The Archdiocese of New York has recently released a new reopening plan for Catholic schools for the school year 2022-2023.

Newly Released Guidelines

In line with the opening of in-person classes in the Archdiocese of New York Catholic schools after the COVID-19 pandemic, new guidelines were released. These classroom rules are implemented to ensure the safety of students and staff of the school.

Accordingly, facemasks and social distancing are reportedly not required in the classrooms. However, the distance between the students and teachers should be achieved in the classroom.

Following the CDC guidelines, hand sanitizers, soap, and paper towels will be located at the entrances and exits of the classrooms. They can be found throughout the school building to ensure the safety of the students as well as the school staff.

Also, an isolation area will be offered for individuals who will be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while they are waiting to be picked up from the school. 

The doors and windows of the classrooms should be open. On the other hand, exhaust fans should be turned on to ensure the proper ventilation of the area, as reported.

As mentioned, additional ventilation products can be purchased. However, only those recommended by the CDC and the Health and Safety Task Force of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools should be purchased.

The Catholic schools suggest that parents should check their children if there are any possible symptoms or illnesses before they go to school, and use a home PCR or antigen test if the child and staff are not feeling well.

People who are reportedly experiencing the following symptoms are required to stay at home and take a test.

• Cough
• Stuffy nose; sinus
• Chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Muscle or body aches
• Fatigue
• Sore throat, and/or headache
• Fever of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher

In that way, it lowers the risk of spreading COVID-19 or any diseases in schools, as reported.

The principal and the teachers of each school are reportedly responsible to remind the parents about the information about the directives for COVID-19 that need to be followed in school.

Aside from the facility requirements and new guidelines, the Archdiocese of New York offers a Mental Health & Social-Emotional Development program. This effort is specifically created for the school faculty, staff, parents, and students to let them know the importance of mental health, as reported.

Moreover, the calendar of events for the Catholic elementary schools of the Archdiocese of New York was released earlier. 

About the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York

According to their website, the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York aims to ensure all Catholic schools across New York should be faith-based, and future-focused.

The Archdiocese of New York’s Catholic schools also seeks to give Christ-centered, as well as excellent teaching practices to the students of the schools in hopes to provide lifelong learning.

As reported, the archdiocese has a total of 172 schools and over 50,000 enrollees. 

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