We are committed to making sure that students continue to experience the care and commitment of our faculty and the routine of daily learning, even in the event of school closure. We must acknowledge that our approach to distance learning cannot replicate the magic that happens when school is in regular session such as the invaluable social interactions and mediation, real-time, in-person feedback, community and extracurricular events.  However, we do contend that quality learning can occur from a distance.

 

The purpose of this document is to describe the actions St. Luke School staff will take to continue instruction in the event of an extended campus closure. We endeavor in our Distance Plan for Learning (DPL) to accomplish three goals PK–8 within a flexible framework:

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• Live Student-Teacher Contact Time

• Online Content Delivery

• Online Monitoring of Student Progress/Student Assessment

 

It is our intention with the DPL that we continue to live our mission, vision, and strategic plan, which together assert that we will consider the well-being and growth of the whole child. The act of creating this DPL provides us with a unique opportunity to reinforce what we assert as a Catholic school grounded in faith, knowledge, and service. 

 

   If St. Luke School campus is closed and this DPL is implemented, the Principal will send email communications to both parents and faculty/staff announcing a timeline for implementation. An exact date will be designated when distance learning will begin for St. Luke students.

 

The Principal will periodically send email updates to parents and faculty/staff apprising them of any pertinent information about when St. Luke School might reopen for regular classes. As with the decision to close campus, the decision to reopen school for regular classes will be made with close consultation with the Archdiocese of Seattle, Pastor, School Commission and Department of Health.

 

We hope that implementation of this DPL will not have to be put into place very often. However, in the event of school closure, it is important that this DPL describes St. Luke School’s approach to distance learning, the channels we will use for communication, the online platforms we will employ by grade, the roles, responsibilities, and expectations St. Luke School has for staff, parents, and students, guidelines for how parents/guardians can support their children’s learning, and a host of other priorities and considerations tailored to make the best of challenging circumstances.

 

We hope to create a DPL that ensures equity. This includes doing our best to provide students with devices if they do not have access to a computer at home. We also will be happy to help families access online tutorials as we are able through email and phone contacts. While we will not be able to help families troubleshoot all problems, we will do our best to make sure all students have equitable access where we have control.