Embarking on the start of a third school year since the coronavirus pandemic was first announced, officials with The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s Catholic Schools Office have assured parents and students that “we have fully returned to normal school operations.”
“We are still following CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and state health department guidelines,” said Christian Buchleitner, associate superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese. “And we have come back fully.”
Anne Dillon, the archdiocese’s assistant superintendent of School Operations and Student Services, said that wearing a mask – while not a requirement – may sometimes be required “if a person is recovering or to protect other people in their household.”
The CDC last month announced updated COVID safety protocols, including no longer requiring a person to quarantine after exposure to the virus, and cutting back on screening persons with no symptoms.
“The CDC is not really recommending the whole quarantine after exposure like before, and that is good because we need to keep kids in school,” Dillon said.
Both Buchleitner and Dillon stressed that Catholic schools continue to employ
“mitigation strategies,” such as urging hand washing, encouraging students and staff to stay home when ill and stressing respiratory hygiene (covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing).
“We recognize that there are folks out
there who struggle a great deal trying to keep themselves as healthy as possible. We are not minimizing any concerns. There are still very valid concerns,” Dillon said.
“We are at a point where we are living with COVID to some degree, and we are using good, sound health practices in our schools.”
Dillon added that schools will continue to send a letter home when a case arises among students or staff. She also stressed that “it is important for parents to be aware and look for the symptoms” and recognize that their child could be exposed to the virus anywhere – a classroom, movie theater, mall or sports field.
Last month, the Catholic Schools Office announced that it would follow a District of Columbia mandate concerning COVID-19 vaccinations for public and private school students in the District.
The city is requiring that students 12 years old and older, unless exempted, receive COVID-19 vaccines by Jan. 3, 2023. That is an extension of the original deadline in order to ensure the most number of children receive the vaccine.
In a statement, the Catholic Schools Office said, “The District of Columbia
has informed schools that its COVID-19 vaccination mandate applies to all students, both public and private.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington intends to follow the new legal requirements and will honor religious or conscience-based exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine if claimed by parents, as well as properly substantiated medical exemptions, in accordance with the law.”
“School safety in general is a top priority for our Cath schools – an all-encompassing priority that includes not only physical health, but mental health,” Buchleitner said. “The schools do a great deal of work to ensure a safe learning environment for students and staff.”
Dillon agreed, adding that “kids don’t learn if they don’t feel safe and comfortable.”
