(Posted 8/31/2021)

TO:      Frassati Parents and Staff
FR:      Patrick Gallivan, Principal
RE:      Face Covering Policy

I am writing to announce the Frassati policy regarding face coverings as we begin the 2021-2022 school year. I have been in conversation with parents on this issue over the past few months.  Many favor a policy that recommends face coverings, but allows parents to make the decision for their children.  Other parents request that we continue our mandatory face covering policy from last year.

My first and most important obligation as principal is to ensure the safety of our students, staff and visitors at Frassati.  In order to fulfill that obligation, especially during this pandemic, I have been guided by the recommendations for schools offered by The Centers for Disease Control, the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Education, and the Ramsey County Public Health Department.

Given that COVID19 continues to present a health threat to our community, each of these agencies strongly recommends that face coverings be worn in school settings by teachers, students, and visitors in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.[1]

Based on the recommendation of these agencies, and after consultation with the Frassati Board of Directors and a number of our teachers and staff members, I have decided to implement the following policy at Frassati:  Frassati Catholic Academy will require face coverings for students, staff and visitors (regardless of vaccination status) through October 15, 2021.  All K-8 students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear face coverings on district transportation, when entering and leaving the school building, and in the classrooms.  Students will not be required to wear face coverings at lunch, recess, and physical education class.  Preschool students will only be required to wear face masks when entering and leaving the building.  As we approach October 15, we will evaluate this policy in light of the existing state of infection rates in the surrounding communities[2] and our school community, and the recommendations of local, state and national agencies.

An important factor in adopting this policy is the updated close contact definition, which now provides that students in an indoor classroom are excluded from quarantine when both the case and close contact were wearing a well-fitting mask.  Only students with a positive lab confirmed test will be required to          quarantine for 10 days from the date of the onset of symptoms. All other classmates will be allowed to attend school.  Though face coverings are an inconvenience, they increase the likelihood that more students will enjoy in-person learning, which is so important for each child’s education.

In 2020-21, the vigilance of our staff, students and families in following the mitigation strategies, including mandatory face coverings, allowed Frassati to remain open for the entire school year for in-person learning.  I ask for your support and cooperation in following our mitigation strategies for this new year, including the face covering policy, so that our school remains open for in-person learning and our students and staff stay healthy.

[1] White Bear Lake Area Schools has adopted a mandatory mask policy for students two years of age and older.

[2] For example, Ramsey County advised that it is using the 7-day rolling case rate as a basis for the mask recommendation and will reevaluate the mask recommendation once the rate falls to 50/100,000 for seven consecutive weeks.  As of today, the rate in Ramsey County is 125/100,000 and rising (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view).