"Dear Parents,

We pray that this email finds you well as we head into the New Year. As we return to school on Monday to begin the second semester, we have made a few adjustments based on recommendations from local health officials that we hope will be temporary as we deal with the latest rise in COVID cases. Starting Monday, we will increase seating around campus at Unstructured Periods, utilizing various common areas such as the Student Services lobby and Brother Mark Thornton Terrace, in order to minimize the number of students gathering at any one table and to create social distancing to the greatest extent possible, particularly during lunch periods when our students will be actively eating and drinking without wearing masks. Masks will be required for everyone at all times while indoors on campus. This includes during regular school hours, after school, and while attending extracurricular events indoors.

We will also adopt the updated quarantine protocols from the CDC:

Students who test positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)
Regardless of vaccination status:
● Stay home for 5 days.
● If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolved after 5 days, you can leave your house.
● If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
● Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

Students who were exposed to someone with COVID-19
Students who have completed the primary series of an mRNA vaccine:
● Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
● Test on day 5.

Students who are unvaccinated who are exposed to someone with COVID-19:
● Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
● Test on day 5.

We will return to school on Monday on campus, and we believe these measures will keep our students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible while at school. On Monday, all teachers will review the process for remote learning with their classes. This review will prepare your son to participate in his classes virtually in case he is forced to stay home due to a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19. Because of the recent surge in cases of COVID, it is important that we all continue to monitor for symptoms. If your son has a fever or is not feeling well, please keep him home. If your son will not be able to attend school Monday because he is in quarantine for COVID-19, please communicate to either Mr. Michael Lynn (mlynn@brothermartin.com) or Mr. Jerry Ursin (gursin@brothermartin.com) in the Discipline & Attendance Office so that we can coordinate virtual learning between your son and his teachers.

Last year, our goal every day was to simply have school “tomorrow”. This year, as I said at our Back-To-School Night, our goal is to offer our students the Brother Martin experience, and to be creative in doing so when appropriate. This is still our goal, and we have been able to do this well throughout the first semester. Our hope is that this current rise in COVID cases will decrease quickly so that we can continue to move forward. Regardless of our circumstances, we look forward to working in partnership with you, overcoming obstacles, and embarking on a successful final semester of the 2021-2022 school year."

Happy New Year!

Your Partners in Mission,

Ryan Gallagher ‘00     Greg Rando ‘78
Principal                          President