Dear Parents,

Now that COVID-19 is present in Louisiana, the leadership and faculty at Brother Martin High School have begun careful and intentional preparation for providing meaningful, skill-based instruction and learning for our students in the event that we have to conduct classroom activities remotely. We will weigh many factors in making the decision to operate remotely after consulting with medical experts and government officials, and we will communicate that decision directly to you if and when we would reach such a conclusion. As of this communication, we are not aware of anyone in our school community who has been affected by COVID-19, and we do not anticipate having to close school; however, we are prepared for such an event.

We are carefully monitoring the situation and consulting with health care professionals in regard to all events hosted by Brother Martin. We will make any decision to postpone school-sponsored events and trips on a case-by-case basis, and we will update you as soon as possible through email or the school website and social media.

Because information regarding the evolution of the virus is fluid and changing by the day, it is critical that we have plans in place as a school should we need to enact these plans on short notice. We are blessed at Brother Martin to have the professional faculty and staff and the technological capabilities to continue to provide a disciplined, meaningful learning environment even if that environment is created outside of our own classrooms. We will be creative and flexible, and we will work with each of our students and his unique situation throughout such a process should the need arise.

In the event that we close school for a prolonged period of time, or in the event that an individual member of our faculty should have an extended period of absence, we are prepared to provide a reasonable, modified version of our curriculum based on the work we’ve done each school year in each department with Atlas curriculum mapping and the professional expertise of our faculty.

Fortunately, we have the technological capabilities to continue classroom instruction remotely, including Schoology resources (including the ‘Conferencing Application’ that allows for live stream and recorded video), Google Drive, slides, sheets, and docs, online textbooks, and MyMathLab, among many other resources. It is imperative that students check their Brother Martin school email and Schoology account for communication on a daily basis moving forward.

The educational tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart provides personal attention and friendly discipline rooted in religious values in a welcoming environment that promotes each individual student’s academic excellence. So while remote learning and instruction is certainly not optimal, it may become a reality as our world continues to change before our eyes. As partners in Mission, I am confident that with courage and trust we will make the best of whatever circumstances we might face - just as we have in the past.

In the event that our school is forced to close for a prolonged period of time and remote learning becomes our reality, we will have many more specifics to communicate to both you and your son(s). However, should you have questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to ask. We may not have all of the answers as we grapple with the fluidity and ever-changing nature of this particular situation, but we will do all that we can and all that we must in working in partnership with you.

Your Partner in Mission,

Ryan Gallagher '00
Principal