COVID-19 Information

Phase II | Live Instruction and Office Hours

We appreciate your continued support and flexibility as we navigate this situation. We look forward to a time when we can gather again in person.

All teachers should be able to communicate back to students by 3pm the same day. To maintain our modified block schedule, teachers will post/update new assignments, lessons, lectures, etc for students according to the following schedule:

• Mon/Wed-Periods 1-4
• Tues/Thurs-Periods 5-7

Students should expect this communication to occur between 8am - 10am and will then be able to complete the work, engage in the instruction and communicate with their teachers throughout the day. Teachers are standardizing their classroom communications and instructional expectations for all the classes.

Communications from teachers will occur with students from 8am - 3pm. Teachers will be establishing regular office hours and will be sending the schedule to their students.

While we are not logging on to classes according to our regular daily schedule, the expectation is that students and teachers are still engaging in instruction on a daily basis. There is a balance. This will look very different to our standard school day.

We are utilizing blended online distance learning (Asynchronous Learning). There is expected online engagement with a variety of platforms, MS Teams, Zoom, Skype, YouTube, online printables, as well as Schoology, Edmodo, Skyward, Office 365/Teams, teacher websites, email, PowerPoint, etc. Teachers can record lectures and host them on a variety of video hosting sites. Assignments/curriculum from open-source resources may be provided. Students may receive packets of readings/assignments via email or mail/pickup as appropriate. Instructional methodologies were shared with students by their individual teachers prior to the mandated school closure.

Synchronous learning (a daily schedule with required periods that would mimic in class learning) is challenging for us to implement as we would need to guarantee that all students would have access and the ability to engage online at the required times. We have, however, established a schedule to be fully implemented next week that allows a similar format with more flexibility for students to access. We will be a 1:1 school in 20/21, with Canvas implementation, however, at this time we are not able to offer one platform only. As we are offering online learning at this time, it would be challenging to limit to one platform without the opportunity to train the teachers, students and parents. Using the modes of instruction in use prior to the school closure has afforded us the best options for continued learning.

We are continuing to monitor all students’ grades to ensure they are progressing as required. Students should be using this time to not only stay current in assignments, but also make up missing work to ensure the ability to pass the course. 3^rd quarter progress reports are available and reflect grades from January 21, 2020- March 20, 2020. 4^th Quarter began on March 23. Teachers will be grading assigned work and projects and holding students accountable for completion.

Students should be working on essential standards and skills and will be assessed and graded on achievement and progress.

Students will be assessed based on completion of work in accordance with class instructions. We will not have formal final exams in the traditional format this year.

Seniors will still graduate on time, as long as they have successfully met credit requirements. It is vital that seniors maintain school expectations, teacher expectations, and course work assigned.

Teachers are communicating with their classes through a variety of platforms. They are available Monday-Friday 8-3. Parents should reach out to teachers or counselors with questions or concerns.

This COVID-19 webpage is frequently updated and includes this FAQ page. Our eNews continues to be published on Fridays.

Our school’s annual calendar dates remain the same as prior to the Governor’s mandate to close schools. Hours and days are deemed met with our online education program. We will not be required to make up days. Easter Break will be observed from April 10 -April 17. There will not be an expectation for student work during that time. Online school will resume on April 20.

The last day of school for seniors will be May 28. At this time, we do not know if we will be able to celebrate Baccalaureate Mass or Graduation as planned but we are considering alternative options.

The last day of school is June 5.

Here are 5 Tips from our counseling department to help students and families be more successful with distance learning

• Help your student set a realistic daily schedule, ideally maintaining regular school hours and if possible, in a dedicated workspace. Help them add in breaks as needed.
• Make sure that your student is using their planner or other calendar to keep track of assignments, quizzes etc. Check in with your student daily, they may need some extra encouragement and guidance these first few weeks.
• Students need to reach out to their teachers if they are having difficulties understanding assignments and/or content assigned. Students can email their teachers and they will likely receive an answer back within 24 hours. If your student is shy or hesitant to email a teacher, help them draft the emails until they feel comfortable doing it themselves.
• Since this is part of the regular school year, students need to maintain regular sleep hours, find ways to exercise regularly and maintain healthy eating.
• Help your students create social connectivity. Teenagers are very social and may be struggling having lost in person connections with friends. Consider having them connect using some of the virtual tools such as Zoom. Remind them that this is temporary and that if we all follow the social distancing guidelines, we may be able to resume in person social contact sooner.

Parents should be checking Skyward frequently to monitor their students work and progress.

We are working with UW and SU. They are developing their guidelines for their high school programs. We hope to have a definitive answer from them soon, but it appears that we may not have it until After April 10.

The College Board has announced modifications to the 2020 AP Exams. Information specific to each class will be sent by the particular teacher, this information is to give an overview for the 2020 AP Exams.

The following information applies to the 2020 AP Exams.

• Students will have the choice of two different testing dates. These dates will be announced on April 3. One date will be in April, and the other in May.
• The exam will be administered entirely online.
• The exam may be taken from home on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Or, students may handwrite work on separate paper, photograph it, and upload it.
• The exam will only be forty-five minutes in length and will consist entirely of free-response questions. There will be no multiple-choice questions on this year's exam.
• By April 3, the College Board will announce how many of the FRQs will permit the use of a calculator.
• Some content will not be tested on the exam. See more information from your AP teacher.

The College Board is developing free remote-learning resources to help students prepare for the exam. This information will be sent to each AP class by your AP teacher.

Students can use this form to help organize their work. It includes columns for the class, teacher email, platform used and assignments.

New International Family and Student Information

We are no longer accepting applications for fall semester of the 2020-2021 school year. We are now accepting applications for spring semester which begins in January 2021. Please contact us if you have questions or plan to apply: INT@kennedyhs.org

Successfully enrolled students can now apply for a F-1 Visa. Please visit here for the U.S. visa and travel restrictions. We will work with you to accommodate your needs, so feel free to communicate with us.

As of today, check-in dates are as follows: Housing check-in date: Saturday, August 15, 2020. Please email flight arrival information to housing@kennedyhs.org by Friday, August 7, 2020. New student orientation check-in date and time: 9:00am on Monday, August 17, 2020.

We hope to return to normal school operations for the 2020-2021 school year and are closely monitoring how our state, in coordination with other West Coast states, are planning for the recovery. The school will determine when and how school employees and students may safely come back to our campus in the fall. We will be guided by school leadership and the public health expertise that has served us so well up to this point.

Can I defer my attendance if I cannot get a visa or travel restrictions prevent me from entering the U.S.?

International students who confirmed enrollment by June 1 should have their I-20 and apply for the F1 visa (if not yet done). We are planning to coordinate orientation and advising, arrange for housing, and registration for classes.

If you are unable to begin fall semester classes due to visa or travel restrictions, you may contact the Office of Admissions after August 15 to request a deferral to spring 2021 which begins in January. If you do not wish to attend the Kennedy Catholic spring term, then you can defer to Fall 2021. You will not need to reapply.

Orientation/testing/course selection, etc. will begin on Monday, August 17 at 9:00am. Kennedy Catholic will administer an in-house English and math placement assessment. Your presence is vital to a good start for the school term.

Current International Family and Student Information

As of today, current students are expected to return between August 22 and August 26, 2020 and check-in on Thursday, August 27, 2020.

We hope to return to normal school operations for the 2020-2021 school year and are closely monitoring how our state, in coordination with other West Coast states, are planning for the recovery. The school will determine when and how school employees and students may safely come back to our campus in the fall. We will be guided by school leadership and the public health expertise that has served us so well up to this point.

If you remain in the U.S., keep your mind active this summer. Consider taking an online class for college credit. Talk with your international student advisor about what university class would be the best fit for you and be sure to sign up by the deadline.

International students who returned home or would like to, must confirm enrollment by June 1 and should apply for the F1 visa renewal (if needed). All students should plan to attend the back-to-school welcome activities, advising sessions, and meetings with counselors for class registration. Make your travel plans to return to the U.S. for the fall semester now. Addition information about fall operations will be posted to the COVID-19 webpage as it becomes available. Please check this page regularly.

To our Kennedy Catholic High School Class of 2020:

The close of on-site school has been challenging for all of us, but particularly for you, our seniors.

All your teachers and administrators send their love and support to every one of you as we continue to navigate the school closure. None of us expected when we left the building on March 12, that it would be the last day we would be together. We know it is very disappointing for you to not be able to be on campus with your friends, classmates, teachers, and coaches. We miss you too! We are confident you all have the strength, faith, and courage to rise above the challenges and make the most out of these times!

Thank you to all who participated in the senior survey. We are working to provide as many of your long-awaited ceremonies and traditions as we can in our ever-changing environment. We know the loss of many of your expected and anticipated activities leaves an ache in your hearts. We want to do everything we can possibly do to help you celebrate your years of accomplishments, friendships, hard work, achievements and plans moving forward. Here are the plans we have so far:

Grandparent’s Day Mass and May Crowning - Friday, May 1
We will celebrate a livestream Mass at 10:30am on Facebook Live. Find additional details here.

Signing Day - Friday, May 8
Students can take pictures proudly wearing gear representing their plans for next year; send them to us and we will post on social media. Let’s celebrate the next part of your journey!

Senior Awards - May 15
Top 10, Salutatorian, Valedictorian and Department Awards will be announced.

Moving Up Assembly and Gauntlet - Friday May 22
We will have a social distance moving up and gauntlet at school. Stay tuned for more info! Yearbooks will also be available at this time.

Prom - Saturday May 23
Unfortunately, with the uncertainly of gathering restrictions being lifted, we will not be able to have prom this year. But look forward to a surprise delivery!

Final Exams
There will be no final exams, except as required for UW and SU courses. The last day of class for seniors will be May 27.

Baccalaureate and Graduation: (please note a date change)

Thursday, May 28 we will celebrate a virtual Baccalaureate Mass. We are planning ways to include your special items and ensure your class nominated speaker can give their talk.

Friday, May 29 we will have a virtual graduation. We are confident we can make this a meaningful and memorable experience for you.

In-person Graduation Celebration - Saturday, July 18
If the ban on group gatherings is lifted by early summer, we have tentatively planned an in-person graduation celebration for Saturday, July 18. This will be held on campus and will likely be an intimate celebration for students and their families.

Grad Night:
Due to the closure, gathering restrictions and venue needs, we will have to cancel the grad night party. We will be issuing refunds to all who have submitted payments. We are working with the vendor to secure these refunds. Further information on anticipated date of refund to come.

Announcements and End of Year Miscellaneous:
Herff Jones will deliver your announcements and graduation orders between May 4-15. As soon as we have them, we will coordinate a way to pick up your orders at school.

We have scheduled locker clean out and drop off for Batterberry Books, library books, team uniforms, etc. for the week of May 25. Stay tuned for additional information on the process. This will be determined by the lifting of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy mandate.

Finally, know that we care for you, love you and are so proud of you! May God bless you, today and always,

Mrs. Bradish

Governor Jay Inslee has closed all public and private K-12 schools effective March 17 through May 4, at minimum (on April 2, Governor Inslee extended the stay at home order through May 4). Please continue to check our COVID-19 page regularly for updated information regarding when school will be reinstated.

Beginning on Monday, March 23, we will be implementing the following schedule to assist students with establishing routines and prevent overload.

New assignments and communications with students will occur between 8-10 daily (Monday-Friday). All teachers should be able to communicate back to students by 3pm the same day.

Mon/Wed-Periods 1-4

Tues/Thurs-Periods 5-7.

Communications from teachers will occur with students from 8-3pm.

At this time Governor Jay Inslee has asked schools only keep their buildings open for a small number of staff and administrative teams. In the event you need to arrange for academic and/or technology resources, please contact the Main Office, 206-246-0500 to make an appointment.

Contact our Technology Department at tech@kennedyhs.org and notify your teachers as soon as possible. We are working with families to provide needed resources on a case by case basis.

While campus is closed, faculty and staff will be regularly checking email. Please login to your student outlook account to email your teachers directly. Please visit our directory page for all faculty and staff contact information.

All teachers will be able to respond to student’s questions via email. It is suggested to keep in touch with other students in your class(es) in order to collaborate via technology platforms (phone, text, social media).

Not at this time, however we are continuing to explore options as we evaluate remote learning. In the meantime, please connect with teachers. Khan Academy offers a wide variety of resources and online lessons https://www.khanacademy.org/

We are monitoring the situation with the state and OSPI and in communication with our faculty and chairs. We will communicate the plan regarding our online blended learning model.

Our expectation and priority is to provide ongoing instruction by teachers. We also expect our students to stay engaged while they continue to learn skills, concepts, and content during this unprecedented remote learning period.We are providing these educational resources to ensure all students transition to next year’s classes seamlessly. This also is true for our current seniors.

Yes, under our current plan seniors will graduate on time. However, it is vital that seniors maintain school expectations, teacher expectations, and course work assigned.

This will be determined at a later date if needed.

Our school’s annual calendar dates remain the same as prior to the Governor’s mandate to close schools. Hours and days are deemed met with our online education program. We will not be required to make up days.

Easter Break will be observed from April 10 - April 17.
The last day of school for seniors will be May 28.
The last day of school is June 5.

YES! We need your support now more than ever! The KATCH auction has gone virtual. Visit our virtual auction webpage for details.

Account balances can be shifted to a sibling, moved forward to next school year or refunded. Questions can be directed to Shelley Anonson.

The College Board just released information to help students prepare. Visit the college board website for the latest updates.

• The College Board is working to offer students the ability to take their AP exams from home using a computer, tablet or smartphone. Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.
• Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.

The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing details will be available by April 3. We'll also unlock any relevant free-response questions in AP Classroom for digital use so students can access all practice questions of the type that will appear on the exam.

Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, students and teachers can attend free AP review courses delivered by AP teachers from across the country. These mobile-friendly classes are:Designed to be used alongside work that may be given by schools.

• Will be recorded and available on-demand so teachers and students can access them any time.
• Not dependent on current AP teachers continuing instruction. We know many AP teachers now face challenges that would make that impossible.
• Will focus on reviewing the skills and concepts from the first 75% of the course. There will also be some supplementary lessons covering the final 25% of the course.

AP teachers will be communicating with their classes regarding AP tests and preparation.

We are utilizing blended online distance learning (Asynchronous Learning). There is expected online engagement with a variety of platforms including MS Teams, Zoom, Skype, YouTube, online printables, as well as Schoology, Edmodo, Skyward, Office 365/Teams, teacher websites, email, PowerPoint, etc. Teachers can record lectures and host them on a variety of video hosting sites. Assignments/curriculum from open-source resources may be provided. Students may receive packets of readings/assignments via email or mail/pickup as appropriate. Instructional methodologies were shared with students by their individual teachers prior to the mandated school closure.

The Internet Archive now offers access to 1.4 million scanned books as part of the National Emergency Library. The Archive is a non-profit digital library which has partnered with Philips Academy Andover, Marygrove College, and Trent University, in order to broaden access to library materials online. Normally many of these scanned books have large wait-lists to access them, but as a result of the increased need of distance learning resources, all limits on concurrent borrowing are waived until at least late-June.

While the National Emergency Library owns only a fraction of the holdings of a large-scale research library, it has a lot of scanned PDFs of semi-contemporary fiction and other physical books that aren't normally available as ebooks.

In order to access materials, students (or at-home readers!) must make a free account and click the "Borrow" button. The link to do so is at the top of each record's webpage.

Be sure to check the e-news for additional information and stay connected with us on social media.

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

CeNTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC)

King County Public Health

US Department of State