COVID-19 Information

Policies and Procedures

The purpose of these policies and procedures is to outline Saint Xavier High School's return-to-school guidelines and re-opening of campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines have been carefully considered to address and promote the safety, health, and welfare of our community. They apply to all students, faculty and staff on St. X's campus and are subject to change in accordance with circumstances and public health orders. For questions related to clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at 502.634.2176.

St. X COVID-19 Reporting (11/27/20@2:00pm):

Cases Currently Active = 4

How and When Students will Return to Campus (Start of School - see "Announcements" section below for updates to this plan)

What to Expect When Arriving on Campus

Students arriving on time for the school day are to enter through the Student Plaza/Cafeteria circle. Students being dropped off may exit vehicles in the traffic circle just outside the cafeteria. Students coming in from student parking are to walk to this entrance from the lot.
Students arriving after the school day has begun are to make arrangements with school Administration and/or Student Services in order to receive a specified procedure for entering the school building.
Everyone entering campus will have their temperature taken upon arrival with thermal scanners. These scanners are touch-less and have significant capacity for students, faculty, staff and visitors to be checked quickly. Individuals with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be unable to remain on campus.
All individuals on campus are required to wear a mask. A face shield may be worn in place of a mask with a doctor’s note.
Social distancing measures will be taken.
Visitors are not permitted on campus at this time.

What Are the School Health Office Procedures

Health Office Procedures During Visit:

Temperature and symptoms will be checked outside of the office with brief triage to ensure correct isolation or care area provided for student
Will be isolated from triage area if presenting with high-risk COVID symptoms and will need immediate pickup from parent or guardian.
Must wash hands or use hand gel entering and leaving the office
Student must wear school-mandated mask or face covering
6-foot social distancing of visitors to office
If congested, line will be outside the Health Office and student will be on designated marking on ground to wait
No visitors unless medically necessary

If a Student Becomes Sick During the School Day

If a student presents to the nurse with ONE COVID-19 symptom, appropriate steps will be taken for the student to be picked up.
Student will be isolated while a parent/guardian is contacted.
If a student is being picked up, it is preferred to have the parent or guardian remain in the car and school personnel will escort the student to the vehicle.
At her clinical discretion, the school nurse may ask that the student be referred to their Primary Care Provider for evaluation and possible testing.

For questions related to clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at (502) 634-2176.

When to Stay Home

High-Risk Symptoms Requiring Absence and/or Immediate Pickup:

Fever (100.4 F or above)
Sore throat
New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain
New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
Loss of taste or smell
Chills
Unexplained fatigue
Unexplained muscle/body aches
Tested positive for COVID-19
Had close contact* to a confirmed COVID-19 case
Having traveled to a state with a 15% or higher positivity rate will require a 14 day quarantine. Please use the following site for current positivity rates: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/testing-positivity

Other Conditions requiring absence:

The first 24 hours of various antibiotic treatments (i.e. strep throat, pink eye, etc.)
Undiagnosed, new, and/or untreated rash or skin condition

*NOTE: Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more

**For questions related to clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at (502) 634-2176.

***Parents are required to notify the school nurse if their son has tested positive for COVID-19, suspects he may have COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

When to Return to School After an Illness/Exposure

Individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19, and are symptomatic may return to campus after:

At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
At least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
Symptoms have improved

Individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19, but are asymptomatic may return to campus after:

At least 10 days since date of test (not necessarily date of results) or onset of symptoms and
If symptoms arise, at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
If symptoms arise, symptoms have improved

(*Note: If individual has onset of symptoms AFTER a positive test, the 10-day quarantine restarts on date of onset of symptoms. A post-positive onset of symptoms needs to be reported immediately to St. X.)

Individuals that have had close contact* with a person that has tested positive for COVID-19 may return to campus after:

Quarantining for 14 days and
Monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19

A negative COVID test will not release a person from quarantine prior to the 14 day waiting period.

(*NOTE: Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more.)

Individuals confirmed with non-COVID-19 diagnoses may return to campus after:

At least 24 hours of applicable antibiotic treatments (ex: strep throat, pink eye, etc.) and
At least 24 hours fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for non COVID related viral illnesses such as common cold or flu and
Symptoms have improved

For questions related to clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at (502) 634-2176.

What to Expect Upon a Confirmed Diagnosis

In the event of anyone that has been on campus having a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, St. X will comply with all of the Louisville Metro Health Department of Public Wellness’ guidelines on contact tracing. Families will be notified if their student is believed to have had contact with the affected individual(s) and of the possible need for a 14 day quarantine. Due to privacy policies, specific names of any individual confirmed with COVID-19 will not be released.

For questions related to clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at (502) 634-2176.

How Campus Will Be Cleaned & Sanitized

St. X will constantly monitor the ever-evolving conditions associated with COVID-19, and will review and update guidance as needed based on those conditions and in consultation with public health officials. The following extensive health and safety measures are currently in place:

The HVAC system is designed to provide the recommended air flow and humidity in all areas of our building. It can be adjusted according to the weather to bring in more outside air.
A more frequent filter replacement schedule has been implemented for the HVAC system.
Attention is being paid to increase in ventilation, including opening windows when appropriate to increase outside air flow.
The new HVAC system in the library has an Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation system that kills 99% of germs.
Air purifiers that utilize a UV germicidal light and HEPA filter have been installed in each classroom.
A fan will be installed in the second floor of the main classroom building to increase air flow.
Hand sanitizing stations are in place in each classroom and the cafeteria. Additional stations have been added near entrances and other high-traffic areas.
The housekeeping team is cleaning the facility in two shifts throughout the day. This will include exposed surfaces, water fountains, door handles, handrails, faucets, etc.
Nitrile gloves are being used for health services, cleaning, and sanitation.
Electrostatic Sprayer cleaning systems are being used to disinfect all areas of the building. These systems will increase the intensity and frequency of disinfection/sanitation practices.
Plexi-glass partitions have been installed in key areas including Student Services.
Signs have been
posted in highly visible areas to promote health and safety.

How Visitors Can Communicate with School

How The CMC Will Operate

What to Expect in Athletics

All St. X student athletes and coaches have a personal responsibility to practice healthy habits to help slow the spread of #COVID19 and are expected to follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines from the CDC and Governor’s Office:

Practice social distancing by putting space between yourself and others.
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Clean and then disinfect frequently used surfaces.
Stay home if you are sick or having symptoms as indicated in the above-listed "When To Stay Home" tab.
Avoid touching your face.

Fall Workouts - Daily Participation Regulations:

For the safety of all student athletes and staff, please make plans to provide your own transportation.
Individuals providing transportation for student athletes will be required to remain in their vehicles or leave campus to return for pick-up. Those waiting on campus should wait in the large parking lot near the front of the Wills Center. The circle will be blocked to all traffic and parking.
All football players are to arrive wearing a mask, until they are involved in physical activity.
All athletes will enter the stadium at Gate 1 near the Tiger statue and concession stand.
Saint Xavier will require a daily temperature check as well as the completion of a daily wellness questionnaire for all participants upon arrival to campus. Additionally, all athletic personnel (athletes, coaches, managers, etc.) must have temperature rechecked prior to workouts following the school day.
Social distancing, minimum six foot spacing is required while on campus.
Student Athletes will be assigned to specific workout pods and will report to their specific coach upon arrival to campus for check-in procedures.
All student athletes are required to bring their own individually marked water bottle/jug. A refill station operated by the Saint Xavier Sports Medicine Department will be provided.
Restrooms are available and will be cleaned and sanitized for use each day.
Student athletes will depart following their workout session through Gate 3 near the main school building.
Student athletes and/or staff experiencing symptoms as listed in the above-listed "When to Stay Home" tab will not be permitted to remain on campus and will be asked to follow the protocol under the above-listed "When to Return to School" tab.
- In addition to the guidelines for returning to school following a positive COVID test, student athletes must provide a note from an attending physician AND the Department of Health indicating a return to campus and athletic participation.
- Documentation must be provided to the Athletic Trainers.

Additional KHSAA information and resources for parents, student athletes, and coaches can be found at the following link: http://khsaa.org/resources/Covid19/khsaajune2020covidallowancesandrestrictions.pdf

Where to find additional resources

For questions related to St. X clinical policies and procedures as well as to report potential or confirmed exposure to COVID-19 for a St. X student, please contact the school nurse, AnnCoury Mulloy at (502) 634-2176.
https://louisvilleky.gov/government/louisville-covid-19-resource-center#resources
https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19
KY Department for Public Health's COVID-19 hotline: (800) 722-5725
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Click to view PDF: Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness: Release from COVID-19 Home Isolation Mild to Moderate Illness
Additional KHSAA information and resources for parents, student athletes, and coaches can be found at the following link: http://khsaa.org/resources/Covid19/khsaajune2020covidallowancesandrestrictions.pdf

Announcements

The intent of these announcements is to maintain effective communication with the St. X community within the changing landscape of COVID-19. As circumstances evolve, this platform will serve as a centralized location where the most recent updates about our campus can be found. These announcements will also be distributed to students, families, faculty and staff through standard school methods.

November 18, 2020 - December School Schedule Update

We appreciate your flexibility and patience while we prepare to move to a full NTI schedule. There has been some confusion regarding NTI and virtual learning. We consider anything outside of a normal school day to be non-traditional, so that is why we reference it as NTI – but it is definitely virtual learning. For the next few weeks, school days will be similar to what occurs on the day students currently learn from home. We are going to eliminate the last two X Days in December so that we can maximize instructional time leading into Christmas. Below is the updated calendar. This schedule is only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. We will do everything in our power to work with the health department so that we can resume the hybrid schedule in January.

November 16, 2020 - Updates to the School Schedule

On Friday, we received a new recommendation from the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the Archdiocese of Louisville regarding a move to NTI instruction for the remainder of the semester after Thanksgiving. The health department was pivotal in allowing us to return in August with hybrid instruction, and we want to support their efforts to curb the spread of this virus. Due to an overwhelming number of family functions and parties the last few weeks, our students have given the health department a significant load of contact tracing to do, so we believe that we need to share the responsibility of moving to NTI. We still have not had a case of COVID-19 contracted inside our school building, but the numbers in the community are alarming to our faculty and staff, including the percentage of asymptomatic cases we have seen.

Bell Schedule - December 1 - 18

Students must check-in to each class every day unless told otherwise by their teacher. Unless a study hall is during A or H, they do not have to check in for study halls or lunch period. Students who have study hall during A or H must check in at 8:30 to be counted present for the day.

NTI differs from traditional instruction in some important ways:

Students should expect at least 20-30 minutes of synchronous instruction during the class period. Some teachers may use more of the time for group work, projects, or presentations.
Teachers will hold “office hours” at the beginning and end of each school day. These are times when students can get extra help, go over a test, or have review sessions. Each teacher will communicate to the class how students can reach them (email, Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).

The X Day assembly originally scheduled for sophomores and juniors this Wednesday has been rescheduled for the spring. Sophomores and juniors will participate in X Day from home this week.

October 19, 2020 - Cancellation of Mid-terms & Updated Bell Schedule

Midterms

We have made the decision to eliminate mid-term exams and transition those scheduled dates to regular school days so that we have more class time with students. The school calendar has been updated to reflect the Green and Gold Group schedules for the week of December 14. There will be a variety of scenarios with how teachers end the semester. If they choose to administer tests that week, teachers will follow the 2020-2021 Testing Schedule shown below:

The Health Department recently told us that regardless of the 6.5 feet between students spread out in the cafeteria and gym during lunch, numerous air purifiers, an industrial fan pulling in outside air, electro-static cleaning in between every lunch, etc., we must still quarantine the students seated around a positive student. This can be up to eight students in some situations. We presented every possible scenario we could, including moving students 10-12 feet apart. It did not matter, and they would still require us to quarantine the closest students because masks were removed during lunch. We understand that everyone is tired of COVID and that many are frustrated with the hybrid schedule. We want nothing more than to be back at 100%, and we will do that the first chance we get. In the meantime, please understand that our hands are tied in certain situations. It may not make sense to you (or to us), but we have to follow certain protocols in order to stay open. I hope everyone enjoyed a COVID-free fall break. As we get into the colder months, please be extra vigilant about symptoms, especially with the recent change to our cafeteria situation.

New Bell Schedule

The new bell schedule starts this week and reflects a change in period meeting times only. This change does not affect the Green/Gold Schedule.

October 12, 2020 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, Fall Break Travel Advisory & Hybrid Class Schedule Update

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will not hold parent/teacher conferences this fall. Please reach out directly to teachers with any questions or concerns. Over the next few weeks, we will set aside dedicated teacher office hours during X Day community time. This will allow students and/or parents to schedule virtual meetings that would typically take place before or after school or during a parent/teacher conference.

Travel Advisory

All students must follow the state's current travel advisory. Any travel to a state with a 15% or higher positivity rate will require a 14-day quarantine. Those students will be required to attend online learning from home. Please refer to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center for up-to-date positivity rates before and during any travel. Governor Beshear recently added Florida to the travel advisory list, stating "Due to the removal of public health restrictions, there is a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 in Florida, therefore a 14-day self-quarantine is recommended after travel to Florida.” St. X will follow this recommendation. Any student who travels to Florida will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Reminders:

Keep your son from attending "get-togethers" and do not host them. A party is the same thing as a "get-together" when dealing with a pandemic.
Keep your son home if he does not feel well. Do not send him to school if you have any doubts. He can learn from home until you are sure he does not have the virus.
Remember that many teenagers can be asymptomatic, which means they are not showing symptoms, but they can still spread the virus. If your son is exposed outside of school, please do not wait for symptoms to get him tested and report the exposure to the school nurse.

Hybrid Class Schedule Update

When we return from Fall Break, we will implement a change to the schedule rotation. Monday and Tuesday will be an A-H schedule, Wednesday will remain the same X Day schedule, and Thursday and Friday will be an H-A schedule. This will allow students to have some variety in the timing of their lunch period while also mixing up which periods are the first/last of the day.

September 28, 2020 - X Day Additional Clarifications

September 28, 2020 - X Day Objectives

There were many layers to the decision to begin X Days. Most hybrid schedules already have this day built in because it is generally needed with this style of instruction; however, back in early August, we wanted students in our building every day possible in case we had to go full NTI after a few weeks, so we decided to start the year without it. Since then, we have proven that we can safely maintain a 50% hybrid, so there is another side that we must consider, and that is sustaining the quality of instruction.

Our teachers are the best at what they do. The concern with a hybrid schedule is that teachers do twice the amount of work for students. I expressed to them before school started that we cannot have any classes where students at home are not engaged. They must also be treated like they are in the classroom. This means teachers must do everything twofold, whether it is instruction style, assessment, presentation of material, etc. I cannot fully articulate all the extras that the hybrid schedule creates for teachers.

After talking to several other Xaverian schools and other top schools in the country that we follow, they all say the same thing . . . teachers are working harder than they have ever had to work. I know that in everything we do, our students are the priority, but teacher quality has everything to do with a student’s experience. We want to avoid going full NTI at all costs, but if we continue to lose teachers to health concerns (non-COVID related) due to their workload, then we will have to go full NTI. We are trying to do what is best to keep our young men connected to our campus and make sure they get the best our teachers have to offer.

X Day does not have to continue for the rest of the school year. We will try it for a time, and if we find it is not working the way it was designed, we will make changes as necessary.

We have felt so good about what we have accomplished this school year. I believe in our teachers, and I know they want the best for our students, so when 87% of them tell me they are at a breaking point, then we must listen. We believe the X Day will give us the opportunity to preserve our teachers and still further the learning of our students.

Thank you for your support and trust that everything we do for your son is done with careful consideration for his well-being and, ultimately, the mission of this great school.

September 18, 2020 - X Day

This summer our main goal was to safely open our school amid the pandemic while also making plans for full NTI learning in case opening campus was not an option. With four weeks of our hybird schedule behind us, and full confidence in our safety protocols, we have taken time to reassess where we are and how we can improve.

Starting next week, we will implement X Day, an eXtension of Learning. On X Day, all students will be at home and participate in asynchronous learning. While the day will be different than a regular school day, it is still a required day of school for all students and will have as much value as a traditional school day.

What we can accomplish with X Days:

Academic support/intervention
Community building
College/career planning
Guidance appointments
Health and wellness programming
Class meetings
One-on-one time with teachers
Collaborative group work time for projects/study groups
Tutoring
Make-up testing
Make-up labs
Retreat activities
Guest speakers

Student X Day Expectations:

Check in with "A" period teacher for attendance
Work on schoolwork
Be available for any scheduled meetings with a teacher, counselor, or administrator
Seek out assistance and support of teachers and counselors

Sample Schedule

This is a sample schedule only. The X Day schedule will be posted each week, and teachers will post expectations for each period in Schoology. X Days will typically take place on 5 day school weeks. Refer to the school calendar for any exceptions.

Green and Gold Days

With the addition of X Day, the Green/Gold calendar will also change. To give teachers, students, and parents more consistency, Green/Gold Days will no longer rotate each week. Starting next week, the Green Group will be on campus every Monday and Thursday, and the Gold Group will be on campus every Tuesday and Friday. Refer to the school calendar for any exceptions.

August 20, 2020 - Hybrid/NTI Learning Instructions

August 18, 2020 - Return to School Responsibilities

After five months, it's time to welcome students back to campus. In order to make it possible for campus to remain open, please:

Keep your sons from attending "get-togethers" and do not host them. A party is the same thing as a "get-together" when dealing with a pandemic. Most of our student cases this summer have come from what are being called "get-togethers." The number of these events that occur among our students and other high school students is alarming, and if they continue, they will shut us down.
Tell your son to wear his mask properly at all times while on campus. We will give detentions to students not wearing their masks appropriately. (We will offer warnings and understand when a mask slides down a student's nose accidentally.) Any student blatantly ignoring the mask policy will be disciplined. If a student continues to defy our mask policies, he will be moved to full-time online learning.
Keep your son home if he does not feel well. Do not send him to school if you have any doubts. He can learn from home until you are sure he does not have the virus.
Remember that many teenagers can be asymptomatic, which means they are not showing symptoms, but they can still spread the virus. If your son is possibly exposed outside of school, please do not wait for symptoms to get him tested.

We have several faculty members who have significant medical issues that put them in high-risk categories or they live with a high-risk person, and we will not risk their health by having them in the building. These teachers will teach from home. We will reach out to those parents and students individually.

We have tried to eliminate "close contact" among students and teachers by going to a 50% hybrid schedule. According to the CDC and the Louisville Health Department, "close contact" is when someone is closer than six feet for longer than 10-15 minutes. If a student receives a positive diagnosis, we will be transparent with our cases in accordance with privacy laws. We will let you know if your son was in the same classroom/lunch area as someone who tests positive for COVID-19 even though they will not have been technically in close contact according to the CDC guidelines. We will notify parents via email.

If the above-listed responsibilities are not being fulfilled, our administration will not hesitate to move to 100% online learning in order to keep families, faculty and staff safe.

Clubs and Activities Updates

The purpose of this section is to inform the St. X community as we become able to resume clubs and activities within a safe and productive manner. To complement Saint Xavier's outstanding academic tradition, students are encouraged to become involved in a wide variety of clubs and activities. Students can make the most of their St. X experience by adding a dimension of excellence through the numerous extracurricular activities we have on campus.

October 19, 2020 - "Breakfast with the Brothers" club

A "Breakfast with the Brothers" club was formed in the 2019-2020 school year. A group of students began to meet once a month with the Xaverian Brothers who live at the Ryken House on campus. In response to the pandemic, meetings had been temporarily suspended. This week, the "Breakfast with the Brothers" club began to meet – two at a time – in our chapel. These students sit with the Brothers and get to know them better, sharing their joys and challenges, while at the same time, the Brothers share their life lessons and journeys of faith and ministry. Once again, as is reflected in the mission of the Brothers, ministry is taking place in simple and ordinary ways.

October 12, 2020 - Senior Assembly will be October 21, 2020

With the hybrid schedule, we know that our full classes have not been together yet. The addition of X Days will allow us to bring full classes on campus for activities and brotherhood. We will begin with a senior assembly on October 21 from 8:00-11:30 in the Wills Gym. Due to the size of the Wills Gym, we can comfortably distance the entire senior class, while also giving them the chance to finally see each other. We will continue this with each class, and once we test out the spacing in the Wills Gym, we will evaluate if we can accommodate more classes in that space, so that we may bring two classes at a time. We are so excited about the first senior assembly! Paul Karem ’68 is the executive producer of a documentary titled Black in Blue that covers his experience in the SEC in the late 60s. Our seniors will view the documentary on two large screens, and then Paul and one of his teammates highlighted in the film will lead a discussion with the senior class. All seniors are required to attend unless they are full-time NTI students. We will supply NTI students with a link to watch the video at the same time as their classmates, and then allow them to Zoom and watch the discussion that follows. Seniors not in attendance will be marked absent for the day.

September 21, 2020 - Resuming Clubs & Activites

Clubs will now be an active part of the school year. Like most experiences this year, clubs will be organized a bit differently. Our moderators are hard at work developing creative ways to make their clubs successful while also adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols. Take some time to review the different Clubs and Activities we have to offer and follow the Daily Bulletin for club announcements.

COVID-19 Information

Registration Now Open