The most current information for parents and students can found here.
You can also find COVID related forms and resources under
Forms and Resources

11-13-20

November 13, 2020

We received information late today that all schools in the Diocese of Peoria will be remote
learning starting Monday, November 16, 2020.

Due to the late notice, we are not prepared to begin on Monday. Teachers will use Monday and
Tuesday to prepare for eLearning/packets. ELearning and/or packets will begin on Wednesday,
November 18th.

I am planning Tuesday, November 17 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. for parents to pick up school supplies, packets, and/or chromebooks with chargers. To check out a chromebook, you will need to sign a technology agreement where you will be responsible for it, follow guidelines, and pay for any damages. Grades 3 – 8 will be able to check out their chromebook. Preschool – 2nd may sign out a chromebook also (if available). With the late notice, we were not prepared to distribute so many things this afternoon. Technology agreements will be available at the school or online at the Visitation Catholic School website, under “For Parents”.

Families who do not have internet at home may use the internet access at Visitation. We have three internet access points outside of our school building that are password protected. You may park in the parking lot, download assignments and upload completed assignments. 

Free lunches will continue on Monday, November 16th. You must call the school before 8:30 a.m. to reserve your lunch for that day. If you would like to reserve a lunch for the week, you may request that when you call the school at 309-856-7451. Lunches will be bagged and can be picked up at the gym doors 11:20 – 12:20.

I will provide more information on Monday or Tuesday about attendance, grading, and anything else I have over looked right now.

We are dealing with unprecedented times. If we remain calm, we can work through this situation together. Please take precautions to keep yourself and your family safe during the upcoming holidays. I am hoping if we all take necessary steps, we can return to in person school on January 19, 2021.

Stay Safe!
Mr. Wayne Brau
Visitation Catholic School Principal

11-13-20
The following letter is from Dr. Weiss Superintendent of Schools in the Peoria Diocese

Dear School Pastors, Chaplains and Principals,

After discussion and a review of data and information regarding the escalation of the positivity and exposure rates for COVID19 in Illinois during the next few weeks, I have been directed as the Superintendent of Schools to share the following information with your school communities as approved by Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, CSC and Most Rev. Louis
Tylka, Bishops of Peoria:

1. Effective Monday, November 16, 2020, the 42 elementary and secondary schools in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria will shut down and deliver instruction via remote learning only.

2. This entire system shut down will be through January 18, 2021 with a return to in-person or remote instruction on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

3. While our school buildings are closed, principals should make arrangements to thoroughly disinfect and sanitize all areas within the schools.

4. Principals and teachers may be present in their offices and classrooms to facilitate remote-only instruction during the system shutdown.

5. While in the building, principals and teachers must observe all public health department mandates in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus including wearing masks at all times; washing hands frequently; checking temperatures throughout the day; and observing social distancing of more than 6 feet when interacting with other teachers in the building.

6. Preschool and prekindergarten classes will be delivered remotely; however, if parents/guardians choose to withdraw their child(ren) from these classes, tuition & fees may be refunded during this time of shutdown or applied as credit toward the individual family accounts until January 19, 2021 with the re-opening of our school buildings.

7. Principals will coordinate with their faculty and families and publish guidelines for the distribution of school computer laptops, grading, and assignments that must be picked up from and returned to the school. These individual school procedures and protocols should be published and shared with families as soon as possible.

8. As this is a system-wide shutdown, there will be no sporting or extracurricular events scheduled at the school. These activities may resume on January 19, 2021 following IESA and IHSA guidelines as approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health via the Office of the Governor.

The Bishops of Peoria and Office of Catholic Schools understand the many challenges that confront our school pastors, chaplains, principals, teachers, staffs, students and families with the issuance of this most recent guidance. However, the safety and health of our school personnel and students is first and foremost what ultimately factors into this most difficult of decisions.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine upon you, and be gracious
to you; may He lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.”

10-27-20

10-20-20

New information was released by Henry County Health Department late last week concerning Covid testing and what schools are allowed to accept.

Rapid Covid testing is to be accepted by schools with an accompanying doctor’s note stating an alternative diagnosis. This means the doctor needs to state the symptoms the child is experiencing are not Covid related but some other illness.

(PCR) Covid tests that are accepted are the type that take 48 – 72 hours to get results.

What remains the same

If a child has symptoms that resemble Covid, they are to stay at home and not come to school. Their siblings are to remain home from school as well.

Please isolate them from anyone outside of your household to avoid exposure to any other child/adult and risk the spread of the illness.

You are to stay at home for 10 days from onset of symptoms and 24 hours without fever or symptoms, or have a negative Covid test (48 – 72 hrs. to get result), or have a doctor’s note stating an alternative diagnosis to return to school.

Please be sure to call the school to inform us the reason for your child(ren)’s absence.

Symptoms to stay at home

Moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain of unknown cause, new congestion/runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, fatigue from unknown cause, muscle and body aches.

9-3-20

Protocols for Students Attending School or Remaining Home

Illness

A student must be symptom free to attend school.
a. If a child is sent to the office with a symptom that is Covid related, parents will be notified to  
    pick their child up and their siblings.  If a sibling is in another school, they will need to go
    home as well.  To return to school:

• Doctor’s note saying symptoms are not Covid related or

• Negative Covid test result or

• Remain out of school minimum 10 days from onset of symptoms, 24 hours with no fever, and improvement of symptoms.

b. If a parent calls a child in sick to school, the school will ask what symptoms they are
    experiencing.  If they are symptoms related to Covid, to return to school:

• Doctor’s note saying symptoms are not Covid related or

• Negative Covid test result or

• Remain out of school minimum 10 days from onset of symptoms, 24 hours with no fever, and improvement of symptoms.

If a child(ren) is out of school due to Covid symptoms, they will become eLearning students and will continue their classes with their teacher through Google Classroom or Seesaw until they are able to return to school.  Some situations, packets may be the best alternative.

These are guidelines given to us from the Illinois Department of Public Health.  Please follow these guidelines to protect yourself and others.

COVID Protocols

            1. Does your child have Covid symptoms?
                Symptoms:
               Fever 100.4 degrees or higher
               Headache
               Shortness of breath
               Cough
               Sore throat
               Vomiting
               Diarrhea
               Abdominal pain.
               In addition, some individuals (especially adults) may present the following symptoms:
               Congestion
               Runny nose
               New loss of sense of taste or smell
               Nausea
               Fatigue
               Muscle or body aches.

            2. If yes, please keep your child and ALL household members home from school.

The simplified version of returning to school:

• Doctor’s note saying symptoms are not Covid related or

• Negative Covid test result or

• Remain out of school minimum 10 days from onset of symptoms,

• 24 hours with no fever, and improvement of symptoms.

*Reminder – Always ask for a note to return to school from any appointment.  This is especially important during this time.  This includes doctor, dentist, orthodontist, Vision, etc.

Thank you,
Mr. Wayne Brau

8-31-20

Dear School Communities in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria,
 
Attached is the updated OCS Diocesan Reopening Plan for 2020-2021.  It will be published on the diocesan website (www.cdop.org) on August 31, 2020.  You will note that there is some revised information in our plan.  Until Thursday, August 27th, I did not have clarification about the implementation of Governor’s Restore Illinois five-phased plan and its application to our nonpublic schools. After being contacted by the public health department, I now have that clarification. 
 
Therefore, please note:
 
1. Governor J.B. Pritzker issued the following directive:  “WHEREAS, on June 4, 2020, I issued Executive Order 2020-40 allowing all public and nonpublic schools in Illinois to reopen for limited in-person instruction during Phase 3 and requiring schools to adhere to IDPH guidance to ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors…”
 
2. This Executive Order does apply to nonpublic schools and therefore, our diocesan elementary and secondary schools are required to follow the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidance during the pandemic.
 
3. I have instructed all of our diocesan principals to contact their local public health department officials to discuss the IDPH protocols that each of our schools must follow within their community.  
 
4. From the feedback that I have received personally from the public health department, and from the information shared with me from some of our principals who have already contacted their local health departments, our schools are required to report the name of any employee or student who has tested positive for COVID19.  Furthermore, our schools must also provide the names of any employee or student who has been in direct contact with a confirmed COVID19 person during the school day.  Direct contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the COVID19 positive person, with or without a mask, for 15 or more minutes.  Our schools will have to identify those employees and/or students who fit this criteria, and send their names and contact information to their local public health department officials in order to mitigate the virus.
 
5. With that being said, parents/guardians will be receiving a phone call or a letter from the local public health department discussing self-quarantining and when a safe return to school is allowed.  
 
6. If our diocesan schools do not comply with the Governor’s Executive Order that gives IDPH the authority to monitor compliance in our public and nonpublic schools, any of our schools could be in breach and may not be allowed to continue in-person instruction during the pandemic.
 
Please assist the Office of Catholic Schools and your diocesan school to adhere to the IDPH guidelines. Our cooperation will position our Catholic schools to continue to do what we do best:  form and educate. 
 
Thank you for your prayers and commitment to Catholic education.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Sharon Weiss
Superintendent of Schools
Catholic Diocese of Peoria

8-25-20

Food insecurity is a challenge for so many families, especially during the Covid-19 Crisis. Any child who was getting free or reduced-price lunch during the school year, is eligible for a program called P-EBT, which provides a one-time benefit of up to $342.00 per child. It covers the daily value of school meals each child would have received if schools were not closed due to the Pandemic. Families may also be eligible if they have had a change in income, or if their child goes to a school where free and reduced-price lunch is offered to every student. 
 

The application deadline is August 31st, 2020, which only gives us 10 days to spread the word. WMBD will be airing our TV spot beginning on August 25th, and its sister station in the Quad Cities will also be airing it. However, the two PSA's below are longer, and have much more information about the program.

 
P-EBT PSA | Kids
https://youtu.be/qzPGov7bO-Y
 
P-EBT PSA | Parents
https://youtu.be/jNvAiiT7cxw
 
30 second TV Spot
https://youtu.be/49VtHd88-2A


8-17-20

8-14-20

Visitation Catholic School Parents scenarios

I just wanted to share some basic information as the start of school is just a few days away.
Again, we will be taking every precaution to be sure your child is safe at school.

August 18th will be the first day of school with an 11:30 dismissal time. Students will be allowed
to enter the building at 7:55 through their designated doors, with 8:00 being the start of our
school day. August 19th will be the start of our shortened schedule with a 1:50 dismissal time.
We will follow this schedule until further notice.

Due to the cancellation of our “Back to School Night”, Visitation will be posting a video for
preschool, K – 4th, and 5th– 8th grades to view their rooms. This will assist you with giving your
child a visual image of their school before they arrive on Tuesday. I hope this will calm their
anxiety a little. Please watch for these videos later today or tomorrow on our school website.

Parents that have signed up for eLearning may pick up textbooks, workbooks, chrome books, etc
Tuesday, August 18th after 1:00. Further instructions will be included.

If any parent would be interested, you may fill out a free/reduced lunch application. You will
need to meet with me to gain approval. Again, you may apply any school day throughout the
school year when your financial situation changes.

We were saddened to hear that Mrs. Michele Wentworth has further health issues and will not be
able to teach this school year. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

We are happy to welcome two teachers to our staff. Mrs. Kimberly Hampton will be our 5th
grade teacher and Ms. McCommons will be our junior high Math and Science teacher. Please welcome them
into our Visitation family.

I want to reaffirm our dedication to keeping your child safe at our school. We will dedicate
ourselves to monitoring their health and our own health to keep everyone safe. We have many
protocols in place to maintain safety and social distancing. If we take one day at a time, the new
procedures will soon become normal day routines. If a situation would arise, we have protocols
in place to take care of it. We need to stay calm and address each day carefully and we will get
through this pandemic. With your help, we can provide a quality education for your child.
Sincerely,
Wayne Brau
Visitation Catholic School Principal
 

8-7-20

 To Parents of Visitation Catholic School 

I would like to welcome you to the new school year. I am writing you to share the protocols we are putting in place during the current pandemic. Some of this is new and it might have an impact on your decision to send your child to school or to use eLearning. 

If you choose eLearning, please fill out the necessary form I sent earlier or look for it on our website. Please have it turned in to the office by August 12^th. 

Due to COVID 19, the following practices are put into place. It is impossible to list every scenario, but these are our current ones. 

a. Entry into the school Every child/adult entering our school will have their temperature checked with a non-contact thermometer. K – 4^th will enter the building at the west gym door. 5^th – 8^th will enter the building at the west hallway door.

b. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will be isolated and parents contacted.

c. Masks WILL BE worn all day. I was informed differently during the summer, but with Governor Pritzker’s order and the Diocese new plan, masks will be worn all day, except when eating, drinking, or outside when 6ft separation can be guaranteed. The school will provide one reusable mask to start the year. Parents are asked to help provide masks. If temporary masks are to be used, they are to be one mask per day.

d. Please bring a water bottle Drinking fountains will not be accessible. The refill station will be usable.

e. Restrooms restricted Only three students will be allowed to use the restroom at one time.

f. Students remain in their room Junior high teachers will move from room to room. The only time students will leave their room is for PE, lunch, recess, restrooms. (Music is questionable.)

g. Lunch room Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Hot lunch will be available and will be served on disposable plates with disposable forks/spoons.
*Due to the risk of contamination, please do not send food that needs heated.*
There will be three cycles of lunch: K-2, 3-5, 6-8. h. Recess Recess will be held outside when weather permits. The playground will be divided into thirds and children or playground equipment cannot pass between classes. Masks will be worn because we cannot guarantee 6ft separation. 

i. Physical Education PE will be held outside or inside the gym. Masks will be required due to the fact we cannot guarantee 6ft. separation. Junior High students will not dress out for PE due to the fact they cannot social distance within the locker room.

j. Mass This is a change. Students will be a part of mass through livestream. They will remain in their classrooms to watch. Eucharistic ministers will bring the Eucharist to the classrooms or bless each student/staff member.

k. Dismissal Each room will be dismissed one at a time to keep social distancing. Parents are asked not to gather at the west door and remain in/by their vehicle.

l. Hand Sanitizers Hand Sanitizers will be in the hallway and classrooms. We will encourage students to wash their hands regularly. 

Again, I cannot explain every scenario, but this gives you a basic understanding how we will run our school day. 

Tuesday, August 18^th will be the first day of school for K-8, with an 11:30 dismissal. Preschool start Wednesday August 19^th.
Wednesday, August 19^th will be the first day of our early dismissal schedule with dismissal at 1:50. Teachers will then be available for eLearning at 2:00 – 3:30. We will follow this schedule until further notice. 

Reminder, if you wish to apply for Free/Reduced lunch, you need to meet with me. Parents can apply for Free/Reduced lunch any school day, if your financial situation would change. 

I know this will be a trying school year, but strong people rise up to meet the challenges. The staff at Visitation and parents will overcome this present challenge and provide a quality education for your children. If you have questions you may call me at 309-856-7451 or email me. 

Sincerely, 
Wayne Brau
Visitation Catholic School Principal
 

8-3-20

OCS Physicians' Back to School Overview and Q&A Discussion
Click Here to View Video
Password to access video if necessary: r3W?.SaQ

4-23-20
From the Diocese

Concerning K-12 Instruction and Tuition During the COVID19 Pandemic

Since remote learning is continuing through the end of the 2019-2020
academic year, any school family that needs assistance with obtaining
technology or with the delivery of e-learning during the COVID19 pandemic
should refer to the school’s Remote Learning Plan and contact the teacher(s)
and/or principal at your school. 

If anyone is experiencing a financial difficulty or challenge at this time, please
contact your school principal or pastor/chaplain for the availability of
assistance with tuition aid.