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JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
2020-21 SCHOOL REOPENING PLAN
For more than 470 years, Jesuit education throughout the world has been
characterized by a rigorous academic curriculum that trains the mind, a
rich array of student activities that develop talents and form character, and
a disciplined order that helps boys become young men. The ultimate goal of Jesuit
education is to lead students to God through the everyday events that make up a
school year. This, of course, is best achieved on campus, with students and faculty
together in person.
The importance of “cura personalis” in Jesuit education, the individual and
personal care for each student, indicates the importance of being together on
campus. The bonds of brotherhood among students and the vital relationships
between students and faculty are best formed in the classroom, on the field, and on
stage, person to person.
PREFERRED SCENARIO: TOGETHER ON CAMPUS
Therefore, Jesuit High School plans to open the 2020-21 school year with all of
our students and faculty together on campus every day. Our plan is for students
and faculty to return to Himes Avenue on August 11, 2020, for schola brevis.
Welcome Day for freshmen (August 9) and Freshman Orientation (August 10) will
be held as previously scheduled.
Some families may choose to have their sons begin the school year at home. Those
who choose to begin the year eLearning at home must commit to that model for the
first quarter of the year. They could return to campus for face-to-face learning no
earlier than October 12. All students choosing to learn from home will be expected
to attend their daily classes via Zoom in “synchronous” fashion. They will follow
the bell schedule for the day with attendance taken during each class period. The
teachers will provide instruction from iPads and share in real time the notes and
assignments being given to the students in the classroom. Students at home will be
expected to complete and electronically submit homework and classwork by the
specified deadlines. They will participate in all learning activities remotely with the
exception of tests. Tests will be administered on campus through a testing center
dedicated to eLearners only.
If it proves to be impossible at any time to follow the preferred scenario outlined
in this School Reopening Plan, then the Jesuit faculty will immediately pivot to one
of two alternatives, each of which involves a robust eLearning environment (see p.
27).