Parent Weekly Update ~ March 29, 2020
"These are difficult times, trying…but trust in the Lord. It will not always be thus, a more favorable period will dawn and (these) moments will be richly rewarded." –Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd
Sometimes it feels as if there is no end in sight. What a blessing it is to see all the Nazareth students adjusting to this crisis stepping up and supporting each other. Our key message is simple. We are all in this together. We will adjust as we go along to ensure the very best outcomes for our students. The Senior Prom, Junior Dinner Dance and other spring events are being delayed, but as Mr. Meredith and I said to the juniors and seniors, we will celebrate them with great joy when we are able to. As long as we remain mission-focused and student-centered. we can manage whatever challenges we are facing with grace. This is quite a challenge indeed, but we will thrive because we are all in this together!
Beginning today, this Weekly Newsletter will be sent home to all of our families every Sunday. This is an additional layer of communication from the school to home to respond to rapidly changing events and provide an anchor for the week. As conditions warrant, we will continue with emails during the week and we will continue to share on our special Coronavirus Update page on our school website.
Thank You for Your Feedback! Thank you to the so many students and parents who submitted feedback through the survey that was shared on Friday. This long stretch of virtual learning is new to all of us and your feedback will help all of us best meet your needs as we move forward together. When possible, if names were provided, our administrators and counselors reached out through the weekend to students and parents whose responses required additional clarity or attention. Our faculty and staff are meeting via Zoom on Monday after school to review the survey feedback to inform future planning. Thank you again!
Thought of the Day Stay home and stay healthy! Special prayers for all our first responders and healthcare workers, and those who continue to work in the banks, food stores, gas stations and all the life sustaining businesses – God bless you all !
May the Holy Family of Nazareth bless you and keep you safe!
Office of the Principal Our virtual learning through Flexible Instructional Days will extend through April 17, 2020. This adjustment was made after the announcement made by Archbishop Nelson Pérez that all public liturgical celebrations and Masses were suspended through Easter, along with the order by Governor Tom Wolf to keep public buildings closed.
As published in the original school calendar, Nazareth Academy was scheduled to be closed for much of this time for Easter Break, with students scheduled to return to class on Wednesday, April 15. That calendar will remain largely the same, but with the following adjustment: Virtual Learning will not be in session on Wednesday, April 8. On that day, we will share through social media platforms the Stations of the Cross, led by Ms. Donnelly, virtually. Details to follow. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has also shared a list of Virtual Masses throughout the Archdiocese. Please click here to access that list.
Archdiocesan Lenten Retreat On Friday, March 27th, Archbishop Nelson Pérez invited Catholics across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to join in a special six-day Lenten retreat presented online beginning Monday, March 30th. The Power of Faith and Hope in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Lenten Retreat will present a video segment at 7 p.m. on Monday and extending each night to Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week in the church.
The Lenten retreat videos will be presented at that same time each night and posted to Archbishop Pérez's Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the archdiocesan Vimeo channel, the archdiocesan website and CatholicPhilly.com.
AP Testing On Friday, March 20th, CollegeBoard announced that for the 2019–20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home. Educator-led development committees are currently selecting the exam questions that will be administered. More information about testing, including testing dates, will be released by CollegeBoard on April 3rd. Your daughter's AP teacher at Nazareth Academy will provide students with the latest information regarding AP testing.
Office of the President Since the beginning of our Flexible Instruction Days and now Stay at Home orders, we have been sharing pictures and videos of our students and faculty in their home environments teaching, learning and in their moments of self-care. You can visit our Facebook page to see the latest posts. Here were three from last week that you might enjoy!
Virtual Soccer Panda Practicing Social Distancing
Panda Softball Girls Social Distancing
I Love My School A Million – Virtual Rendition
Daily Prayer Just a reminder that Miss Donnelly holds our daily prayers on Facebook Live every school day at 10:45 am. If you would like to include any prayer intentions, please click here. You can also view her daily prayers on our Naz News channel.
Weekly Schedule Monday, March 30: Flexible Instructional Day, A Schedule Tuesday, March 31: Flexible Instructional Day, A Schedule Wednesday, April 1: Flexible Instructional Day, A Schedule Thursday, April 2: Flexible Instructional Day, A Schedule Friday, April 3: Flexible Instructional Day, A Schedule
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