News

Message from Principal 10.17.22

Please review this week's message from Principal Davis.
Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been an exceptional fall for many reasons - the weather, high engagement from our community and wonderful opportunities for us to be together.  Homecoming week was filled with special moments and we will never take for granted simple things like an assembly or school dance.  Thank you parents and guardians for being a part of the activities.  Whether it was driving your child to an event or building costumes for “theme dress up days”  your partnership contributed to a week filled with special moments. 

Today’s letter will focus on updates for your review and important dates for your calendar.

COVID Update
  • As of today, we will no longer have the opportunity to utilize the expertise of Hannah Parra.  The Tacoma Health Department has ceased its relationship with outside agencies hired to support schools. The good news, the number of cases in Pierce County has dropped significantly.  Therefore, the health department determined it is no longer necessary to support schools by providing COVID coordinators. Hannah has provided tremendous support to Bellarmine - thank you Hannah!
  • Please report all positive COVID test results and/or close contacts to davisc@bellarmineprep.org.
  • A reminder to all, if your child(ren) test positive we have a system to support your child(ren)’s ability to learn in our distance model.  If you have questions please contact Bill Baerg at baergb@bellarmineprep.org.
  • Please review the information here - it provides answers to common questions.
Emergency Operations Plan
  • We recently introduced our response to “severe storms” to our employees.  While our protocol hasn’t changed it is important to annually review to ensure we are prepared.
  • In the event of a storm that interferes with our ability to deliver our programs safely from campus, Bellarmine will communicate school closures, campus closures or adjustments to our schedule using School Messenger.  You will receive a text message/email with updates.  Please also check our website, Bellarmineprep.org,  for current information.  Additionally, we update our Social Media platforms and local radio and news stations such as KOMO, KIRO, and KING.  
  • The following information about School Messenger can be found here.
  • We will run a test of our communication system, School Messenger, in October.  Please make sure your contact information in Blackbaud is updated, if needed.
    • Log into Blackbaud and select "Profile" from the dropdown menu by your name (top right of screen).
    • Add a phone number or edit by selecting the Pencil icon.
    • Update your email address if needed by selecting the Edit option.
  • Advisors will be reviewing communication protocol with students later this month.  We encourage families to discuss Bellarmine’s communication protocol
  • We may move to a distance learning model during an emergency such as a severe storm but only if we can appropriately support.  The following are some of the criteria we will use when making a decision about distance learning:
    • Type of emergency - some emergencies may require Bellarmine to prioritize social/emotional support
    • Access to technology, this includes power
    • Student readiness - access to technology used to support instruction.  
Student Parking Update
  • Bellarmine facilities department continues to assess our campus regarding parking.   When the analysis is complete we will update you.
  • The Dean of Students and the Principal are working with local businesses to identify opportunities for overflow parking.  We have not had any updates from the local businesses but we will continue to pursue them.
Future Dates
  • November 11: No School, Veterans Day
  • November 23-27: No School, Thanksgiving Break
  • December 22 - January 3: No School, Christmas Break
    • This year our break begins on Thursday, December 22.   We are required, by the state, to meet the requirement of 1080 hours of instruction. 
    • We are committed to our longer Thanksgiving and semester breaks as well as completing our year by mid June. 
    • When Christmas and New Years occur on a Sunday we move our start and end of the holiday break to the middle of the week.
    • We strive to align with our parochial schools and our league (SPSL).  Unfortunately, information was not available when we built our calendar.
    • Our annual Adopt-A-Family delivery day will be on Thursday, December 15.
    • Our Advent Mass will be on Monday, December 19. 
    • We will have an early dismissal on December 21.
    • Please plan your travel according to the school calendar.
Important Dates
  • October 19:    Extended Office Hours    
  • October 20:    Presidential Search Parent Listening Sessions
  • October 27:    Severe Storm Lesson Plan in Formation
Extended Office Hours
  • This is an important time in the school year to sit down with your child and review their current academic progress. Together you can discuss what is working well and where there is room for improvement. Use the following documents to help guide your conversation: 
  • Based on your child's progress, they should be planning ahead about Wednesday's Extended Office Hours, and how to prioritize their time with faculty.  If you feel your child could benefit from explicit instruction on The Five Phases of Focused Note-taking, please encourage your student to attend the ACE workshop.
Last spring Fr. Greg Boyle spoke to our community as a concluding event for our second annual Justice Summit, Humanizing Homelessness.  He passionately shared the importance of reaching out to those on the margins, one of the Universal Apostolic Preferences our Jesuit school Network is addressing.  As the founder of the largest gang violence intervention program in the world, Fr. Boyle knows about the importance of building a community.  Fr. Boyle’s message was powerful and we continue to reference one particular phrase he shared with us.  He said, “Bellarmine isn’t a place you go to but rather a place you go from.”  Bellarmine strives to develop young women and men who are competent, compassionate, and conscious of the injustices in our world.   Homecoming reminded us that we share a common understanding of community, a community shaped by Jesuit values.   It is our hope, all students see Bellarmine as their school, their home, a place people go from and come back.

Take Care and God Bless,

Cindy Davis
Principal
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