PARENT MEMO 21: January 26, 2022

Dear St. Patrick Catholic School Families,

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
We are very excited to celebrate Catholic Schools Week next week. Please see the fun activities
we have planned for the school.
Schedule

Thursday, January 27th Final Home Basketball Game
• Please join us to support our girls’ and boys’ basketball team and
cheerleaders in their final home game
• Admissions to the game is free for St. Patrick students and families

Monday, Jan. 31st Celebrating the Community
• Jersey Day – Bring in a canned good or dry food and wear your favorite
Sports jersey/shirt with jeans. (Canned goods will go to the needy)
• Get Up & Move – Music will be played throughout the day and the
students will have the opportunity to get up and dance.

Tuesday, Feb. 1st Celebrating Our Students
• Crazy Hat and/or Crazy Sock Day
• Students may dress down this day
• Movie & Popcorn in classrooms

Wednesday, Feb. 2nd (Celebrating the Nation)
▪ Patriotic Day – Wear red, white & blue with jeans,
▪ Spelling Bees (Live with Webcam) Conference *
▪ Grades 6-8 – 8:15am – 9:30am
▪ Grades 3-5 – 9:45am – 10:45am
▪ Grades 1 & 2 – 11:00am – 12:00pm

Thursday, Feb. 3rd (Celebrating the Vocations)
▪ Notes & cards made for the Priests and Deacons.
▪ Baskets for the Priests and Deacons.

Friday, Feb. 4th (Celebrating our Families & the Faculty) Rosary
▪ Treats sent home
▪ Rosary (11:00) Will be recorded.
▪ Early Dismissal (12:15)

Synod 2021-2022
Earlier this year Pope Francis called on the entire Church to begin a synod process. Synod is a
Greek word meaning, “journeying together.”
Bishop Luis is inviting everyone in our diocese, including those no longer affiliated with the
Church, to provide feedback through an online questionnaire. Following the survey process,
which begins this week, in-person meetings will be held throughout the diocese to help the
Church hear the voices of the Holy Spirit and of its people.
Synod Survey
https://dioceseofraleigh.org/synodsurvey
English Prayer Card Spanish Prayer Card

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS
The front office is open from 7:30am to 4:00pm. Please do not come or call the office during
afternoon carpool which is from 3:00 to approximately 3:15.

AFTERCARE
Aftercare pick up will be through the conference suit doors starting at 4pm.

GIRLS SOCCER
If your daughter is in 6,7, or 8th grade and they are interested in playing girls soccer this year,
please fill out all the required forms, sent out by Micaela Shea, and turn them into the office by
next Friday, February 4th. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Micaela Shea
at [email protected].

UPDATED COVID GUIDELINES
NCDHHS has updated the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit isolation and quarantine guidance to align
with updated guidance from Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which outlines what
individuals should do if they contract or are exposed to COVID-19 to help slow the spread to
others. We would greatly appreciate your assistance in getting this out to the field.
The updated guidance changes how long and under what conditions staff and students need to
be excluded from school because they have tested for or been exposed to COVID-19 (isolation
and quarantine).
1. Staff and students who have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status should – get tested
and isolate from others while waiting for a result. If testing is not possible, follow the guidance
below as if the person is positive.
2. Isolation: Staff and students who test positive, regardless of vaccination status, and
• Do not have symptoms – should isolate from others for 5 days, then wear a mask for 5
additional days.
• Have symptoms – should isolate from others until fever-free and symptoms are improving.
Individuals should isolate for at least 5 days since symptoms began and then wear a mask
for 5 additional days.
3. Quarantine: Staff and students who are exposed to someone with COVID-19, and
• Not vaccinated – stay away from others for 5 days, get tested on day 5 after exposure, and
if they test negative, return to school while wearing a mask for 5 additional days.
• Vaccinated and eligible for a booster, but not yet been boosted – stay away from others
for 5 days, get tested on day 5 after exposure, and if they test negative, return to school
while wearing a mask for 5 additional days.
• Vaccinated, and have either received a booster or are not yet eligible for a booster –
individuals do not need to stay away from others, but should wear a mask for 10 days.
4. StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit guidance that remains unchanged includes:
• Individuals who are not fully vaccinated after a close contact in a classroom or other school
setting if masks were being worn appropriately and consistently by both the person with
COVID-19 and the potentially exposed person do NOT need to quarantine.
Schools are strongly encouraged to actively promote vaccination and boosters to staff and
families. Being up-to-date on vaccinations, including a booster, dramatically decreases the risk
of severe illness and hospitalization from the Omicron variant.

COVID TESTING
If you would like your child tested for covid at school, please click on the following link to
register.
https://home.color.com/covid/sign-up/start?partner=tf-stp-1272-students

UNIFORM POLICY CHANGES
There are some uniform policy changes that will occur over the remainder of the school year.
Sneakers: Students should wear sneakers to school daily, but they do not have to be solid
black. Moving forward sneakers should be “mostly black”. That means the sole may be white
(or a color other than white) and the sides may have an additional color. For example, the
sneaker may have a white Nike Swoosh, New Balance N, Adidas stripes, etc.…on the sides of the
sneaker. Please see this link for examples of acceptable shoes.
Leggings: Girls may wear plain, solid black leggings under their school uniform jumper, skirt, or
skort in place of tights.

VOLUNTEERING AT ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
We will be allowing limited volunteers in the school this year. If you want to volunteer at the
school, you must complete the volunteer application which includes attending a Safe
Environment Training (SET)class. There are some online training courses each month. Please
see below.
Safe Environment Training Calendar
In addition to attending the SET training, all volunteers need to complete an application with
the Diocese of Raleigh. You can turn your completed application into the front office.
Volunteer Application in English
Volunteer Application in Spanish

CALENDAR
January 28th Spirit Day
January 31st- Feb. 4th- Catholic Schools Week
Feb. 4th- 12:15 Dismissal- NO EXTENDED CARE
February 8th- Scouts may wear scouting uniform to school
February 21st- No School, President’s Day

SCHOOL DIRECTORY
Our school directory is ready. You can find it on the school website or via this link:

The directory is password protected: 4SPfamilies2View