MERCY HS FOUR DAY IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION RETURN DATES & DETAILS
March 2, 2021
Dear Mercy Parent/Guardian,
Our hearts were filled with joy as we welcomed back our Senior students to four day in-person instruction! We are very excited to extend this return to all other students on Monday, March 15. As we plan for the complexities of a safe return for our full student body, the following modifications will be implemented.
10 Minute Extended School Day: The school day will be extended by 10 minutes to accommodate two lunch periods and announcements. This change allows us to accommodate a larger number of students through the lunch line with ample time to eat, while also sharing announcements that do not conflict with instructional time. Students will be notified of their assigned lunch period. The extended daily schedule will be in effect Monday March 8.
Wellness Wednesday: Beginning the week of March 15, Wednesday Flex Days will be converted to Wellness Wednesdays to support the academic and emotional wellbeing of our students. There will be no instruction or attendance taken on this day which is intended as an opportunity for our students to regroup, refresh and catch up with their studies. Teachers will hold office hours and may work to support individual student needs. AP classes will still meet per teacher discretion.
Weekly Advisor Group: Both our students and advisors are longing to reconnect in-person for weekly Advisor Group meetings. Beginning the week of March 15, Advisor Group will meet each Friday with a revised schedule.
Details and rationale for each of these changes along with health and safety protocols may be found in the Return to Four Day In-Person Instruction Plan here, with an FAQ here. In summary:
March 8: Begin revised daily schedule with 2 lunch hours and 10 minute extended day. Wednesday remains Flex Day for this week.
March 15: All students return to four day in-person instruction with implementation of Wellness Wednesdays and weekly in-person Advisor Groups on Friday.
Your student will receive an email with detailed instructions prior to these necessary changes.
Our safety strategy continues to include the familiar health protocols: adherence to 6 ft social distancing, masks, disinfecting and hand washing. It is essential that ill students who cannot pass the daily COVID-19 symptom tracker stay home. Any COVID-19 illness or exposure should be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs, Mrs. Eleasha Tarplin edtarplin@mhsmi.org.
Thank you for your continued prayers as we together celebrate this significant milestone in our full student body return!
In Mercy,
The Mercy Administration