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Dear Duchesne Academy Community,
I hope you and your families are able to experience some semblance of spring break in the midst of these troubling times. The current circumstances with COVID-19 present hardships for many people across the world, and my prayers are with our community as we all make sacrifices to mitigate the current crisis.
In order to keep our community safe and flatten the spread of COVID-19 in our area, we will be following the guidance of local and national officials, and governing bodies, to extend our campus closure through April 10, 2020. All events and athletics during this time are canceled. We will re-open on Tuesday, April 14 after the Easter holiday, however, we will continue to monitor and update if another change is warranted.
Although the campus will be closed, all students will continue to engage in remote learning beginning on Monday, March 23. While we will all be making adjustments, the education of our girls is key to our mission, and Duchesne is committed to supporting our students and families as we move forward through this crisis. The “trial run” of remote learning last week was received well by students and faculty, and I am confident that Duchesne stands out as one of the city’s most prepared schools when it comes to efficiently implementing online learning to ensure the continuity of education.
We have made a few minor adjustments to incorporate feedback received last week, so please view the updated Remote Learning Plan here. Additionally, some technology resources related to hotspots and network providers have been added to the duchesne.org/covid19 webpage.
This is an unprecedented time in our nation’s history and there is understandably a great amount of anxiety as we face a number of uncertainties. In addition to the academic preparations we have made, I wanted to share some resources that Duchesne’s Student Success team has gathered to address the overall wellness and mental health of our students. Please see the Charging Toward Success page on DuchesneConnect which will continually be updated with articles on how to manage stress and anxiety, how to talk to anxious children and teens, one-minute mindfulness exercises, and more. The counselors and learning specialists will continue to be available during the campus closure, so please reach out to them with any questions or concerns.
- LS Counselor - Jeanine Seward: jeanine.seward@duchesne.org
- MS Counselor - Jean Lander: jean.lander@duchesne.org
- US Counselor - Kate Conlan: kate.conlan@duchesne.org
- LS Learning Specialist - Mary Beth Mashlan: marybeth.mashlan@duchesne.org
- MS Learning Specialist - Jennifer Randall: jennifer.randall@duchesne.org
- US Learning Specialist - Jennifer St. John: jennifer.stjohn@duchesne.org
As we look to our faith for guidance, I also wanted to share several Catholic resources. The EWTN Global Catholic Network will be broadcasting daily Mass online here. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston also has a list of online Masses and Liturgies. The Pray More Novenas website has published a Guide for Catholics Coping with Coronavirus. And several RSCJ’s from around the world publish blogs here and have recently posted about the coronavirus crisis. Please know that our RSCJ’s living in the White House, Sr. Caire and Sr. Karam, remain well during this crisis. Although the campus is closed, it remains staffed by security 24/7. I, along with many others, have been in frequent contact with our RSCJ’s to ensure they are in good health and good spirits.
Going forward, I will continue to update the community directly to notify everyone of school-wide information via Heartfelt emails. Additionally, the faculty and staff Monday Memo will resume on March 23 and the parent Thursday newsletter will resume publication next week on March 26. Separately, students and faculty/staff can expect to receive emails from their Division Heads and Deans.
On a personal note, we all have our stories to share. Last night I spoke to my son in Baton Rouge who is in the service industry and now without work or income. I also spoke with my daughter in Austin who was setting up shop in a very small apartment with three large computer monitors and a coffee table as additional workspace and told she will be working there indefinitely. My family’s story is all too familiar as compared to stories of others that are more devastating. In closing the phone call with each of my children, I ended my conversation with the often-dismissed words from my dear mother, “don’t forget to wash your hands.” In closing my letter to you, more prayerfully, let us recall the words of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat: “...the heart’s best security is to trust in God.” I trust that God will take care of our community as we come through this crisis stronger and ready to face any additional challenges.
Fondly with prayers for good health in these trying times,
Patricia Swenson
Head of School