COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions: 2021-2022 School Year

Schedule & Instruction
Q. What will the in-person schedule be at San Joaquin Memorial High School?
A. San Joaquin Memorial is planning to move forward with our normal schedule, which can be viewed at https://files.ecatholic.com/23829/documents/2021/8/2021-22%20Bell%20Schedules2.pdf

Our schedule will include Monday as a white day, Tuesday and Thursday as red days and Wednesday and Friday as blue days.

Q. Is San Joaquin Memorial High School offering online instruction?
A. No. SJM is offering a full pre-COVID, in-person schedule five days a week.

Q. Will teachers continue to utilize online platforms and Google classroom with students for in-person learning along with instructional resources they used in the classroom prior to the pandemic?
A. Teachers are equipped with all of the same educational technology tools and resources they used during the pandemic and many of these same resources will remain in use to support in-person instruction into the future.


Health & Safety Guidelines
Q. Will temperature checks still be required?
A. No, daily onsite temperature checks will no longer be conducted.

Q. Is social distancing still being implemented?
A. In their July 12 updated guidance for California K-12 schools, the CDC removed its physical distancing requirements while still recommending implementation of layered health and safety mitigation measures like those described on this website.

Q. Will parents, visitors or volunteers be allowed on campus?
A. SJM is continuing to take steps to reduce the amount of traffic on campuses. Parents and guests will be allowed on campus for all necessary school related activities.

Q. How will lunch-time work?
A. SJM will offer one lunch-time for students, rather than splitting students into two lunches. Students have ample space to eat outside or inside.

Q. What happens if we have another spike in cases? Since schools will not be doing any distance learning is there a plan in place for a new government shut down of schools?
A. In recent announcements, CDPH has emphasized the importance of in-person learning. Improving COVID vaccination rates and treatments for the virus help protect against future shutdowns, but there is no certain guarantee against future requirements for schools. We will take all of our guidance from the Diocese of Fresno in regards to school shutdowns and return to online learning. However, if it becomes a reality that we must return to online learning, we have all of the resources in place to make it happen successfully.

Q. Will vaccines be required for students or staff to return in-person? 
A. There are no current requirements to require vaccination for staff and students. We will continue to closely watch the state-level dialogue on the topic and will keep the community informed if such a requirement becomes part of California’s school vaccination requirements.

Q. Can students be assigned classes based on their and/or their parents’ vaccination status? Can parents request their child be placed in a vaccinated teacher’s class?
A. No. Currently, there is no plan to accommodate requests based on vaccination status.

Q. What are the safety protocols for bus riders?
A. SJM will continue to offer transportation. On the bus, students can expect enhanced ventilation and sanitizing, required face coverings, and more safety protocols. You can view the transportation schedule at https://sjmhs.org/documents/2021/7/Transportation%20Schedule%20-Craig-1.pdf   

Q. What if we want to stay online? 
A. In the 2021-2022 school year, SJM is returning to in-person, on-campus, five-day-a-week instruction and will no longer be operating the distance learning program that was set up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contact Tracing & Quarantine Guidelines
Q. Is contact tracing still at 6 feet of distance?
A. Contact tracing requirements from CDPH continue to be based on the 6 feet of distance, however, based on an individual's vaccination status and other factors, quarantine requirements are lessened. According to the CDC, the recommended distance has been reduced to three feet.


Q. If my student is fully vaccinated and gets exposed, will they be required to quarantine?
A. If a fully vaccinated student is exposed to COVID-19 and is asymptomatic, no quarantine is needed.  If symptomatic, a COVID-19 test is required.  If negative, the student may return to school when symptom-free for 24 hours.  If positive, the student must isolate for 10 days and be symptom-free for 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) in order to return to campus.  



Q. If a student is in quarantine, will they be considered absent or an excused absence?
A. If a student is required to quarantine as a result of exposure to COVID-19 they will be marked with an excused absence. As health and safety guidelines change, we will keep parents notified.


Q. How will instruction for a student look like if they must quarantine?
A. Our pre-COVID independent study process will be in place to support any student who must miss class(es) because of quarantine. Students will be required to communicate with teachers via email and the use of Google classroom will be important for assignments and assessments.

Q. What is the plan for when a student tests positive for COVID in a class? Does the whole class shut down?
A. We have contract tracing protocols which we will continue to follow in the event of a positive case on campus. These protocols will determine if any student or adult must quarantine as a “close contact.”

Athletics, Co-Curricular Activities & Events
Q. Will athletics and co-curricular activities be offered?
A. Yes, athletics and co-curricular activities are being offered. We expect athletics and co-curricular activities to follow traditional schedules. Health and safety protocols will be followed according to local health and safety guidelines. Indoor sports will have different guidelines than outdoor sports, with information regarding this pending. The CIF and CDPH will guide athletics protocols season by season.

Q. Can parents attend school events?
A. Parents may attend events, but each event may have restrictions based on its nature. Indoor and outdoor spectator restrictions will vary.

Q. Will there be back to school night?
A. Yes. There will a back-to-school night. More details will come.

Masks
Q. Will students and staff be required to wear masks during the 2021-22 school year?
A. Yes, masks continue to be required by local, state and national health officials in order for us to hold in-person classes. The Diocese of Fresno is also mandating face coverings indoors. Face coverings and other health and safety requirements will be in place for as long as they continue to be required for our facilities to be open. Masks are required to be worn by adults and students regardless of vaccination status indoors in a K-12 setting when students are present. If requirements for schools change as COVID conditions improve, we will update plans accordingly. Read more about Diocesan requirements at https://myemail.constantcontact.com/COVID-Update-from-the-Office-of-Catholic-Education.html?soid=1102032144129&aid=C_RnK6YBxsc

Q. Can students take off their masks in PE?
A. Currently students are not required to wear masks when they are engaged in strenuous physical activity (loosely defined as any activity that will work up a sweat).

Q. If/when masks are no longer required, can my child still wear one if I want them to?
A. At this time, we do not anticipate requiring students to NOT wear a mask but will continue to evaluate this option related to state and local health guidance and requirements.

Q. Do we need to send supplies with our children, such as sanitizers and extra masks?
A. Students are expected to provide their own mask. Schools will have a supply of hand sanitizer for student use as well as extra masks on hand. Mask guidelines and requirements are available here: https://files.constantcontact.com/1070c369001/758da16c-345e-4fa5-8957-7874c097c735.pdf