2020-2021 School Year Communication

Dear HFS Families,

Some of you have reached out to me over the last couple of weeks regarding the 2020-2021 school year. We are still in very uncertain times, and that makes it difficult to provide you with any kind of specific information. However, I can share with you what I know thus far.

It is our intent to reopen Holy Family School in the fall, provided that we are able to do so safely and in accordance with the guidelines set by the CDC. As you are aware, this will also depend upon the status of the counties in which we reside. We will know more in the coming weeks as the reopening of Pennsylvania progresses. 

In order to remain abreast of all updates and developments, I have volunteered to serve as part of the Office of Catholic Education’s task force for reopening the Archdiocesan schools. We are scheduled to begin meeting after the conclusion of this school year. We will be discussing all potential scenarios for the beginning of the new school year and how to best serve our students and families. We will be researching a number of learning management systems for a more fluid and efficient virtual platform should the need arise. We will utilize professional development opportunities to expand upon the strengths we have built since the inception of our online learning in March.

We learned a great deal over the last several weeks about online learning from the perspectives of the teachers, students, and parents. Using this experience, we will be able to create a more structured and rigorous schedule for online learning, but I reiterate, our hope is to return to school, but we would be remiss if we did not prepare for all possibilities. 

Finally, we would like to thank all of you - the students and the parents - for your support and patience during this time. We were sailing in uncharted waters, and it was difficult to manage at times, but I believe we did so with grace. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! It has been a pleasure working with you this year, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jennifer D’Amelio