Friends of Blessed Sacrament,

Since August 2020, Blessed Sacrament Catholic School has followed our Plan for the Safe Reopening of Campus in hopes of mitigating the COVID-19 virus.  Our school community followed Phase 1 from throughout the 2020/2021 school year followed by Phase 2 that has been in place since August 16, 2021. Our approach to our Plan for the Safe Reopening of Campus is grounded in both faith and science.  To date, we have not had to quarantine classes or large groups of students due to direct exposure.  I thank our faculty and staff, parents, and students for placing their love of neighbor above personal feelings.

In recent weeks, COVID-19 Progress and Warning Indicators for Bexar County and the City of San Antonio have been trending in a healthy direction.  Additionally, a COVID-19 Vaccination has been approved   for children aged 5 and above.  Placing our faith in God and making data informed decisions, I feel comfortable moving to Phase 3 of our Plan for the Safe Reopening of Campus.  Phase 3 will take us through Friday, December 17, 2021 and allow our school community to begin exploring options to revisit restrictions in Phase 2.

It is important to remember the following three points:

  • Masks will continue to be required throughout Phase 3.  
  • Blessed Sacrament Catholic School will not require a COVID-19 Vaccination for employment or student enrollment.  
  • At this time, Blessed Sacrament Catholic School is not requiring any employee or student to provide evidence of vaccination status.  A parent, guardian, or employee, however, may provide the School Office with their vaccination status.  

Effective Monday, November 8, 2021 the following changes will be made to our Plan for the Safe Reopening of Campus:

  • Daily Screening Questions (Morning Text Messages) will be discontinued.
  • Daily Temperature Checks will be transitioned to Random Temperature Checks.  For example, if positivity rates move in a negative direction or a higher than usual number of students have reported sickness (allergies, flu, virus infections, etc.) then we will check students.
  • We will resume our pre-COVID19 arrival lines.  Photos of the Morning Arrival are attached below.  Note: Dismissal lines will remain the same.
  • Parents, Guardians, and Designated Pick-Up Individuals of Elementary and Intermediate Students may pick-up their students outside their classroom buildings.
  • Parents, Guardians, and Grandparents will no longer need to call ahead of time to have lunch with their student.  Note: Lunch with guests, however, will continue to be held on the outside picnic tables. 
  • Teachers will continue social distancing in classrooms, but increase cooperative and collaborative group work.
  • Students may sit with their parents, grandparents, or guardians during the weekly school liturgy.
  • Parent conferences, while still available via Zoom Meetings, will begin transitioning to in person meetings on campus.
  • Teachers will begin soliciting parent assistance with classroom projects as needed. Examples of this include assistance in the cafeteria during lunch hours, classroom crafts, and classroom parties.

Once we evaluate the success of our Phase 3 plans, then we will implement Phase 4 on January 3, 2022.  This may include the optional wearing of masks for vaccinated students and staff members.  No decisions have been made with regards to Phase 4.  Decisions will only be made after reviewing data through the Christmas Break. It is also important to remember that the school may return to a previous phase if the virus spikes again in the future.

I continue to entrust our faculty, staff, students, parents, and grandparents to St. Joseph. Just as he kept Jesus and our Blessed Mother safe, may he intercede on our behalf and keep our faith community safe throughout the new school year.

In service to the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament,

Michael Fierro

Principal