Course Selection and Office Hours (Tomorrow)
Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen: In addition to the Academic Fair Website, available as a resource for 2021-22 courses selection, departments and teachers will use their office hours tomorrow (Friday) to answer any questions that you might have about classes. On this document you will find a list of all Zoom links for departments and courses hosting office hours so that you can stop by with questions.

ACT and SAT Exam for SHC Juniors
We have arranged to administer the ACT and the SAT to SHC juniors during the fourth quarter. We believe administering the ACT and SAT on our campus during the school week is the safest and most effective option for our students. A separate email with more information and details to register has been sent to junior families; responses are due by February 26. Please note that on those testing days, which are chosen by the national testing companies (see below), the rest of the student body will be on a distance schedule. Contact Mr. Ryan Fickenscher, SHC’s Standardized Testing Coordinator, with any questions.

• ACT: Tuesday, April 13 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)
• SAT: Tuesday, April 27 (4,5,6,8 Distance Schedule)

SHC does not anticipate hosting any standardized tests this summer.

Travel Quarantine Reminder
The SFDPH mandatory travel quarantine health order is still in place. This order went into effect on December 18 and is still in effect, even after the California stay home order was lifted on Monday, January 25. People traveling outside the Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma) must quarantine for 10 days. If you choose to travel this weekend, please contact attendance@shcp.edu to let us know you will be self-quarantining and learning from a distance.

Vaccine Information from SFDPH
Now All SF residents 65+ living in 94107, 94110, 94112, 94124 or 94134 can drop in to ZSFG or Southeast any day between 9 am and 3 pm, regardless of insurance! Please share widely so we can get those most affected vaccinated ASAP.

Dear SHC Families,

While I have been blessed to learn in both public schools (K-6) and Catholic schools (7-12 and beyond), my adult working life has been dedicated to the mission of Catholic education and the vocation of being a Catholic educator. I am grateful to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with all the members of the SHC community (parents/guardians, students, alumni, benefactors, faculty and staff). May God bless each of you during this challenging time. May our faith, family, and friendship sustain each one of us.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Student COVID-19 Testing: February 9 & 10 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus. Testing will take place on campus for all on-site students (and for Gold Cohort students opting for on-site learning or cocurricular activity) this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.

For testing please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form. Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them every time for the on-site COVID test. The links and downloads you need for COVID Student testing can also be found on the SHC COVID website page. Look on the left under the heading Student COVID-19 Testing.

Gold Cohort Email for Opting In
All Gold Cohort Families and Students should have received an email on Tuesday with information about the next opportunity to opt in for on-campus, in-person learning. We are grateful that the first several weeks of our hybrid schedule this semester have gone relatively well with approximately half of our students on campus. As we continue our progressive reopening approach (including academics and cocurriculars) and because we believe in-person learning is most effective for most students, we hope you will choose to join us on campus beginning February 16. If for any reason you did not receive the email, please contact Carrie Booth to receive the information. The next opportunity to join us for on-campus, in-person learning will be March 15.

Important Health and Safety Reminders
Travel Quarantine: The SFDPH mandatory travel quarantine health order is still in place. This order went into effect on December 18 and is still in effect, even after the California stay home order was lifted on Monday, January 25. People traveling outside the Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma) must quarantine for 10 days.

Super Bowl: Make sure you follow SFDPH guidelines when considering how to enjoy this weekend's event if you plan to do so. Our public health officials remain concerned about a COVID-19 surge due to unsafe gatherings. The new COVID case numbers have been decreasing for the past two weeks. It is up to all of us to maintain this trajectory. Please prioritize the health and safety of our entire community.

Choosing Classes for Next Year
The virtual Academic Fair Website provides information about classes students might consider for the next academic year. The site contains videos primarily for courses that have limited enrollment or where students are able to choose their classes (such as VPA for 10th grade, English for 11th & 12th grade, or Religious Studies for 12th grade). This site does NOT cover all courses that are available, though all courses are described on the website. LOTE teachers will explain choices to their students in classes in the coming weeks, and all department office hours on Friday, February 12, are dedicated to answering students’ questions about course options.

Fightin’ Irish Athletics Update
In December, high school sports were postponed a second time by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) when the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released its updated guidelines for youth sports. Essentially, regional and county public health metrics determine which sports may proceed with normal practices and competitions based on a CDPH categorization system which places each sport into a color-coded tier according to COVID-19 risk factors. The tiers are outlined here:

• Stay at Home order - no sports permitted
• Purple Tier (Widespread) - Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, Track & Field
• Red Tier (Substantial) - Baseball, Girls Lacrosse, Softball
• Orange Tier (Moderate) - Football, Boys Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball
• Yellow Tier (Minimal) - Basketball, Wrestling

The Bay Area just moved from the Stay at Home order to the Purple Tier which means that the corresponding purple sports may begin. SHC will be moving forward with cross country, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls golf, and track & field.

If your student-athlete wishes to participate in SHC Athletics, please make sure all of the appropriate documents are submitted. If you have questions about your child’s status, you may contact Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer Mr. Oscar Melero.

Dear SHC Families,

While the weather has chilled our bodies, our hearts and spirits have been warmed by the presence of students of all grade levels (9-12) on campus this week. We continue to learn and grow into the hybrid schedule and hybrid teaching, while also providing COVID testing throughout two school days. Early next week, we will send out an invitation and the necessary paperwork for students who want to return to in-person, on-campus learning starting February 16. We hope to continue progressively expanding on-campus learning for more and more students.

We are deeply grateful for our faculty and staff as they continue to adjust and adapt with a consistent focus on nurturing the whole student (mind, heart, and soul). Similarly, we are grateful for our students and families who also continue to adjust and adapt as we navigate these times together. May God continue to sustain us in our mission to provide the finest education in an inclusive Catholic community of faith. We look forward next week to celebrating 2021 National Catholic Schools Week: Faith, Excellence, and Service!

As always, there are important reminders and updates below. Please read through them carefully. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Monday, February 1 — Student Holiday
The faculty and staff of several schools will be gathering (digitally) for the Bay Area Lasallian Educators Symposium as we share best practices and renew ourselves in our common vocation. While hopeful this longer weekend for students offers some rest and/or time to catch up on school work, we want to remind all families of the importance of adhering to SFDPH directives and our Community Health Pledge.

Sophomore students interested in enrollment in AP or Honors US History in the 2021-22 school year will be able to take the placement test February 1 and 2 (only). Please see Schoology for more information for this and for additional details about course registration in the coming weeks.

Student COVID Testing
Thank you for all who got tested on campus yesterday or today. If you did not, please email a negative COVID test result to attendance@shcp.edu no later than Sunday, January 31, in order to be on-campus for classes next week. A negative COVID test result is required every two weeks for all students coming onto campus.

We encourage all of you to take advantage of the on-campus testing in the weeks ahead. The Google Form to register your information for testing on campus is now open. Please input your data as soon as possible. Our next onsite student testing will be February 9 and 10.

Vaccine Information from SFDPH
Linked here is a PowerPoint presentation shared with us by SFDPH regarding San Francisco’s COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.

Dear SHC Families,

A special Monday edition of our weekly communication for some VERY important reminders this week:

Tuesday, January 26

• Student COVID Testing paperwork due by noon (more info below).
• Tuesday is Founders Day. No Block 1-6 classes (more info below).
• PSAT for juniors who signed up and have all necessary materials submitted.

Student COVID Testing — Paperwork Due
All students who are participating in on-campus, in-person learning or other on-campus activities must have a negative COVID test result every two weeks. For those students coming to campus, we will provide the testing on-site during school hours (see schedule here). On-campus students will be tested by PMH Laboratories on their cohort day (either Green or Blue), ensuring a consistent testing cycle for cohorts and efficient reporting and tracking for the school.

The next COVID tests at SHC will be THIS Wednesday, January 27 (Green cohort) and Thursday, January 28 (Blue cohort). We expect all Green cohort students to test on Wednesday and all Blue cohort students will test on Thursday while already on campus.

Please visit the COVID-19 page on our website. Almost all the links/downloads you need for COVID Student testing can be found on the above mentioned page on the SHC website on the left under the heading "Student COVID-19 Testing."

PRE-TEST PAPERWORK

• Your child(ren) needs to have their health information registered with PMH Laboratory via the Google Form that we have shared previously (linked below). If you filled out the Google Form before, there is no need to do it again unless some piece of information has changed. In fact, to reduce our data sorting, we ask that you not fill it out again. If you have never filled it out before, please fill it out now. Here is the link to the Testing Sign Up (or visit the above mentioned webpage). We are extending the time that this link will be live until noon, Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
• Please print, fill out, and sign the PMH Test Form (linked here or visit the webpage). Your SHC student needs to bring a printed copy of this completed and signed form with them for the COVID test. This hard copy will be required every time you take a PMH Laboratory COVID test.
• If you do not have health insurance, you should download, print, fill out, and sign the CARES Act PMH Uninsured Form (linked here or visit the webpage). You also should make a copy of some form of identification of your SHC student - an SHC student ID card will work. Your SHC student should bring both items with them for the COVID test. These hard copies will be required every time you take a PMH Laboratory COVID test.

TEST DAY/RESULTS
Test Times
We will have testing before school (8-9 am), during both lunches (10:10-11:10 am and 11:35 am-12:35 pm), and after school (1:45 pm until we’re done). We encourage students to look for opportunities to test when the lines are shortest and to be prepared to stay late after school if they did not get tested before school or at lunch. We will make announcements during the school day as to the location of the testing as it is still TBD due to the weather.

If you child(ren) are in the unique circumstance that they need to get tested but are not attending in-person school on that day, their test will have to be done curbside at 3 pm.

Test Results
From recent experience your student's COVID test results are emailed to you. Problems only seem to arise when there is a typo in an email address or Date of Birth (DOB). So far, test results have come anywhere from 24-60 hours after the test. The school receives all test results so you do not need to submit your results to the school.

We hope that this long explanation provides you with all the necessary details for the next round of COVID tests. Thank you for reading through it all. If you still have questions or are struggling to understand something, our COVID Safety Coordinator Mr. Andy Chan will have Zoom office hours tomorrow, Tuesday, January 26 from 8:30-9:30 am to assist you.

• Zoom Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 894 0578 5620
• Passcode: 258309

Founders Day — Tuesday, January 26
Health Education Classes (9th Grade Students in 2nd Semester Health and PE)

• Block 7 - 9:30-10:30 am
• Block 8 - 10:30-11:30 am

Frosh Family Meeting

• 1-2:15 pm

Department Office Hours

• 9 am — LOTE & Math
• 10 am — Religious Studies & Science
• 11 am — Social Studies & English

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families,

As of today, students from all grade levels from both on-campus cohorts (Green and Blue) have been on campus. We continue to be grateful and blessed by their presence. We are also grateful for the smooth transfer of power that occurred in Washington, DC, on January 20. On campus, we made an announcement to all students just after the historic moment when California’s Kamala Harris became the first woman and the first woman of color to be sworn in as Vice President of the United States. I think you might enjoy this brief video of a gift from her hometown team.

As usual, below my signature will be several important items that I’d ask you to read and review carefully. I need to highlight one specific item here, however, given its importance for the health and safety of the overall community.

Yesterday morning, I received information from our Deans of Students regarding approximately 10-12 students who did not follow SFDPH protocols this past weekend. None of the students reported to us had been on campus yet. At this point, none of them will be allowed on campus. We are still finalizing our investigation, talking directly to the parents or guardians, and determining appropriate consequences. To say I am greatly disappointed would be an understatement. In order to provide on-campus, in-person learning, we have to know that any students coming to campus are following the public health protocols when not on campus.

This information is shared here as a reminder of our expectations, your commitments (SHC Community Health Pledge), our commitment to the health and well-being of all SHC community members (faculty, staff, students and families), and our commitment to and shared responsibility for the health and well-being of the entire San Francisco community, especially the most vulnerable.

Thank you for your support and for your diligence going forward. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

COVID Testing for All On-Campus Students (Green and Blue Cohorts)

All students who are participating in on-campus, in-person learning or other on-campus activities are expected to have a negative COVID test result every two weeks. For those students coming to campus, we will provide the testing on-site (see calendar below). On-campus students will be tested by PMH Laboratories, ensuring a consistent testing cycle for cohorts and efficient reporting and tracking for the school. Your child(ren) needs to have their health information registered with PMH Laboratory via the Google Form that we have shared previously (linked below). If you filled out the Google Form before, there is no need to do it again unless some piece of information has changed. In fact, to reduce our data sorting, we ask that you not fill it out again. If you have never filled it out before, here is the link to fill it out now. This link will be live until 11:59 pm, Monday, January 25, 2021.

Student COVID Testing Calendar

• Wednesday, January 27 - Green Cohort
• Thursday, January 28 - Blue Cohort
• Tuesday, February 09 - Green Cohort
• Wednesday, February 10 - Blue Cohort
• Tuesday, February 23 - Green Cohort
• Wednesday, February 24 - Blue Cohort

Next Week’s Schedule (Founders TUESDAY)
An important reminder that next week’s schedule is unique, due to the on-site PSAT exam being offered on Tuesday, January 26. Tuesday will be our Founders Day Schedule, which includes Office Hours by Department.

• Green Cohort (9-12 grade) - On-campus for classes on Monday and Wednesday (1/25 and 1/27)
• Blue Cohort (9-12 grade) - On-campus for classes on Thursday and Friday (1/28 an 1/29)

Freshman Parent Meeting (College): Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Please join SHC College Advisors and the Chair of Counseling & Advising to learn what your student can be doing now to prepare for college, what classes to take next year and how students register for classes at SHC.

• Zoom Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 873 0439 0062
• Password posted on Schoology

Vaccine Information from SFDPH
This message is from Mayor London Breed and sent to us via SFDPH: Visit http://sf.gov/vaccinenotify to sign up to get notified by text or email when you're eligible for a vaccination in San Francisco. Right now, vaccines remain very limited, but as San Francisco receives more from the federal and state government city health officials are ready to distribute 10,000 doses a day.

Dear SHC Families,

What a blessing to have many of our 9th and 10th grade students on campus this week. Your presence gave a lift to all of our spirits. I am grateful for the work of our faculty, staff, facilities, maintenance, and safety teams in preparing our campus and processes to best support student learning and community safety. We look forward to seeing many of our juniors and seniors next week. Below are some important updates and information for tomorrow and the week ahead. Please read carefully and take good care over this holiday weekend by following the guidelines from our public health officials.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Frosh Health and Counseling Meetings for tomorrow (January 15)
The School Counselors are looking forward to meeting with 9th grade students in groups this Friday. These meetings are VERY important as we will be discussing next year's class selections with you. You have some choices about what classes you will take and you will hear about those choices as well as some important dates coming up where things will happen to help you in those decisions.

These meetings will take place over Zoom and your School Counselor has contacted you about the Zoom links and the time of your meeting. There are also Health Class meetings for those of you who are taking Health this semester. If you took Health last semester, your School Counselor communicated with you which meeting to attend on Friday along with the Zoom links.

• 9:30 - 10:30 am: Block 7 Health class. Counseling meeting for those in Block 8 Health and some students who took Health last semester.
• 10:30 - 11:30 am: Block 8 Health class. Counseling meeting for those in Block 7 Health and some students who took Health last semester.

Note: There will be no Frosh Families tomorrow

School Pictures tomorrow - Friday, January 15
This Friday is the last chance to take or retake a picture for your school ID. A photographer from Lifetouch will be on campus from 9 am to 3 pm. You will need to wear a polo shirt to take your picture.

Founders Day Schedule
Our Founders Day Schedule has been updated for this coming semester (see below). While we will follow this schedule tomorrow, January 15, some teachers and students/classes may maintain the first semester office hours (also shared below) due to an internal miscommunication. If you or your child has any questions, please contact the teacher directly via email. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause tomorrow.

Second Semester Founders Day Schedule
9 am: LOTE & Mathematics
10 am: Religious Studies & Science
11 am: English & Social Studies
Noon: Club Meetings
1 pm: Frosh Fams; CCC meetings; liturgies/prayers

First Semester Founders Day Schedule
9 am: LOTE
10 am: Math
11 am: Religious Studies
Noon: Science
1 pm: Social Studies
2 pm: English

Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources
In honor of Monday’s national holiday to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., SHC would like to provide you with some resources.

• Please click here to find a list of safe ways to celebrate MLK in the Bay Area. Suggestions include online concerts, opportunities for service and other virtual celebrations.
• In particular, the Bay Area’s own Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD) is offering a full-day of online programming. Please check out all of their offerings here.
• This long weekend might be a great time to make a point of supporting black-owned businesses. Here is a list of local ones as well as a list of local black-owned restaurants.

Look forward to Tuesday morning’s SHClive for a segment that highlights more information about Martin Luther King, Jr and his impact. Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

COVID-19 testing for students
Our expectation is that all students who are participating in on-campus, in-person learning or activities have a negative COVID test on-file that is no more than two (2) weeks old.

• For the 11th/12th graders, the Dean’s office is currently working on confirming this for the students who will be attending in-person learning the week of January 19. If you tested at SHC on January 12, your test results are sent directly to the school - no need to submit it to us.Please email your COVID test results to attendance@shcp.edu if you tested elsewhere.
• For the 9th and 10th grade students who attended in-person learning this week and are planning to attend in-person learning the week of January 25, you will need another COVID test since your most recent test will be beyond the two week expectation.
• We will offer COVID testing at SHC for these 9th/10th graders on Wednesday, January 20 from 2:30-7:30 pm (after your distance learning that day). This test will be through PMH Laboratories. If you filled out the Google Form last time, there is no need to do it again unless some piece of information has changed. In fact, to reduce our data sorting, we prefer that you do not fill it out again. If you didn’t fill it out last time, here is the link to fill it out now. This link will be live until 11:59 pm, Monday, January 18, 2021. The only people able to get the COVID test on January 20 at SHC are the 9th and 10th graders who have provided their health information via the COVID Testing Sign-Up Google Form.
• If you choose not to take this COVID test at SHC, then you will need to get tested on your own, and send that test result to attendance@shcp.edu. This test needs to be dated within 14 days of your first day on-campus the week of January 25 and should be received by the attendance office at least 24 hours before your arrival on-campus so there is time to log your result.
• Since we will not know who will select to receive the COVID test on-campus on January 20, ALL 9th and 10th graders will be e-mailed the Patient Test Form that needs to be printed, filled out, signed and brought with you on test day. ALL 9th and 10th graders will also be sent the Ruvna pre-screening on the morning of January 20. These items only need to be completed if you are coming to campus that day for the COVID test.

Vaccine Information from Departments of Public Health

• SFDPH Slidedeck
• CDPH Video
• CDPH Website regarding Vaccine

Dear SHC Families,

As we continue to prepare for next week’s on-campus, in-person learning, our hearts and minds have turned to our nation’s capital and the values and traditions we, as a people, hold dear. The democratic principles of the people electing their leaders and a smooth transition of power at the highest level came under assault yesterday. Gratefully, while stressed in the extreme, our Congress (as a group) and Constitution held and advanced the will of the people through the electoral process.

In light of these events, many of us and our students may have experienced fear, uncertainty, anxiety, anger, and many other emotions. Our students, your children, may want or need to process what has occurred, or what may continue to unfold over the next few weeks, and what their own response might be. Linked here are some resources shared with our faculty and staff for today and the days ahead. You might find them of use in talking as a family.

Importantly, let us hold each other and our nation in prayer. As Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, President of the University of San Francisco, wrote today: “Yesterday's dark events took place on the Feast of the Epiphany, the celebration of the light of Christ breaking through into human history, a light dispelling darkness. Let us pray during this moment of battle between light and darkness that goodness shall indeed win, and let us hold fast to the faith that our deepest desires will be fulfilled. Let us commit our lives to the prospect that God's kingdom of peace, truth and goodness will be triumphant, and that, in the end, love conquers all.”

Student Presentations
As requested, here is the slide deck from yesterday’s presentation to 9th and 10th grade students who will be coming onto campus next week. We will have a presentation for 11th and 12th grade students next Wednesday, January 13, at 3:15 pm. A calendar invite and email will be sent to all 11th and 12th grade students in the days ahead.

Lunch and Payment
The Deans of Students will be communicating about how lunch payment will work and how new families can register through “My School Bucks” if you want to have your child purchase lunch on campus through our food service. This information will be sent within the next 24 hours.

Ruvna Self-Health Check
The Ruvna Self-Health Check will be sent to all parents based on an alphabetical list of students who would be in the Blue or the Green Cohort. Please remember that this must be completed each day you plan to come to campus. Even those who have selected the Gold Cohort (Distance Learning) will receive the email and/or text message. We include all students, right now, given that some are in the Gold Cohort temporarily (e.g. travel quarantine) and that some may participate in our outdoor cocurricular offerings in the afternoons, on Founders Fridays, or on weekends.

Receiving the Ruvna email or text does not indicate that all other paperwork has been completed (Risk Acknowledgment Form, Community Health Pledge, negative COVID test). It is sent to allow for a formal Self-Health Check by families each day they plan to send their child to school. It is our official record of student health when coming to campus and is part of the requirements of SFDPH. If after filling out the form, you are instructed not to come to campus, you are to remain at home and learn from a distance. Even if you recorded the information in error, we ask you to follow the directions based on your responses each day. Please let the attendance office (attendance@shcp.edu) know that your child won’t be coming to campus in this situation.

For more information on Ruvna, please visit the shcp.edu COVID page.

Calendar Change/Update (Week of January 25)
During the week of January 25, we will likely be moving the Founders Friday to Tuesday (Jan 26) to support on-site PSAT testing for our Juniors and maintain classes for all students on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We wanted to let you know for planning purposes and will officially confirm it in our communication next week. We simply have a few more logistics to consider before finalizing.

Important Communication Coming Tomorrow
Please be advised that an important email will also be coming to all families tomorrow, Friday, January 8.

Thank you for all your work and support as we enter into this second semester together. Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families,

Happy New Year and Happy St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast Day! It was great to see students on campus today getting their COVID tests in preparation for being on-campus next week.

A few reminders for THIS week:

• We will be using the Distance Schedule for ALL students this week.
• Tuesday, Jan 5 - Block 1, 2, 3, 7
• Wednesday, Jan 6 - Block 4, 5, 6, 8
• Thursday, Jan 7 - Block 1, 2, 3, 7
• Friday, Jan 8 - Block 4, 5, 6, 8

Grades from the first semester will be finalized and available on Thursday, January 7th, in the afternoon or early evening.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families,

I cannot adequately express my profound gratitude and admiration for what you and we have been able to endure and accomplish this semester. While there is much information below that is important to review and familiarize yourselves with, this week has reminded me of the most essential things in our lives. In a spirit of faith and community, we will gather for an evening of prayer tonight (7 pm) as we continue to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of Alden Shea.

While I know that many of you, like me, will be doing work over the holiday break, I want to encourage you to step back, to wind down, and to enjoy some quiet time alone and with family and friends (as you are able to safely). Hug your kids more than necessary. Recognize God’s presence in the small, everyday blessings — a warm cup of coffee, a lazy morning, a good book, a hand-written card, a hot shower, a holiday movie, music filling your house or earphones, a walk or run in nature, the laughter of another.

May God bless you and keep you and your loved ones over these next two weeks. Know that we are all tired and that it is not simply exhaustion born of fear and frustration, though that is certainly a part of it. Know that a large part of our tiredness, our exhaustion, is having spent ourselves in working incredibly hard to live, learn, sacrifice, and protect one another, to the best of our abilities, in the midst of a global pandemic that impacts our physical, social, emotional, and spiritual lives. I have never been prouder to be a part of the SHC community and am grateful for the Lasallian Vincentian Catholic values that anchor and sustain us.

The Thrill of Hope
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!

Important Information, Resources & Updates

• First semester grades are posted on Thursday, January 7. To honor the holiday, we will turn off PowerSchool push notification on mobile devices from Saturday, December 19, 2020, through Sunday, January 3, 2021. Users may always log into PowerSchool to check grades. Schoology notifications will remain as they are.
• Extended Deadline (Sunday, Dec 20) for Second Semester Forms and COVID Testing
  • All Families
    • Family Selection for In-Person or Distance Learning at SHC (Google Form)
  • Families selecting on-campus, in-person learning (Jan-Feb)
    • Acknowledgement of Health Risks (English PDF, Spanish PDF) - Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu
    • SHC Community Health Pledge (English PDF, Spanish PDF) - Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu.
    • COVID-19 Test Sign-Up Google Form - To register for the January COVID-19 tests at SHC.
• A negative COVID test must be completed and turned in from no more than 14 days before your child is scheduled to come onto campus to begin the 2nd semester.
  • Jan 11th - 9th and 10th Graders in Green Cohort
  • Jan 13th - 9th and 10th Graders in Blue Cohort
  • Jan 19th - 11th and 12th Graders in Green Cohort
  • Jan 21st - 11th and 12th Graders in Blue Cohort
• Student COVID Testing with PMH Laboratories at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory.
  • More information will be communicated next week to 9th and 10th grade families regarding the January 4th testing
  • Information for 11th and 12th grade families regarding the January 12th testing will be communicated during the first week of January.
• Student COVID Testing reporting (for those being tested elsewhere).
  • Email test results to attendance@shcp.edu and please make sure the date, name, and negative result are included in the photo, scan, or .pdf of the official result form.
  • Positive results should also be emailed to attendance@shcp.edu and we will be in contact with the family and SFDPH as required.
• Updated Travel and Self-Quarantine Information. While the duration of the quarantine has been reduced from 14 to 10 days, the requirement to self-quarantine is now universally applied to anyone traveling outside the Bay Area counties. The Bay Area counties, in this case, are Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, SF, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz. Please adhere to this post-travel, 10-day quarantine and do not send your son/daughter to attend in-person learning during their quarantine period.
• Schedules and Cohorts in single document for second Semester. Please note that Blocks 2 and 5 will begin at different times for different class levels to provide smaller groups during on-campus lunch. These new times will begin with the January 11 Hybrid Schedule.
• Video of Presentation to Families on December 2 & 9 (video from December 9 session - 9th & 10th grade).
• FAQ Document based on Parent Questions from December 2 & 9 meetings.

Dear SHC Families,

Thank you to the almost 700 families who have already completed the “Family Selection for In-Person or Distance Learning at SHC” Google Form as well as the “Acknowledgement of Health Risks” form and the “SHC Community Health Pledge” form. A reminder that we ask all families to complete the Google Form whether your child will return to campus or not and the deadline for completing/submitting all forms is this Thursday, December 17.

Student COVID-19 Testing at SHC (Deadline for sign-up: December 17)
All students who will be participating in on-campus, in-person learning at the beginning of the second semester must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result from within 14 days of their first day on campus. Ninth and tenth graders will begin to come on campus January 11; eleventh and twelfth graders will begin to come on campus January 19. While families can utilize other testing sites and facilities, we encourage you to test at SHC. Linked here is a form that must be completed in its entirety in order for an SHC student to take a COVID-19 test from PMH Laboratories at SHC. PMH Laboratories have assured us that the only cost for students and families will be what they can collect through insurance coverage.

On-campus testing dates for COVID-19 are:

• January 4 (8 am to 3 pm) for 9th and 10th grade students who will be attending in-person learning.
• January 12 (2:30 pm to 7:30 pm) for 11th and 12th grade students who will be attending in-person learning.

Parent FAQ Document
Linked here is an FAQ document from the questions submitted by parents after the meetings these past two weeks.

Forms and Links (Due December 17)

1. Family Selection for In-Person or Distance Learning at SHC - all families to complete by December 17.
2. Acknowledgement of Health Risks - English PDF, Spanish PDF; Parents/Guardians to complete. Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu by December 17.
3. SHC Community Health Pledge - English PDF, Spanish PDF; Parents/Guardians and Students to complete. Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu by December 17.
4. COVID-19 Test Sign-Up Google Form - needs to be completed by December 17 to register for the January COVID-19 tests at SHC.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son
merely to point an accusing finger,
telling the world how bad it was.
He came to help,
to put the world right again.
— Karen Eifler, A Month of Mondays

Dear SHC Families,

Happy second week of Advent! We continue, in hope, to wait and prepare for God’s coming into the world (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), a daily reality that we pay special attention to during this season and the coming of Christmas. Part of our “preparing the way of the Lord” is to care for our brothers and sisters by continuing to wear masks, socially distance, and not gather in groups. Let each one of us help “put the world right again.”

Second Semester Planning - Parent Webinars & Forms
Thank you to all the parents and guardians of 9th and 10th grade students who joined us last night for our webinar on our second semester plans (hybrid schedule) and community safety.

Current Plans for January
Jan 4-8: Distance Schedule for Students
Jan 11-15: Hybrid for 9th and 10th Grade Students, Distance for 11th and 12th Grade Students
Jan 19-22: Hybrid for 11th and 12th Grade Students, Distance for 9th and 10th Grade Students
Jan 25-: Hybrid for 9th-12th Grade Students

Linked here are the forms referenced in the meetings.
Due: Thursday, December 17 (one week from today) for all forms to be completed and sent in.

1. Family Selection for In-Person or Distance Learning at SHC — all families to complete by December 17.
2. Acknowledgement of Health Risks — English PDF, Spanish PDF; Parents/Guardians to complete. Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu by December 17.
3. SHC Community Health Pledge— English PDF, Spanish PDF; Parents/Guardians and Students to complete. Please print, sign, scan/photo and email to attendance@shcp.edu by December 17.

Hard copies of these forms will be available at the school entrance (Campus Safety Desk).

Also linked here is avideo having some of our student council members demonstrating a few of the protocols we will be using. As a resource, we are also sharing the recording of last night’s parent meeting for review and reference.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Academic Notes

• Finals schedule. Any student with conflicting final exams or three exams in one day should contact Dean Sazo immediately to reschedule.
• All requests to change a second semester course must be submitted to Ms. McFadden by December 17. Please note requests to change schedules may only be made for semester-long courses.
• Spring Academic Explorations (AEs) registration is now open. Read more about the courses in the 2021 Spring AE Course Catalog. Courses have limited space, so secure your spot by filling out the Registration Form (which will be open from Wednesday, 12/9 until Wednesday, 1/6 at midnight). Please contact Mr. Morris with any questions.

Dear SHC Families,

I am thankful for you, our students and families, and the gifts that you bring to and share with our community. Only God and each of you know the true depths of the untold daily challenges you have embraced and endured during this pandemic. Thank you for your courage in facing this ongoing and ever-changing struggle.

Certainly more challenges still lay ahead and it is my fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit will continue to sustain us all. In faith, we believe that Sacred Heart Cathedral will emerge transformed by this experience; resilient, creative, and more committed than ever to a Christian and human education for the young people entrusted to our care.

In the coming days, we celebrate three great Vincentian Feasts: The Feast of the Miraculous Medal (November 27), the Feast of St. Catherine Laboure (November 28), and the Foundation of the Company (387 years ago on November 29).

These feasts always coincide with Thanksgiving and often in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays they get lost. But, this year in particular, I believe that these feast days have taken on a tangible reality for all of us. Throughout the ages, Our Blessed Mother appears most often during times of strife and unrest. This was true in the France of St. Vincent’s time and the France of St. Catherine’s time as it is true for us today. Her message is always the same: not to fear, care for one another, bring our troubles to her and trust in her Son, Jesus.

Important Reminder: Mandatory Parent Meetings (December 2 & 9)
In preparation for January, we will have mandatory parent meetings via Zoom in early December. Please mark your calendars with the following dates/times (links are included as well).

• Wednesday, 12/2/20, 6 pm - 12th & 11th Grade Parents/Guardians Community Safety Meeting (Webinar Link: SHC Parent Meeting (12/2/2020) Juniors & Seniors)
• Wednesday, 12/9/20, 6 pm - 10th & 9th Grade Parents/Guardians Community Safety Meeting (Webinar Link: SHC Parent Meeting (12/9/2020) Freshman & Sophomores)

St. Catherine Laboure on Prayer
Whenever I [pray], I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him, Lord I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do. If he gives me some task, I am content, and I thank him. If he gives me nothing, I still thank him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell him about my pains and joys, and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach him plainly and simply.

Holidays and Travel
Given the current rise in cases and the concerns over people traveling or gathering in groups during the holiday season, we ask that you continue to abide by the directives and guidelines of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH).

• SFDPH travel advisory
• SFDPH guidance on Safer Holiday Celebrations
• Association of Bay Area Health Officers Association
• California Department of Public Health Travel Advisory
• CDC - Celebrating Thanksgiving

Dear SHC Families,

I hope and pray that over the next 7-10 days, with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, you will all be able to find some time to rest, to be quiet, and to acknowledge the blessings in your life, even (or perhaps especially) during these challenging times. As the Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast says, “It’s not joy that makes us grateful; it's gratitude that makes us joyful.” May our pause to be grateful bring us some joy in the days ahead.

The health and safety of our entire community is our greatest priority. Timely and transparent communication is key in these efforts, so we are letting you know that this week, a few SHC community members (two students and one staff member) tested positive for COVID-19. We are grateful that each individual and family followed our protocols and contacted us immediately. We worked closely with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to inform anyone who was determined to be a “close contact” of those who had tested positive. These people, a total of 10 individuals, have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. At this point, we have no reason to believe that any of these three separate infections occurred on-site, and we remain confident in our ongoing mitigation efforts.

We are grateful for those adhering to our COVID-19 protocols by communicating positive test results with the school in a timely manner. It takes tremendous effort from our entire community to keep our exposures limited and our school safe. Thank you for keeping these SHC community members and all those affected by COVID-19 in your prayers.

Given the current rise in cases and the concerns over people traveling or gathering in groups during the holiday season, we ask that you continue to abide by the directives and guidelines of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). Linked here are resources from SFDPH regarding Staying Healthy and Safer Holiday Travel.

We will continue to use our Distance Schedule in the weeks ahead and maintain our plans for January as previously communicated. Wishing you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

More Holiday and Travel Resources

• SFDPH travel advisory
• SFDPH guidance on Safer Holiday Celebrations
• Association of Bay Area Health Officers Association
• California Department of Public Health Travel Advisory
• CDC - Celebrating Thanksgiving

Dear SHC Families,

As we sent a lengthy message yesterday, today’s weekly communication will be abbreviated and include basic information. Thank you for your understanding.

Campus Reopening
Tomorrow’s reopening for indoor, in-person learning is only for Blue Cohort sophomores. A special thank you to all the sophomore families who responded for our planning and preparation. This particular cohort of students will receive brief instruction and participate in a practice PSAT test already planned for this day.

On November 3, we received notice from SFDPH granting approval to reopen for in-person instruction. On November 10, new regulations from the city were announced. In order to meet SFDPH requirements and maintain the best opportunity to meet our January plans (shared last week) we are formally reopening for indoor, in-person learning on Friday. As a reminder, SFDPH mandates that 9th/10th grade students return to campus prior to 11th/12th grade students.

Next Week (November 16-19) - Distance Schedule
Next week we will use our Distance Learning Schedule as planned. We will have our faculty and staff return to campus to teach remotely, prepare their classrooms, and practice procedures for having students (9-12) in cohorts on campus in the future.

January Planning and Mandatory Parent Meetings in December
As part of our ongoing preparation, we will have mandatory parent meetings via Zoom in early December. Please mark your calendars with the following dates/times:

• Wednesday, 12/2/20, 6 pm - 12th & 11th Grade Parents/Guardians Community Safety Meeting.
• Wednesday, 12/9/20, 6 pm - 10th & 9th Grade Parents/Guardians Community Safety Meeting.

Updated Directives Regarding Travel (from SFDPH)

As a reminder, non-essential travel outside of the Bay Area, including holiday travel is not recommended. However, if you do choose to travel or host people who are traveling, SFDPH’s new Travel Advisory covers how to plan ahead, reduce your risk, and when to quarantine: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/covid-guidance/COVID-Travel-Advisory.pdf

Additionally, please see the Bay Area Region’s Recommendations for Staying Safe from COVID-19 During the Holidays: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/covid-guidance/ABAHO-Winter-Holiday-Recommendations.pdf

Remember, that the safest gathering is one that is:

• small (no more than 3 households)
• short (limit to 2 hours)
• stable (do not participate in multiple gatherings with different households) AND
• outdoors, with face coverings and distance

Friday, November 13 (Tomorrow)

There are no office hours. Faculty will be participating in professional development on hybrid teaching and issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The Practice PSAT exam for all 9-11 grade students begins at 9:00am (please be logged on by 8:45am) hosted by Compass Test Prep. Seniors will meet for mandatory Health class from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Please refer to a previous email from Ms. Rinaldi that contains the Zoom credentials.

As numbers of infections are rising, please recommit yourselves to mask-wearing, social distancing, and healthy hand hygiene. Together, we can help save lives.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Veterans Day 2020

Dear SHC Families,

Reopening Update (Sophomore Parent Response Needed)
You may already be aware of the updated guidelines for in-person instruction presented by the Mayor’s office this week. In an effort to ensure the successful implementation of our Hybrid Schedule as planned in January, and in a shift from our previously-shared strategy, we will begin to reopen to indoor, in-person learning this Friday, November 13. Per SFDPH guidelines requiring schools to begin with 9th and/or 10th grade students and the need for social distancing in classrooms, we will begin with 10th grade students in the Blue Cohort (from Abbott, I. to Lee, J.). We have not made any other decisions regarding the following weeks at this point, so please plan to continue distance learning as usual until you receive more information from us.

Why now? The new SFDPH directives go into effect at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 13. SHC has been fully approved to reopen based on our planning, protocols, and site inspection. Beginning with some in-person learning this Friday, prior to the deadline, allows us to maintain our options for in-person learning and our plans for the beginning of next semester as previously shared. Thus, to maintain maximum flexibility and to meet the basic criteria of the SFDPH's most recent decisions, we are reopening for limited in-person learning this Friday.

We apologize for and realize that the abruptness of this change can be frustrating for students and families, but please understand SHC is trying to “hit a moving target” in terms of both city and state health regulations. In an effort to lessen the stress this change of plans has caused, sophomores in the Blue Cohort have the option to come to campus, or continue to do distance learning, this Friday. No one is required to attend.

Small groups of sophomores will be working with faculty and staff in a single classroom on this first day, and will not be traveling to multiple classrooms for instruction. As part of their indoor, in-person instruction, they will still be participating in the PSAT programming as previously communicated by Compass Test Prep. Please note that all faculty and staff who will be on campus that day will have had a negative COVID test from within the past 14 days (most from the past 3-4 days).

All sophomore blue cohort parents/guardians who will send their child to campus must complete this Google Form by the end of the day, Thursday (11/12/2020). All parents/guardians must complete this acknowledgement and pledge and will be asked on Friday morning to complete a self-health screening. This self-health screening must be completed by all students and faculty/staff to enter campus. The system we use for this self-health screening is called Ruvna. A separate email with more specific instructions will be sent to sophomore parents tomorrow.

Sophomores should arrive on campus between 8 and 8:30 am (no later than 8:30 am), and will be assigned a room upon successfully registering with campus security. This first day of in-person class will conclude by approximately noon.

We understand the challenge and frustration that such unexpected changes can create. While trying to maintain as much consistency and stability as possible, the need to plan and adjust quickly is simply part of the process we’re all going through. We thank you for your understanding and support. The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and families will continue to be our primary consideration. We look forward to welcoming those sophomores on campus who are able and willing to come this Friday.

Reminder: We ask that all sophomore parents/guardians who will send their child to campus this Friday complete this Google Form by the end of the day, Thursday (11/12/2020).

Dear SHC Families,

It has been quite a week. On Monday and throughout the month of November, we remember in prayer and thanksgiving all those who we have loved and lost as we celebrate All Souls and Dia De Los Muertos. On Tuesday, we exercised our right to vote for leaders and initiatives at the local and national level. As we continue to await many of the results and as we continue to live with the challenges of this pandemic, may we take heart in the words from one of our Founders, St. Louise De Marillac: “Do not be upset if things are not as you would want them to be for a long time to come. Do the little you can very peacefully and calmly so as to allow room for the guidance of God in your lives. Do not worry about the rest.” May we always remember that God is present to us, here and now, and that Jesus reveals to us, through His crucifixion, a God who suffers with and for us.

Reopening Updates
Last Friday, we had a team from the San Francisco Department of Public Health conduct an onsite inspection as a part of the waiver process to have students return to campus for classes. On Tuesday evening, we received word that our application has been approved and our planning and facilities meet the SFDPH directives and guidelines. You can see the approval status on the sfgov.org dashboard.

Next week, all faculty and staff will have access to COVID testing on site as they prepare to teach from classrooms the following week. During that week, our teachers will further prepare the campus, the classrooms, and their classes for the planned reopening of campus in January. We will have some mandatory parent and student meetings in the month of December to go over protocols and processes. Dates and times will be shared in future communications.

In order to prepare all our students for returning to campus, to the new hybrid model of teaching and learning, and to the health and safety protocols, we will phase in our opening in the following manner:

Week 1 (January 4-8)
All faculty and staff will be on campus. For this week only, all students will follow our Distance Schedule. Given the holidays, family travel, and COVID testing schedules, we believe this will be the best way to begin the semester.

Week 2 (January 11-15)
9th and 10th grade students will be on campus by cohorts (Green Cohort on Monday and Tuesday; Blue Cohort on Wednesday and Thursday). 11th and 12th grade students will remain at a distance for this week.

Week 3 (January 18-22)
11th and 12th grade students will be on campus by cohorts (Green Cohort on Tuesday and Wednesday; Blue Cohort of Thursday and Friday). 9th and 10th grade students will return to distance learning for this week.

Week 4 and following (Jan 25 -)
9-12 grade students will be on campus by cohorts.

Thank you all for continuing to follow all health care directives (socially distance, wearing a mask, healthy hand hygiene). If you have not already, we encourage each of you (in consultation with your primary health care provider) to get the flu shot per CDC and SFDPH recommendations. You may use the site VaccineFinder from Covid19.ca.gov to find a location near you.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families,

We wish you a happy, healthy, and safe weekend in celebrating Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Dia de Los Muertos. Please continue to wear your face masks, to socially distance, to practice healthy hygiene, and to not gather in large groups (except in spirit or video conference).

Tomorrow, we welcome a team from the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) for our onsite visit and inspection. We will update you next week regarding the results and ongoing future planning.

Some upcoming events we want you to draw your attention to:

Tuesday, November 3
Election Day. Please vote!

Wednesday, November 4
Moderated Conversation for Students
Optional conversation for students who want to discuss the election process and results (if known). This conversation begins at 3 pm and will be moderated by Ms. Christine Buell, Assistant Principal for Student Life. The Zoom link will be shared in Schoology.

Parent Association Meeting at 7 pm
The meeting will feature One Love, whose mission is to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships and to empower them to avoid abuse and learn how to love better. The students have worked with One Love via Health Class this semester, so reinforcing the message at home will be important. In addition, DayBreak Health will offer practical advice about the same topic.

• Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/93774595280
• Meeting ID: 937 7459 5280
• Passcode: SHCParents

The meeting information may also be found on the Schoology Parent Page.

November 4, 5 and 6
Counseling meetings to prepare students for the digital practice PSAT exam on November 13 (see below). Compass Test Prep is facilitating this test for our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders; the counseling meetings are to check in with students in the second quarter and to explain the purpose and process of this practice PSAT. Students should look for an email from their counselor with Zoom credentials.

• 9th graders will meet on November 4 or 5, from 2-3 pm (depending on whether they have a block 7 or 8 class)
• 10th graders will meet on November 6, between 9:30-10:30 am
• 11th graders will meet on November 6, between 10:30-11 am

The meetings on Friday, November 6 are staggered so students can make the other half hour of the office hours meeting during that time.

Friday, November 6 at 1:15 pm - All Saints Day Mass

Please join us in prayer and celebration. Frosh Families meet beginning at 1 pm

Friday, November 13
Digital practice PSAT exam for all 9-11 grade students (from 9 am to 12:30 pm approximately) hosted by Compass Test Prep. There will be no office hours on this day.

The seniors will meet for Health from 12:30-1:30 pm; please look for an email with Zoom credentials from Ms. Rinaldi.

Stay safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Dear SHC Families,

Thank you to over 1,150 parents and guardians who filled out our most recent survey (see results here). It provided reflective feedback on our work this year and key data to inform our decision-making regarding the campus reopening process. As a community, we have much to be thankful for and much to be appropriately proud of. The WCEA/WASC Accreditation Visiting Team completed their virtual visit this past Wednesday and highly commended our students, parents, faculty and staff. More specific details of the visit and findings will be shared at a later date. It was an outstanding report and we are thankful for all who participated over the past 18 months. We are also extremely grateful to the broader San Francisco community for continuing to socially distance, wear masks, and practice healthy hygiene. At present, we are at the Minimal (Yellow) county risk level. With that said, concerns about the cold and flu season along with holiday plans (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) remind us to remain vigilant and focused on our shared responsibility to care for the health and safety of one another, especially for the most vulnerable.

Reopening Process and Timeline
As stated in last week’s communication to you, we sent our Waiver Application into the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) on Wednesday, Oct. 21 so that we could incorporate parent survey feedback into our planning and application. Linked here is a copy of our Reopening Planning that is a part of that process. We look forward to having the SFDPH provide feedback and for their onsite review scheduled for next Friday. We have the prevention and monitoring protocols in place to address the priority of health when we return to in-person learning, including our experience of hosting students on campus in the Bay Scholar Learning Hubs. As always, we must take into consideration other academic, operational, and resource allocation issues in determining our best next steps.

Based on the feedback we received from the parent/guardian and faculty surveys; important SFDPH guidelines and restrictions for health and safety; a continuity of learning; opportunities to practice with and train faculty and staff on safety protocols as well as to plan for hybrid teaching and learning; we have made the decision to maintain the distance schedule for classes until the end of this semester. We know this decision is disappointing for many families and colleagues in our community. Our teachers are prepared for ongoing, engaging distance instruction for the remainder of the semester. Whatever the shape of our schedule or instructional delivery model, the core of our mission remains the same, to create transformative growth for our students.

The health and safety of our students, families, faculty, and staff take priority during this time. We are grateful for the conservative approach taken by our civic and public health leaders and, in some sense, are mirroring a more conservative approach than some other schools may be taking. Given the recently added limitations placed on high schools of beginning with only 9th and 10th grade students, the need to keep students in cohorts to maintain social distancing, and the number of families that indicate they would either maintain a distance schedule or that they would return to campus only at the beginning of the second semester, we determined that approximately only 15% of the student body would be on campus on any given day were we to return any earlier. With only two and a half weeks between November 9 and Thanksgiving and another two and a half weeks between Thanksgiving and final assessments, we considered the continuity of teaching and how best to support our faculty as main drivers in delivering on our educational mission in the lives of our students, your children. As many grammar schools continue to be fully distance learning, the challenges faced by our faculty and staff who themselves have young children also played a role in our considerations.

We want to have our students back on campus and we want to teach and learn in-person. In making this decision, we hope to be able to have one-half of our students on campus each day as we move into the second semester. During the weeks ahead in November and December, we plan to offer more opportunities for students to be on campus in small, stable pods as we have done with athletic conditioning and 9th grade physical education. Clubs and other small group activities are already working with our COVID Safety Coordinator to plan for these opportunities. We will also use the weeks ahead to bring faculty and staff on campus to train for reopening safety protocols and to prepare through professional development for effective hybrid teaching (which presents challenges distinct from distance or fully in-person teaching).

In our letter to you this past summer, we spoke to this year’s theme, Unite. We want to reaffirm how important it is for us to pursue this together. We said that we hoped this theme would be a springboard for conversations about how we can build authentic community while still at a distance, how we can study and help transform systemic injustices, and how we can serve and support each other in dealing with the global pandemic. Unity is not the same as, nor does it require, uniformity. It does require a capacity for us to listen carefully, to speak truthfully, and to support one another, especially the most vulnerable. It requires a fundamental respect for the God-given intrinsic dignity of each person. While we continue to navigate the days and weeks ahead and continue to discuss and discern the path ahead, let us all commit to modeling for the young people entrusted to our care an authentic community of mutual respect and care.

Be safe, be well, live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Dear SHC Families,

There is a great deal of information in this communication, but first, we begin by thanking you for your continued support of your children, our students, and for your ongoing adherence to public health directives for the well-being of all in our community and city.

Parent/Guardian Survey
This morning, all families should have received an email asking parents/guardians to fill out a survey, which includes the central question below. We request 100% participation as it is critical data essential for our planning and decision making.

Presuming that all safety measures mandated by governmental authorities are in place and we receive clearance by the San Francisco Public Health Department from their on-site visit and review of our documents, please let us know your plans to have your child return to on-site, in-person school so we can best prepare our staffing and facilities:

• I/we will send our student to campus for on-site, in-person classes as soon as available
• I/we will send our student to campus for on-site, in-person classes at the beginning of the 2nd semester
• I/we will continue to have our student learn from a distance now and in the foreseeable future

Reopening Process Update
We plan to submit our waiver application to SFDPH on Wednesday, October 21. We want to include information from both the student survey and the parent survey. Our hope is to have the San Francisco Department of Public Health complete their on-site inspection and review of our materials during the 2-3 week period after that time.

As communicated in both our August 17 and September 17 communications, we have based the updates to our community with the next 4-6 week period ahead in mind. Our intention was to do the same on October 17. However, before we finalize a decision, we will review the results of the parent survey.

Additionally, given recent new information from SFDPH, that we would only be able to begin with 9th and 10th grade students while also staying in cohorts (to maintain social distancing in all classrooms), we will only be able to have 25% of the student body on campus on any given day. In light of this, recognizing that the fall brings family gatherings (which may require self-quarantine after travel), and to best prepare for effective hybrid teaching (which is distinct from distance or fully in-person teaching), we are reevaluating the date of November 9 as a return to campus.

We will communicate our plans for the remainder of the semester next week. Please be aware that there is a possibility that we will decide to maintain our distance schedule for the remainder of the first semester, bringing students on campus for various non-classroom programming (e.g. 9th grade PE, Athletic Conditioning, and expanded Learning Hubs or other academic support opportunities). We thought it important to share this new possibility with you in this communication.

Founders Friday - October 16
9th Grade In-Person Physical Education (8:30-9:30 am)
Tomorrow we welcome a number of our 9th grade students to campus for in-person Physical Education. Separate emails have been sent to all who are participating. Please prepare accordingly with all materials completed.

Mandatory 10th Grade Health Education (12:30-1:30 pm)
The topic for this mandatory workshop is the important one of healthy relationships; attendance will be taken through the Church History and History of Christian Art classes. (Juniors will have their Health Ed lesson on 10/23 and Seniors on 11/13.)

Senior Personal Statement Workshop (2-4 pm)
The English Department and Counseling & Advising Department are continuing the annual tradition of holding a workshop for seniors to receive feedback on their personal statements for college applications.

• Zoom Link
• Meeting ID: 988 039 3598
• Passcode: 9TCv0s

Reminder from the Deans - Distance Learning Norms
Linked here are the complete Distance Learning Norms of Conduct. A few specific reminders of our expectations are listed below.

1. Be on time for your classes; we are tracking if you are tardy and late to class. Students who start to accumulate a high number of tardies and are consistently late to class will be notified to improve immediately. Failure to do so will result in detention with Ms. Nastari.
2. Missing class without a valid excuse will result in your absence being marked as unexcused and you will not be able to make-up work for the class.
3. If you are having technical issues, do the following: email your teacher, contact support@shcp.edu, and use your phone to access the class. Download the Zoom App on your phone to access your classes. Failure to do any of the following may result in your absence being marked as unexcused.
4. When you are present in class out of respect for your teacher, make sure your teacher can see your face. Do not have your camera showing just the top of your head. Your engagement in your classes is important for your teachers.

Thank you for your attention to these issues.

Current State of Athletics (From the Central Coast Section Offices)
At this time, we are currently scheduled to begin Season 1 (Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Boys and Girls Water Polo, Boys and Girls Volleyball, and Gymnastics) with a school practice start date of December 14, 2020. If this date changes, you will be informed immediately.

Student Survey Results
Linked here are some results for the recently completed student survey that we thought you would find of interest. Thank you, as always, for the ongoing support of your children’s educational journey during this time.

Faith in the Presence of God
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.’ Lasallians [and Vincentians] never say, ‘Let us place ourselves in God’s holy presence.’ A Lasallian [and Vincentian] knows where God is. There is never a moment in our lives when God is not present, right here! Remembering God’s presence is how we discover God’s will for us in the present moment…. God is continually calling to me throughout the day through the people, events, and situations that make up the present moment. As a Lasallian [and Vincentian], I live in the awareness of God’s presence in daily life and I ask myself, ‘What does God want from me at this moment?’ Sometimes the call requires something simple; sometimes it requires a little more effort. God never asks us to do anything beyond our strength nor does God judge our actions by the greatness of the results, but rather God measures simply by the depth of love with which they are accomplished. -Brother Michael Valenzuela, FSC

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Dear SHC Families,

San Francisco remains at the Moderate (Orange) county risk level. On behalf of our community and neighbors, especially those most vulnerable, we thank you for doing your part. Along with physical distancing, wearing a mask, and good hand hygiene, we encourage each of you (in consultation with your primary health care provider) to get the flu shot this fall per CDC and SFDPH recommendations. You may use this site - VaccineFinder from Covid19.ca.gov - to find a location near you.

End of Quarter
The first quarter of the academic year comes to an end this Friday and we begin our second quarter on Monday, Oct. 12. First quarter grades will be finalized by 2:30pm on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

9th Grade Health and PE - Schedule Adjustment to begin 2nd Quarter
A reminder to 9th grade students enrolled in PE and Health during the first semester: the health component of these classes will now take place virtually on the first two days of the week (usually Monday and Tuesday) during Block 7 and 8. The on-campus PE component of these classes will now be on Friday morning from 8:30 - 9:30; 9th graders currently in PE who prefer not to come to campus will meet online Fridays, from 10:30-11:30. Information for this change will be posted on the PE course pages in Schoology next week, and a separate email has been sent to all those opting for in-person, on-site participation. Please read carefully and follow-up with all instructions.

Surveys
Thank you to all the students who have completed the survey sent out earlier this week. You still have one more day to complete it. Please check your email. We will share some of the results in this communication next week.

The parent survey is scheduled for next week. While looking for feedback, it will also include a request to let us know if your child will continue with distance learning or participate in hybrid, on-site classes when we are able to reopen. We will provide you with more information to consider your decision, but wanted to prepare you for this upcoming question.

Sophomore Health Education - Friday, October 16, 12:30-1:30pm
The topic is healthy relationships for this mandatory workshop; attendance will be taken through the Church History and History of Christian Art classes. (Juniors will have their Health Ed lesson on 10/23 and Seniors on 11/13.)

Senior Personal Statement Workshop - Friday, October 16, 2:00-4:00pm
The English Department and Counseling & Advising Department are continuing the annual tradition of holding a workshop for students to get feedback on their personal statements for college applications. If your child has a particular teacher they are seeking out for feedback, they may want to email that teacher to see if they are using a sign-up sheet. Otherwise, there will be plenty of teachers and college advisors on hand available to help and all the student has to do is join us on Zoom!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9880393598

Meeting ID: 988 039 3598

Passcode: 9TCv0s

If you have any questions: email the English Department Chair, Paul Barnes (pbarnes@shcp.edu)

Book and Resource Fees Due
Many SHC courses utilize texts purchased in bulk by the school on behalf of our students and/or digital resources that the school subscribes to for students. These course resources are in lieu of textbooks that families would otherwise provide. As we end the first quarter, there are still some families who have not paid for these texts and resources. We would appreciate your taking a moment to review the SHC Book and Resource List to confirm that you have paid for any fees associated with your child’s courses; the payment link is on the first page. We will begin to contact individual families in the coming weeks.

Note that all AP courses require the AP Testing Fee, and that this is different from the course resource fees.

Request for Prayers
Jason Cortez, SHC Class of 1997, died yesterday during training as a San Francisco Firefighter (Chronicle Report). Please keep Jason’s family and friends in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May Jason’s soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

As a longtime member of our SHC community shared, “Sacred Heart Cathedral is more than an institution of learning: the past and present administration, faculty, parents, alums and students become a life long extended family in good times and bad. We have experienced heartbreak so many times...questioning the tragedy and asking ‘why’. There are no answers, words barely soothe and faith in God takes a beating. BUT time heals and that community of hope and love never lets go.” May we all strive to live up to these words and this vision in supporting each other.

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Dear SHC Families,

Welcome to October! While I generally express my gratitude and pride for your endurance and unity in navigating the pandemic toward the end of these communications, I want to start off with that expression as San Francisco County recently moved from Substantial (Red) to Moderate (Orange). Thank you all for continuing your physical distancing, wearing masks and practicing healthy hygiene (e.g., washing hands).

End of First Marking Period - October 9
Please note that next Friday, October 9, marks the end of the first academic quarter for the year. Please encourage and support your children as some may exhibit a little worry over making up any missed work and/or completing end of quarter assessments. While always natural at this time of the school year, it might be experienced differently in the current context. Please encourage your SHC student to reach out to school counselors and teachers with questions or concerns. They, too, want to encourage and support their students with end-of-term duties and are working very hard in a new, challenging context.

PE/Health Change for 9th Graders - Parent/Guardian Response Needed
A separate communication is being sent today to all parents/guardians of 9th grade students who are enrolled in first semester PE/Health classes. Given updated SFDPH directives and guidelines, we are looking forward to facilitating the Physical Education (PE) component of the class on-site and in-person for students/families wanting to choose this option. Students/families may continue to participate in PE/Health completely at a distance. The Health component of the class will shift to the first two days of the week (during Block 7 or 8) and remain online while the PE component of the class will shift to Friday mornings and be offered in-person. Online PE options will also be provided for those choosing distance learning. This change will occur at the beginning of the 2nd Quarter (beginning with block 7 Health on Oct. 12).

In order to plan appropriately, we need to know how many students/families will choose each option in the next several days. Knowing the numbers will help make determinations regarding locations and staffing. Please look for that separate email that has more information and respond by Tuesday, October 6.

Student Survey
A student survey regarding the first quarter is scheduled to be sent early next week. We look forward to hearing your feedback regarding your learning this year.

Reopening Process Update
On Tuesday evening (September 29), we received an email from SFDPH that acknowledged receipt of our Letter of Interest from last week and included directions, requirements, waiver application form, and certification form. We plan to complete the necessary documents over the next two weeks. While continuing to aim for a partial reopening date of Nov. 9, I want to share with you some new language found in the application form: “For high schools, we require schools to start re-opening with a staggered approach, starting with lower grades such as 9-10 and then 11-12.” As we had not previously planned for this approach, we will need some time to incorporate it into our planning and communication. We will continue to update you each week with where we are in the process.

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Sincerely,
Gary J. Cannon, EdD
Principal

Dear SHC Families,

This weekend we celebrate the Feast Day of one of our Founders, St. Vincent de Paul. During these times of challenge and ongoing change, I hope these words of St. Vincent may be meaningful to you as they have been to me: “It is a ruse of the devil, by which he deceives good people, to induce them to do more than they are able, so that they end up not being able to do anything. The spirit of God urges one gently to do the good that can be done reasonably, so that it may be done perseveringly and for a long time.“ I hope and pray that each one of us continues to do the good we reasonably can so that we can persevere and do it for the necessary weeks and months to come.

Reopening Process and Calendar Update
Based on the recently updated guidance from the San Francisco Department of Health (SFDPH), we took the first step to returning to in-person, on-site teaching and learning this week by submitting a Letter of Interest. There are several more steps in the process, including an on-site inspection by the SFDPH and waivers to be signed by parents/guardians. Our requested date for a hybrid reopening is Monday, November 9. We will continue to update you as we journey this road together.

Based on recent communication from SFDPH, we will not be able to host the PSAT on-site on Wednesday, October 14. Thus, we are returning that week’s schedule to a regular Distance Schedule week with classes meeting Monday through Thursday (October 12-15) and Founders Friday on October 16.

Athletic Workouts and Physical Education (9th Grade)
Along with the students who have been on campus for learning hubs, this week we introduced on-site athletic workouts for some students in small, stable pods. We are currently planning how to best offer on-site physical education pods to 9th grade students enrolled in first semester PE/Health. All classes would be outdoors and include yoga, strength training, core development, golf, badminton and pickleball. Alternative exercises and assignments to be completed at a distance will be provided for any student who can not or does not want to participate in on-campus PE.

In order to plan stable cohorts and staffing, we will be sending an email to those specific students’ families to determine the number who will be able and willing to participate given the times, transportation needs, and family health decisions.

College Financial Aid Overview
On October 1 at 6:30 pm Jason Lau from the University of San Francisco’s Financial Aid Office will review financial aid processes and forms, types of financial aid, and answer questions about financial aid. This will be a virtual session held on Zoom.

Zoom Link: https://usfca.zoom.us/j/91269284717
Meeting ID: 912 6928 4717)

Upcoming Surveys
We are planning to send a survey to all students and parents sometime next week to get feedback on your experience thus far. We will also be surveying our faculty. Please take time to provide your insights to help us continue what is working well and adjust what can be improved.

Prayers
Please keep the juniors and seniors who will be participating in virtual retreats tonight and tomorrow in your prayers. May God bless them and our Community Life members and faculty/staff who are facilitating these opportunities.

Founders Friday

• As always, please connect with your teachers and classmates during the Office Hours. It is important to connect, ask questions, and seek clarification (as needed).
• Come and get fit with Ms. Levine with a Bodyweight Workout this Friday, September 25! The workout starts at 10:15 am, and the link can be found on Schoology.
• Our second installment of "Hot Ones" starts at 2 pm featuring none other than seniors Sean Fergus and Elena Gandolfo! Who will beat the heat? Come and see!

We are proud of you and our entire community for your endurance and unity as together we navigate this pandemic. Thank you for physical distancing, wearing masks and practicing healthy hygiene (e.g., washing hands).

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Sincerely,
Gary J. Cannon, EdD
Principal

Dear SHC Families,

One of the great privileges in serving as principal is to visit classrooms and watch teachers and students engaged in learning. While different than walking down the hallway and into classrooms, stopping by the Zoom classrooms these past few weeks has reminded me of how dedicated, inventive, and caring our faculty are. It has buoyed my spirits to see and hear our students, your children, engage in classroom discussions in both large and small group (breakout room) settings. I am equally impressed by the commitment, engagement, and determination of our students and of you to make the best of our current context.

School Schedule Update
Based on the information below, the school administration has decided to extend the use of our Distance Schedule through Friday, November 6, 2020.

As stated in our August 17, 2020 communication to you: “In making these decisions, we are attempting to balance our desire to be on-campus and in-person as soon as safely possible and the need for families, teachers, and the school to plan ahead. We want to offer some degree of stability and certainty to the extent that we are able. At present, we think making decisions approximately one month in advance for about one month at a time will strike this balance. Thus, we aim to have our next schedule update go out about one month from now, approximately mid-September.”

On September 1, Mayor London N. Breed, Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health, and Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, co-Chair of the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force, announced the next steps in San Francisco’s reopening of businesses and activities (press release here). In their announcement, they stated that the current “goal” is to allow high schools to provide in-person learning on a “rolling basis with an approved health and safety plan” sometime in November. On September 8, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) emailed all schools with the following information: “We are now accepting applications for TK-8 grades with the assumption that we will stay in CA red tier or below for this week. We will be accepting applications for high schools later this month and will send a revised application form for 9-12 grades.”

The application for 9-12 grade schools has not yet been released. We plan to apply as soon as the materials become available. We are not certain when that will be or how long the process will take. We do know that as part of school reopening, SFDPH will be conducting on site, in person site assessments. While we look forward to having more and more students on campus, we are proceeding with a commitment to student, faculty, staff and family health and well-being as a priority.

Mass of the Holy Spirit
Friday, September 18 at 1:15 pm

Our opening of the year, all-school virtual Mass will take place this Friday beginning at 1:15 pm. Our presider will be Fr. Donal Godfrey, SJ from USF and will feature several student participants as readers, ASL proclaimers, singers, and liturgical dancers. It will also include an opportunity to view the newly installed stain glass windows in our chapel that honor our Founders. These works of art were created by former longtime SHC teacher, Bill Krueger.

The link to the live stream is here. We look forward to seeing all students, faculty, and staff there.

Students should contact their English or Social Studies teachers directly if they need to connect as those office hours tomorrow will be cancelled for the Mass. In the future, we will adjust and shorten office hours so that they all meet prior to the beginning of all school functions like this Mass.

Standardized Testing for Seniors
UPDATE: On Friday, September 18, the SFDPH notified SHC that schools are still unable to administer any in person standardized tests.

While we are still hoping and planning to offer the SAT in-person next Wednesday, Sept. 23, on our campus under the current health guidelines, we are currently waiting to hear back from SFDPH regarding our plans.

We believe the guidelines allow us to provide this opportunity based on the following conditions:

• Seniors who have registered for the test will be assigned an entrance time of 8 am, 8:30 am, or 9 am.
• Protocols in place for our on-campus Learning Hubs will be followed. Health check before entering, touchless temperature checks upon entering, masks worn throughout (covering nose and mouth), hand washing/sanitizing on entrance and exit, social distancing maintained at all times, etc.
• Per SFDPH guidelines, students and staff would be in cohorts of 14 students and 1 adult staff member per classroom. Each cohort will be in a separate classroom with windows open.
• Only seniors who are not participating in other pods/hubs at SHC (physical education/conditioning, leaning hubs, etc.) or elsewhere are allowed to take the SAT.
• Thus, for these students, it would be similar to a pod/hub that is for small groups, supports their educational endeavors, is not a class or in-person learning, could be considered a small/stable cohort for a three week period (even though most test-takers will only meet once for a 3 hour period).

Given the last two bullet points above, therefore, any senior who wants to take the SAT on campus next Wednesday would not be able to participate in any other hub/pod for three weeks (until October 14). Thus, any senior who wants to participate in a Physical Education/Conditioning Pod will have to decide whether they want to start that next week and not participate in the SAT on September 23 or if they want to participate in the SAT and begin participation in a Physical Education/Conditioning Pod starting three weeks later. The conflict and decision-making are required by the current guidelines to support our health and the health of those around us. Seniors who have decided not to take the SAT are asked to notify Mr. Fickenscher immediately.

We will update seniors and senior families as soon as we have updated information about whether the test will be happening or not. We will follow a similar process with the ACT on October 6.

The Common Good
As a matter of public health, we encourage you all (in consultation with your primary health care provider) to get the flu shot this fall per CDC and SFDPH recommendations.

The challenges we all face are real and difficult. We are proud of you and our entire community for your endurance and unity as together we navigate this pandemic. Thank you for physical distancing, wearing masks and practicing healthy hygiene (e.g., washing hands). Our ability to return to in-person learning depends on following these protocols going forward. Let us continue to pray for one another and those most severely impacted by this disease and by the fires in our area.

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Dear SHC families,

Thanks to all the parents and guardians who joined us for Back to School Night (Sept. 3), the Frosh Counseling Meeting (Sept. 9) and/or the first Parent Association Meeting (Sept. 9) of the year. It’s been another unique week with weather and air quality. The smoke-filled skies create a powerful visual to reflect the difficult and important work we share in protecting and supporting ourselves, our families and our school community. I am incredibly grateful for your effort and sacrifice. My prayer is for each one of us, walking this journey together, to see with eyes of faith and trust in a God who loves us and is willing to suffer with and for us. In a special way, we ask God’s blessings on all those affected by the fires in California.

Stay safe, be well, and may God bless you.

Students On Campus
Under the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Out of School Time (OST) Programs Public Health Directive (Sept. 1, 2020), we will be having some students on campus for specific reasons and meeting specific requirements. All of these offerings are optional and are not required of any student or family.

Bay Scholar Learning Hubs (September 8)
In collaboration with Bay Scholars, a non-profit organization that “promotes a life-altering experience connecting promising youth with transformative educational opportunities at Bay Area Catholic college-prep high schools,” we began to provide a space for about 25 students to do their distance learning from classrooms on our campus. We are only able to provide this opportunity under specific guidelines and for specific SHC individuals/families.

Physical Education Conditioning Pods (September 21)
We are planning to invite some 10-12 grade students on campus to participate in exercise and conditioning. We will begin with programs that ran camps in the summer months and have experience with the necessary COVID-19 mitigation protocols. All Pods will be outdoors and consist of stable groups (students and adults).

9th Grade Physical Education Pods (October 12)
We are planning to bring 9th grade students enrolled in first semester PE/Health on campus at the beginning of the second quarter. Classes will include yoga, strength training, core development, golf, badminton and pickleball. All Pods will be outdoors and consist of stable groups (students and adults). Alternative exercises and assignments to be completed at a distance will be provided for any who do not want to participate on-campus.

School Schedule Update
As previously communicated, we will continue our Distance Schedule through at least October 9, the end of the first quarter. In terms of planning for the second quarter, some new information and processes have recently been communicated by the state and local public health department.

The State of California recently changed its approach to how and when schools might open for in-person instruction. On August 28, the state moved from a monitoring list that was updated daily to a tiered assessment (four levels) that is updated weekly. Shortly thereafter, SFDPH announced on September 4 that the waiver process for schools to apply to reopen was going to be expanded from K-6 schools/students to K-12 schools/students. After the holiday weekend, on September 8, SFDPH clarified and updated their communication that the process and forms for high schools interested in applying for a waiver to reopen for in-person instruction were still being developed and would be sent out later this month.

We want to keep you updated with the information we receive. As our public health officials and elected officials continue to refine and update their orders, directives, and guidelines, we will continue to refine and update our own. While we look forward to having more and more students on campus, we are proceeding with a commitment to student, faculty, staff and family health and well-being as a priority.

Sincerely,
Gary J. Cannon, EdD
Principal

Dear SHC families,

We are looking forward to having you in our virtual classrooms tonight for Back to School Night. If you have any technical issues, please email support@shcp.edu and we will respond as soon as possible.

I wish you all a restful Labor Day Weekend! Please note the school is closed on Monday, September 7. Classes will meet Tuesday through Friday next week. Founders Friday will resume on September 18.

Stay safe, be well, and God bless you all.

Back to School Night 2020: TONIGHT
The SHC Faculty extend a warm invitation to our parents and guardians for Back To School Night 2020, happening TONIGHT from 6-8:30 pm. Please click here for instructions to join, which direct parents and guardians to the links posted on each of your child’s Schoology course pages OR the document your son/daughter shared with you earlier this week. The evening’s schedule follows.

*Note that not all students have a block 7, 8, or 9, and that only the 9th Grade students enrolled in First Semester PE/Health classes will meet at Back to School Night.

Class Block / Meeting Time
Block 1 — 6-6:10 pm
Block 2 — 6:15-6:25 pm
Block 3 — 6:30-6:40 pm
Block 4 — 6:45-6:55 pm
Block 5 — 7-7:10 pm
Block 6 — 7:15-7:25 pm
*Block 7 — 7:35-7:45 pm
*Block 8 — 7:50-8 pm
*Block 9 — 8:10-8:20 pm

Virtual Retreat Opportunities
Juniors and Seniors received information via email about upcoming retreat opportunities. Both retreats will be entirely virtual, and will take place outside of academic class time.

The Fall Junior Retreat will be offered four times in the fall from 7-10 pm on Thursday evenings. The Senior Retreat will begin Thursday evening and run from 7-9:45 pm and continue Friday with two sessions. The morning session will run from 9-11:30 am and we will finish out in the afternoon from 12:15-3 pm.

Juniors and Seniors should consult the email to sign up for a date that works for them. If you have questions, please contact Mr. O’Regan for the Junior Retreat, and Mr. Schmitz for the Senior Retreat.

Founders Friday - Sept. 4

• 10:30 am: First Semester, Bl. 7 PE/Health
• 11:30am: First Semester, Bl. 8 PE/Health
• 1:15-2 pm: ACTIVITY FAIR: All students are encouraged to find out about all of this year’s clubs and student organizations, and attend the virtual Activity Fair. If you are new to a club, feel free to pop into the Zoom link listed. If you are a member from a prior year, you are welcome to fill out the appropriate signup sheet. All links can be found on the Founders Friday Schoology page.
• 2 pm: Frosh Fam Time
• Office Hours
  • 9 am — LOTE
  • 10 am — Math
  • 11 am — Religious Studies
  • Noon — Science
  • 1 pm — Social Studies & College Advising
  • 2 pm — English

Technology Shout Out: Update for Chromebook Users
We recently discovered an issue that some Chromebook users were having with Zoom Breakout rooms. Our Director of Information Technology Jerry Vigil created a solution for our faculty to use while also working with Zoom to address the issue directly. Yesterday evening, Zoom created a patch that has been applied and seems to have resolved the issues. We will continue to monitor and do all we can to provide strong support for our students and faculty. Thank you to Mr. Vigil for addressing this issue and for helping Zoom improve their product and services.

Dear SHC Families,

Congratulations on making it through the first several days of the 20-21 school year! It has been an unique start for all of us. Thank you for all you’re doing to make the experience a positive and enriching one for your children, our students. 

As the United States Postal Service has been in the news recently, I’m reminded of their unofficial motto: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” In our context, I think of you and what our unofficial motto could be: “Neither COVID, nor fires, nor air quality, nor rolling blackouts, nor Schoology disruptions, nor Zoom software updates, will stay these parents from ensuring that their children are engaging in learning.” Today, for those faculty who were teaching from their on-campus classrooms and their students, we added an unexpected fire alarm/drill - still we persevered! Thank you for all you’re doing on behalf of your sons and daughters. A few updates and reminders are shared below.

Stay safe, be well, and God bless you all.


Back to School Night 2020
The SHC Faculty extend a warm invitation to our parents and guardians for Back To School Night 2020, happening online next Thursday, September 3, from 6:00 to 8:30pm. Please use the Back to School Night links posted on each of your child’s Schoology course pages OR the links your son/daughter will share with you next Monday to join each course. (The students do not yet know that they will be helping us with the invitation, but they are strong collaborators!) The evening’s schedule follows. *Note that not all students have a block 7, 8, or 9, and that only the 9th Grade students enrolled in First Semester PE/Health classes will meet at Back to School Night.

Class Block / Meeting Time

Block 1 — 6 - 6:10 pm
Block 2 — 6:15 - 6:25
Block 3 —6:30 - 6:40
Block 4 — 6:45 - 6:55
Block 5 — 7 - 7:10
Block 6 — 7:15 - 7:25
*Block 7 — 7:35 - 7:45
*Block 8 — 7:50 - 8:00
*Block 9 — 8:10 - 8:20

While our counselors and advisors will not be part of Back to School night programming, they have been and will host meetings such as the Frosh Parent & Guardian Counseling Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 9th, from 6:00 to 7:00pm (links forthcoming), and are happy to work with individual parents who email them directly.

Founders Friday

9th Grade Students
A reminder that those enrolled in PE/Health for the first semester are required to attend these classes on Founders Friday at the following times. Links for both PE and Health are posted on the course Schoology pages.

Block 7: 10:30 - 11:15

Block 8: 11:30 - 12:15

Frosh Fam time starts promptly at 1:00pm and ALL 9th graders are expected to attend. Students have received an email from their Frosh Fam leader.

All Students
SHC Hot Ones premieres at 2 pm. This week’s conversation features Mr. Rocha interviewing Mr. Lim and Ms. Villa from the Admissions Office.

When they are not participating in other Founders Fridays’ activities, please encourage your children to attend office hours. Faculty plan units that require work and engagement throughout the week, including Friday and some weekend homework. Office hours provide an opportunity for clarification, questions, and academic support. Moreover, it is another opportunity to connect, unite, and build community with peers while supporting their own learning.

Office Hours

9 am — LOTE
10 am — Math
11 am — Religious Studies
Noon — Science
1 pm — Social Studies & College Advising
2 pm — English

Parent Association Survey for Planning
Please take a few moments to complete the Parents Association survey linked here (and posted on the Parents Association Schoology page) by Friday, September 4th. Your responses will help determine the programming for this year’s monthly Parents Association meetings.

Information on Student ID cards
The recent State Law SB-972 requires the following information to be listed on the back of Student ID cards in the State of California: a Crisis Text Line, a National Domestic Violence Hotline, and a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As some students will be taking pictures tomorrow and receiving their Student ID cards, we wanted to make you aware of this law and the information printed on these cards.

Cohorts for future on-campus, in-person/hybrid learning
For your future planning purposes, below are the cohorts, by grade, for when we are able to be back on campus. We found that dividing the cohorts at different spots alphabetically for each grade level yielded the most class sections that will have 16 or fewer students in a class meeting. What follows are the names for each dividing point by grade level. Based on these divisions, there are some sibling pairs that would fall into separate cohorts. We will contact those families individually about which cohort they have been assigned.

Blue Cohort
9th Grade: Adelman, D. to MacNamara, A.
10th Grade: Abbot, I. to Lee, J.
11th Grade: Aclan, S. to Lew, D.
12th Grade: Alapati, I. to Johns, I.

Green Cohort
9th Grade: Madden, S. to Zhong, M.
10th Grade: Li, K. to Zwolinski, J.
11th Grade: Lewis, K. to Zhao, A.
12th Grade: Jones, E. to Zogaric, H.

An Important Closing Note on Race and Justice
We have all seen footage of the recent events in Kenosha, Wisconsin - a police shooting of Jacob Blake, subsequent protests and the shooting of protesters by a 17-year-old boy. These painful realities impact us all, including our students. We encourage you to talk with your children about these issues and have them reach out to their school counselor or a trusted teacher, moderator, coach to talk.

In April, we communicated the following to the entire SHC community:

"Our mission statement calls us to "provide the finest education in an inclusive Catholic community of faith.” In order to achieve this mission, our education must include clear and effective teaching on inclusion, anti-racism, equity and justice. We endeavor to inculcate in our students the intrinsic dignity of each person throughout our curriculum and our co-curricular programs. In order to more effectively realize this fundamental aspect of our mission, we are establishing a task force that will: 1) Help guide professional development in equity and inclusion required of all faculty during the coming year; 2) Liaison with school administration to focus on promoting equity and inclusion in academics, co-curriculars, and campus life; 3) Research and help select professional partner organizations that can assist in on-going professional development and student development in this area; and 4) Collaborate with the WCEA/WASC Accreditation Visiting Team to help define and articulate future goals, steps, and resources to promote a culture of inclusion and respect that pervades our entire campus and community.

Later in the Spring, we created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group that Dr. Angelic Bailon is coordinating. In the weeks leading up to this academic year, we included professional development for all our faculty and staff with an external consultant. We know that many of our faculty have integrated the difficult realities experienced this week into their curriculum and classroom conversations. As we continue through this year, and in the years to come, we are committed by our mission to address issues of equity and justice throughout our curriculum and programming.

Dear SHC Families and Students,



Based on the current health indicators and our communication with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and in consultation with the Brothers, Daughters, and Archdiocese of San Francisco, the school administration has decided to extend the use of our Distance Schedule through October 9, 2020, the end of the first marking period.



In making these decisions, we are attempting to balance our desire to be on-campus and in-person as soon as safely possible and the need for families, teachers, and the school to plan ahead. We want to offer some degree of stability and certainty to the extent that we are able. At present, we think making decisions approximately one month in advance for about one month at a time will strike this balance. Thus, we aim to have our next schedule update go out about one month from now, approximately mid-September.



We want to reiterate that our faculty have been and will continue to develop online teaching as our primary instructional delivery method (or as the primary vehicle for sharing curriculum and developing skills). We will continue to prioritize connecting with students in various ways and providing a continuity of learning no matter what schedule is used as we adjust to an ever-changing pandemic. Daily attendance for all classes will be taken at the beginning of each class period. Founders Fridays offer more opportunities for connection. We are planning a variety of spirit-building, faith formation, and online social activities to engage students beyond the digital classroom. Some of this programming will also take place in the Founders Programming time noted on Monday - Thursday afternoons.



In addressing the current context, we are called to unite as people of faith and hope, modeling these virtues for our students, your children. Please encourage them to keep to an established routine throughout the week and to ensure they are getting enough sleep. Encourage them to go outside and to exercise each day, if possible. As a matter of public health, we encourage you all (in consultation with your primary health care provider) to get the flu shot this fall per CDC and SFDPH recommendations. 



The challenges we all face are real and difficult. We are proud of you and our entire community for your endurance and unity as together we navigate this pandemic. Thank you for physical distancing, wearing masks and practicing healthy hygiene (e.g., washing hands). Our ability to return to on-campus, in-person learning depends on following these protocols going forward. Let us continue to pray for one another and those most severely impacted by this disease.



Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Sincerely,
Gary J. Cannon, EdD
Principal

P.S. At the suggestion of some families, we will be sending out a Google Form for anyone who wants to connect with other SHC families in their neighborhoods. While the school will not be involved in setting up any student “learning pods” (virtually or in-person), we are happy to connect families who may have some interest in supporting one another in this way. We ask that everyone comply with all health orders and directives from the SFDPH (see below regarding “learning pods”) to keep yourselves, each other, and our community safe.



The SHC form will ask you to fill out your name (parent/guardian name), the school year of your child/children (9, 10, 11, 12), your zip code, your email address, and a phone number (optional). If you choose to participate, you will be granting us permission to share this information with the other families in your zip code who participate. No one is required to participate. This is completely voluntary.



Learning Pods (per SFDPH)
SFDPH has released a tip sheet for parents and caregivers who are forming learning pods. As of August 2020, indoor gatherings with people outside your household are not permitted. This tip sheet gives you information and resources to help you assess the risk and benefits of joining a Learning Pod and provides guidance on reducing risks if you choose to participate.



Tip Sheet: Reducing COVID-19 Risks for Learning Pods:
https://www.sfdph.org/dph/aler...

Please check the following sites for regular COVID-19 updates:

• https://www.sfcdcp.org/communi...

• https://sf.gov/topics/coronavi...

• https://www.sfcdcp.org/infecti...

• https://data.sfgov.org/stories...

• https://oewd.org/assistance-gu...

As we noted in our July 1 communication to all of our current families, “new information and changing circumstances may require us all to adjust our schedule, both at the beginning and throughout the school year.” As of Friday, July 17, San Francisco County has been newly placed on the state’s Monitoring List. Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health have declared that no school may conduct in-person learning until their county is off the Monitoring List for at least 14 days.

Our planning for fall included three schedules that use the same structure and times for consistency, simplicity and adaptability. At this point, we will utilize our Distance Learning schedule to begin this school year (view schedules). To most effectively plan and to provide as smooth an opening to the school year as possible, we are committed to using our Distance Learning schedule until at least September 4.

As also stated in our July 1 communication, our faculty are developing online teaching as our primary instructional delivery method (or as the primary vehicle for sharing curriculum and developing skills). We will continue to prioritize connecting with students in various ways and providing a continuity of learning no matter what schedule is used as we adjust to an ever-changing pandemic. Daily attendance for all classes will be taken.

Please note that the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has finalized their decision to delay high school sports until December or January (CIF info).

As we have consistently reinforced in all our communications, SHC students, faculty and staff, and families have a shared responsibility to protect one another. As service-oriented leaders committed to living the Gospel, we are called to walk this journey together and to focus on the common good. Thank you for physical distancing, wearing masks and practicing healthy hygiene (e.g., washing hands). You all continue to be in our prayers.

Be safe, be well, and live Jesus in our hearts, Forever.

Sincerely,
Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD
President

Gary J. Cannon, EdD
Principal