For our returning families, it's helpful to explain how learning will be similar to the past school year's 4th quarter and how it will be different.  

• Students and parents will use the new Veracross portal to access all assignments and class resources. Our teachers will update these resources, calendars, and student grades each week, thus they will function much like each class’s “matrix” was used during Spring 2020 eLearning.
• To increase time on learning, our students will now learn in a "block schedule" format with 4 classes per day of 80 minutes each.  This scheduling change continues the Green Day/Blue Day plan begun during 4th quarter of the past year. 
• In-person instruction will focus to a large degree on the following: practice, discussion, collaboration, presentation, revision, and lecture. Teachers will use this time to work with smaller groups of students on their individual and group needs.  
• Asynchronous learning in a course will be closely matched with In-person learning
• If due to changes in the environment, SMR moves to Virtual Learning, in which students are learning exclusively at home, synchronous learning (teachers and students together at a designated time) will be the predominant teaching method utilized.  
• Students will demonstrate their learning through a variety of methods such as videos, presentations, written responses, and annotations, etc.
• Teachers will combine a deep knowledge of content with an understanding of the skills needed for students to be successful during and after high school to craft lessons and units of instruction which will help SMR students continue to be prepared for the rigors of college. Professional expertise in virtual learning has been a focus of all of our teachers throughout the summer and will continue as they return in August to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the coming school year. 

If you have any questions about teaching and learning, please contact Dean of Academics, Mr. Brad Chamberlain at brad.chamberlain@smrhs.org. 

Students can expect to be assigned a routine work space, to have their attendance taken and reported, as if they were attending class.  They can expect a quiet classroom work-environment with WiFI, access to clean lavatories, and assistance from supervising adults for general content questions. Students may bring their own lunch or purchase from the Campus Cafe using their Sage account. 

Students should come prepared with a fully charged iPad and to stay busy with activities like Khan Academy and personal reading material should they complete their work early. We will be looking to provide supervised physical and brain breaks as well as small group sessions with College Advising, Guidance Counseling, and Learning Difference Resources.  Because of our responsibility for our students, they will not have the freedom they might experience working virtually at home. 

Dr. Bowes reserves the right to withdraw a student’s privilege to work virtually on campus.

We expect that parents and students will want flexibility.  Sometimes, students may want to come to campus on their virtual learning days to access in-person resources such as College Advising, School Counseling, Campus Ministry, or Athletics or simply to have a quiet place on campus to work.  

We are currently preparing designated work spaces for those students whose parents stated that they would always or mostly come to campus on their virtual learning work days.

We are in the process of setting up procedures that will allow parents and students to let us know as their virtual learning needs change from day to day or week to week.  

On Virtual Learning Days, students are not expected to log-in at specified times. Teachers will post information, assignments, due dates, and content so that students can learn asynchronously while not on campus. 

As the school year continues, there may be some opportunities for “watching” a class in real time, but we are not yet ready to promise or expect that type of learning on the Virtual Days.

Our Logistics and Facilities Task Force have been meeting regularly with the St. Mary’s County Department of Health as well as Emergency Management to review our return to campus plans at each step.  Input included:

• how to determine number of students who could learn safely in one place
• how to move students safely through our campus cafe in Alumni Hall
• what steps to take given a positive COVID-19 test
• face shields v. cloth masks, temperature checks and design of health spaces. 

We are thankful for our strong partnership with local county health and government offices, and the dedication of our faculty and staff who continued through this process over the spring and summer months. SMR will continue to work with our local agencies as we transition through each stage. 

SMR and most of Maryland’s private schools are blessed with additional resources that allow us to open using the hybrid model (in-person and virtual learning) which conforms to current state and local guidelines for safety and health during the Covid-19 pandemic. These resources include:

• Additional spaces allow us to have 2 medical offices - one for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms and one for those without
• Two locations on campus for food distribution (Campus Cafe and the Donnie Williams Center concessions stand)
• Our open campus has multiple doorways, hallways, sidewalks, bathrooms, and offices to provide for social distancing
• Numbers of students assigned to classes are generally smaller than in the public school system
• Additional staff members can be used for supervising students as they change classes, or in virtual settings. 

Community members with a positive test result are advised to contact our school nurse or principal as soon as they receive this information.  This contact with Nurse Krahling or Dr. Bowes initiates contact with the local Health Department who provide us with next steps.  Our families will receive notice within 24 hours of a positive test result and a description of next steps. 

During the school year, Nurse Bette Krahling can be reached at bette.krahling@smrhs.org. 

Please copy Dr. Bowes on any communications by email at catherine.bowes@smrhs.org. 

Bus companies are regulated through the state and must comply with all requirements for special cleaning during the pandemic. These requirements include:

• Clean high touch surfaces with an EPA-approved disinfectant after each run
• Open windows for optimal air circulation
• Adjust seating patterns to allow for social-distancing, including how students board and de-board 
• Assure supervision of students at transfer bus stops
• Using regulation hand-sanitizer, paper towels, and EPA approved spray on each bus

Yes! 

Our "Knights Watch Team" is a group of staff who have designated time in their schedules to assure close connections between home and school during the challenges of Hybrid and Virtual Learning. The Team addresses social and emotional needs as well as academic needs and tech challenges. A Knights Watch Team member is assigned to each student and contacts occur via email, phone calls, zoom or google meets, or in-person tutoring.  

If you have questions about our Knights Watch Team, please reach out to Dr. Bowes at catherine.bowes@smrhs.org.

Our religious traditions (morning prayer, prayer at the beginning of each class, daily Mass, monthly school-wide Mass, Retreats, Spiritual Direction) are core to who we are as a community.  They remain a positive, hopeful light during the challenges of the pandemic. We will adapt these practices according to SMR Re-opening Plan but they endure! 

Look for Friday Enrichment opportunities from Mr. DeStefano and Campus Ministry.  If you have questions about our religious traditions or our Campus Ministry program, please contact Mr. DeStefano at gregory.destefano@smrhs.org. 

"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved." St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

This quote by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is at the heart of our new online Service-Learning opportunities. These opportunities may be done at your convenience at anytime and anywhere specifically designed with the SMR community in mind. View these opportunities on X2Vol under the "My Opportunities" tab: 

• Homeless in St. Mary's County
• From Addiction to Jail to Wholeness
• Comfort Foods, and Comforted Hearts (Women's Shelter Cookbook),
• Radical Kinship: Anti-bullying
• Animal Shelter Support
• Other opportunities will be added as the year progresses

Students are expected to continue progress toward Service Learning hours regardless of the setting.  Mrs. Allen will continue to provide our students with opportunities to participate in serving their communities regardless of the pandemic.

The following information from the Governor's website and explains "Service-Learning" hours.  

Look for special Enrichment Fridays opportunities from Mrs. Beth Allen and Campus Ministry and if you need help navigating these new projects, or any assistance, please contact Mrs. Allen at beth.allen@smrhs.org.

Review Service-Learning Requirements

x2VOL - Log Your Service Hours

St. Mary’s Ryken students with accommodation plans have full access to their accommodations during Hybrid and Virtual Learning. Faculty have electronic access to their students’ accommodation plans.  In addition to direct support from our Resource teachers, our students receive the support of teachers who know “best practices” for adapting accommodation plans to the virtual setting.  These practices include how to provide extended time on assessments, how to facilitate extended readings and projects, and how to present content in a way that takes into account various learning differences.   Resource team members are available daily to assist students via “chat” applications to plan, study and complete assignments.  A member of the Resource team stays in frequent contact with our students who have a daily resource.  Please let us know if you have questions. 

Our College Advising Team, under the direction of Mr. David Hamilton, has a robust offering of services that are accessible in Hybrid or Virtual settings.  These include grade-level targeted newsletters, in-person or virtual college advising sessions, and virtual or small group workshops. This team will provide parents and students with up-to-date information about the quickly changing landscape of higher education including testing, choosing, applying, and deciding. 

College search questions can be directed to Mr. Hamilton at dhamilton@smrhs.org.

Mr. David Hamilton, our Director of College Advising will continue to move our students through their college planning benchmarks.  Students and their parents in the Class of 2021 and 2022 will receive targeted directions from him, he’ll hold sessions on our Enrichment Fridays, and can meet with students on their virtual learning days.  Mr. Hamilton can be reached at David.hamilton@smrhs.org.

 

It is the goal of the Internship Program to help our high school students learn about themselves and gain real life experiences to help them shape their educational direction and future career after graduation from SMR. Having an opportunity to experience one or more real life experiences in the SMR Internship Program is a key component of many of our students’ final year with us.  Our school has already begun working with current/past internship partners to plan for the adjustment of our students’ learning experiences if necessary. 

To supplement the internship program and as part of Enrichment Fridays, a speakers series will offer monthly topics featuring local industry experts.

Look for Friday Enrichment opportunities from Mr. Brady.  If you have questions about our Internship Program, please contact Mr. Brady at aaron.brady@smrhs.org.

An acclimation period for fall sports and boys basketball began on July 20.

On Tuesday, July 28, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference released the following information about the Return to Play Plan:

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PRESS RELEASE:

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference is announcing that it will be postponing all fall athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The WCAC spans seven jurisdictions and will continually monitor the restrictions placed on schools and athletics by each jurisdiction throughout the fall.  We are currently exploring various scheduling options with a start date of January 1, 2021.

Athletics plays an important role in the school environment and the overall development of students.  The safety of our student athletes will always be the first priority in any future decisions concerning rescheduling of fall sports.

Sincerely,

Stephen F. Colantuoni

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SMR is working on providing additional information and details regarding our plans for training, conditioning, practices or scrimmages for all sports per local jurisdiction guidelines which will be published in August via the Athletic Director's newsletter.  The WCAC is working on a modified 3-season timeline for all sports. 

Coach Lombardo is currently formulating a plan based on the WCAC's press release and what it means for our athletic community. Please stay tuned for Zoom meetings in early August for coaches, student-athletes and their families. 

The SMR Sports Medicine department is closely monitoring NFHSA, Maryland State Department of Education, SMCHD, NATA and CDC guidelines to prepare for all health-related protocols.

Our Wellness Director will continue to work closely with each athletic team to develop sport specific strength and conditioning activities weekly.  During the fall season, students will have the opportunity to participate in athletic challenges at home (and on campus as guidelines permit) and met with their coaches. 

Throughout the fall, SMR coaches will continue to mentor student-athletes and support their physical and academic growth while preparing to return to competition. 

Look for Friday Enrichment opportunities from Athletic Director Coach Lombardo and our Athletic Teams.  If you have any questions regarding athletics at SMR, please contact, Coach Lombardo at jonathan.lombardo@smrhs.org. For timely updates, please refer to the Athletic Director's newsletter. 

The School Counseling department will provide social emotional, academic, and one on one mental health support services while students are on campus and via phone calls and google meets on their virtual days. Counselors will assist with transition, communication with teachers, and course selection and future planning.  Counselors will also provide classroom school counseling lessons such as college planning, time management, goal setting, and positive mental health strategies. 

During virtual learning in the last part of the 2019 - 20 school year, counselors met with students as individuals and groups to develop at-home work routines, respond to emotional difficulties associated with quarantine, and create engaging positive activities such as our Neighborhood Chalk Art Words of Encouragement.  Similar engagement activities will continue in this fall. 

Look for our School Counseling Department will offer Enrichment Friday opportunities including the very popular Coffee with Counselors.  If you have specific counseling related questions, please contact Mrs. Christine Jaffurs at christine.jaffurs@smrhs.org. 

Orientation is a critical part of connecting new community members with our guiding principles, new friends and educators, and resources. New this year, freshman and transfers students will participate in orientation during the first week of school on August 25, 26 and 27. This change was made to give our newest Knights more time on campus to help acclimate them to their class schedule, and allow them more time to get to know their teachers and each other prior to entering the school year Hybrid Learning.  

August 25 will be a half day - 8:10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

August 26 and 27 will be full days - 8:10 - 2:40 p.m. No p.m. St. Mary's County transportation

Friday, August 28 will be a virtual learning day, and the first Enrichment Friday of the school year. The programming schedule will be published by August 21 on the mySMR portal and by email. 

All students begin Green Day, Blue Day rotation on Monday, August 31.

Details about the orientation program will be emailed to new families in early August. 

If you have any questions about orientation, please contact Dean of Faculty and Student Development, Mrs. Crystal Dunkin at crystal.dunkin@smrhs.org. 

Our new students will attend classes and events on campus on August 25, 26, and 27.  Our returning students will participate in virtual activities during this week.

Returning students will be engaged virtually during the first week of school.  This time at home for returning students will allow our new students to be acclimated to the campus, to SMR technology and their teachers, and to the SMR virtual learning techniques that our returning students learned during the previous school year.

Returning students should spend August 25-28 completing the following tasks: 

• Students should expect to receive assignments from teachers that will prepare them for August 31 when we begin our Green Day/Blue Day rotation. 
• Seniors should complete any and all Naviance procedures left unfinished (resumes, surveys, teacher recommendation choices, colleges of interest, etc.) during this week so that teacher and counselor recommendation letters can be assembled without delay.
• Seniors will receive direction to register for ACT and SAT tests if they have not already done so, or have not already taken one or both of these tests.
• Enjoy the first Enrichment Friday activities! 

All students begin Green Day, Blue Day rotation on Monday, August 31.

Back to School Night will occur virtually on Wednesday, September 9. Additional details will be available soon. 

Our parents and students are part of our Re-Opening Team.  Suggestions, questions, concerns are vital to assuring a safe learning environment for our Knights. 

Please call in for upcoming Zoom meetings! Call in information can be found here. 

Zoom Meetings to answer your questions will be hosted by President Rick Wood and Principal Bowes on the following days and times. Please submit your questions ahead of the zoom meetings using this form. Live Questions will also be answered using the chat feature. 

Monday, August 3:

10 a.m. – Returning Parents

2 p.m. – Students

6 p.m. – Returning Parents

Tuesday, August 4:

10 a.m. – New Parents

2 p.m. – New Parents

There is a 500 attendee cap on each Zoom call. If you attempt to log in and are unable to because of the cap, please join another call or the calls will be recorded and posted on the mySMR portal. 

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If you have an urgent question that is specific to your child, email Dr. Bowes at Catherine.Bowes@smrhs.org and she or point person for your particular question will follow-up.

Timely updates regarding the fall learning plans will be included in every Principal's Newsletter and if necessary by text message. This web site will be updated as new information becomes available as well.