NEW YORK – Superintendent of Catholic Schools Mr. Michael J. Deegan has announced Catholic Schools within the Archdiocese of New York have extended the closure of all elementary schools in their system through Monday, April 20th, 2020. Informed by the current CDC guidelines and in consultation with other health professionals, the Health and Safety Task Force of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools made this decision out of concern for the well-being of the students, families, and staff. The Superintendent believes this decision will also help to successfully decrease risk to the whole community.
Last week, system principals and teachers prepared educational materials to engage the students in a week of home-based learning activities. This extended closure now requires that the professional educators, under the guidance of their regional superintendents, continue to plan for a long-term, home-based learning experience, which will include the same “religious, values-infused curriculum” taught in the schools, said Deegan.
Deegan, in a letter to parents, said “We understand our students, families, educators and the greater community are still coming to terms with all that has happened in the past few weeks. In addition to remaining faithful to our academic standards, we believe that home-based learning will provide a comforting sense of normalcy to the thousands of students we will continue to educate as we navigate these days of uncertainty together.”
Additional information can be found at https://catholicschoolsny.org/
