Virtual Learning Hub

With the transition to full virtual instruction on November 23, the daily school schedule has been modified. The school day will now begin at 8:00 am and end at 2:15. Note the changes in classes scheduled each day, times of classes and the addition of recitation sessions in our new calendar. Seminar time has been eliminated and been replaced by daily recitation sessions.
View Nov 23 to Dec 18 schedule

A Recitation Session is scheduled by subject and allows time for each teacher to provide
further instruction. Students are r equired to attend every class and recitation session. Check each teacher’s Canvas page for information and Google Meet links.

If your daily schedule does not include a subject with a recitation session, you are waived from the attendance requirement. You are encouraged to use the time to study, check email and complete homework.

Teacher Office Hours have been added to each school day. You are encouraged to use office hours as needed. Teachers will be available to you via a “live” Google Meet link that you can find in Canvas. If you have a question about an assignment, test, quiz, etc. “Pop In” during Office Hours and get some help.

Senior Study Halls are exempt from daily Google Meet check in with teachers. Students
should continue to use this time to study, check email and complete homework.

View Daily Schedules

Guidelines When Learning From Home:

• Establish a regular daily routine. Remember, school is being conducted as
  normal. We expect you to be in class. Set your alarm and be prepared for the
  start of class each day.
• Be on time to every class. You must log in to your class via Google Meet at the start of every class period. You will be marked tardy or absent if you do not attend class.
• All students should use Canvas via the browser and NOT the app. The app has been “retired”.
• Have the daily school schedule readily available so that you understand which class you should be in throughout the day.
• Use headphones with a microphone (if you have them).
• Find a place in your home that is an appropriate learning space. Attend class from a productive workspace, such as a desk or table.
• Turn on video and show your face as requested by the teacher. Be prepared.
  Teachers may request to see you on camera.
• Mute your microphone unless you are speaking. Pay attention when someone else is speaking.
• Be attentive during class and participate in class–do not play on phone, watch TV, have side conversations, or eat during a video meeting.
• Dress Code: We respectfully request that you dress each day in BC spirit wear
  or a uniform shirt. While we are physically apart, let’s unite in spirit!

Bishop Chatard will utilize our virtual synchronous learning program for students whose families choose for them to stay home for some period of time during the pandemic rather than participate in face-to-face learning. Families must meet with Mr. Hansen and provide medical documentation to participate in our virtual program. . The virtual only program requires a quarterly commitment.

Bishop Chatard will conduct a virtual synchronous learning program for students whose families choose for them to stay home for some period of time during the pandemic rather than participate in face-to-face learning. This virtual program will be significantly different from the Spring e-Learning program. Unlike our asynchronous schedule used last spring, students who participate in the virtual school program for 2020-2021 will attend a full-day, synchronized day of instruction. Attendance policies outlined in our 2020-2021 Student Handbook still apply.

Students must be enrolled as a full-time, in-person student for the entire semester(s) in which the sport is conducted in order to be eligible for athletic participation. A full-time virtual learning student will be ineligible to participate in athletics, unless the schoolwide virtual experience is mandated by Bishop Chatard. During any partial days or the hybrid schedule, student-athletes are eligible to attend practice or a contest if their group does not have in-person class on that specific day.

Bishop Chatard student desks will face forward and be social distanced from each other. These practices are in line with the Indiana Department of Education’s IN-CLASS social distancing guidelines. In order to contact trace any possible positive cases of COVID-19, seating charts and assigned seats will be mandatory in all classrooms, cafeterias and on buses traveling to extracurricular events. The ability to contact trace positive COVID-19 cases would result in keeping students safe and reducing potential school closures.

We respectfully request that you dress each day in BC spirit wear or a uniform shirt. While we are physically apart, let’s unite in spirit!

Students may begin arriving at 7:20 a.m. if they are eating breakfast at school. A student must have the permission of a teacher to arrive earlier than 7:20 a.m. Those students who would like to purchase a school breakfast may do so and remain in the cafeteria to eat and then go directly to the classroom. Once school doors are open, students will report directly to their first period class. In order to remain socially distanced, students may not linger or cluster in the hallway. Signage on our floor will communicate directional paths.
Additional safety measures include:

• Students will wear masks as they transition between periods.
• Students will be given an assigned seat in every class. This will be important if contact tracing is required.
• Students should take their seats upon entering the room.
• Student desks/tables should be kept apart and not grouped together.
• Students should not gather around a table for teacher demonstrations, etc.
• Students should face forward for instruction and not be encouraged to turn in their seat and have discussions.
• Additional precautionary measures have been put into place in music, art, and physical education classes to ensure student safety.

Individuals in the Bishop Chatard school buildings must wear a face mask or shield. We recognize the challenge of wearing face coverings, especially for long periods of time. During lunch, there will be opportunities to go without a mask. Students and teachers are not required to wear face coverings when outside as long as they are appropriately distanced 6 feet apart.

Any face coverings brought from home must comply with the policy on student dress outlined in the 2020-2021 Student Handbook.

Exceptions shall be made for any students with health conditions that make the wearing of a face covering a risk to their health. A doctor’s note should be submitted, for consideration by the Bishop Chatard administration, explaining the reason that your son or daughter cannot wear a face covering.

Lockers will not be assigned during the first semester in order to discourage students from congregating in hallways. As a result of this change, personal backpacks will be permitted. Drawstring bags are encouraged.

Per the CDC recommendation, shared drinking fountains will not be utilized; however, touchless hydration stations have been installed throughout the school and may be used by students. Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own water each day. Students may carry an individual water bottle. No other drinks (sports drinks, energy drinks) are permitted.

Yes. Hand sanitizing stations have been installed outside of classrooms, making hand sanitizing easy and accessible for students and staff. Cleaning supplies will be available in all classrooms for sanitizing before and after class sessions. Students are welcome to bring their own hand sanitizer for personal use.

High traffic areas in the school buildings will be sprayed with a disinfectant every day at 6 a.m. Additionally, outdoor benches, rest rooms and railings will be sprayed with disinfectant every morning at 6 a.m. Classrooms and other common areas will be cleaned by faculty, staff and students during passing periods.

Bishop Chatard will limit the number of outside visitors admitted. BCHS will restrict vendor access and prohibit unscheduled family visits. Nonessential visitors are not allowed in the school. People entering the building for approved purposes should be symptom free (see list of symptoms in a question below) and not have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (close contact is defined as within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more. This could be a single encounter of more than 15 minutes or multiple encounters within a single day that add up to more than 15 minutes.) Masks and social distancing are required.

Lunch will be served daily. During the hybrid transitional schedule, students will be eating in the cafeteria in small groups with social distancing guidelines. Students will have an assigned seat. Food items will be individually wrapped. Beginning Sept. 15, BCHS will take advantage of a recently-issued USDA waiver to provide ALL students free breakfast and lunch! Read Full Details
View the Cafeteria Update

Lunch will be provided in the cafeteria and auxiliary gym to increase social distancing. Additional safety measures in the cafeteria include:

• Social distancing markers will be used in cafeteria and serving lines.
• Assigned seating will be used to facilitate contact tracing, if needed.
• Deposits will be accepted using a cafeteria drop box.
• A touchless transactions point of sale system has been implemented.
• All food items will be packaged or wrapped to prevent contamination.
• Menu items will be limited to increase speed of serving line and point of sale.
• Menu items will be posted via (the student website) or at www.bishopchatard.org/menus to increase speed of selection.

Students and employees are required to do a daily self-screen before coming to school. Students and employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are prohibited from coming to school. If they do come to school, they will be sent home immediately.

While the following symptoms do not mean a person has COVID-19, they are warning signs that students and employees should recognize. A person should stay home if experiencing any of the following (updated Nov. 4):

• Temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
• Sore throat
• New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/ asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
• Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
• New loss of taste or smell

Updated Oct. 12
Guidance on when a student can return when they are symptomatic continues to evolve. Our current policy is:

• Any student who is symptomatic, NOT tested for COVID-19 and NOT a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person may return if they get an alternate diagnosis from a healthcare provider saying “student may return to school on (date) and his/her illness was not related to COVID-19” or “Cleared to return to school.” No diagnosis needs to be listed.
• Any student who is symptomatic, has tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19 and NOT a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person may return if they are 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever reducing medication. This individual no longer needs an alternate diagnosis.

If your child exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 that are listed in our re-entry plan, even if you believe the symptoms to be an indicator of something else, we ask that you report this to medical@bishopchatard.org. Our nurses and COVID Team will work with you to determine what the next course action should be. Thanks for your cooperation!

If your child is sick, and it is not related to COVID-19 symptoms,  you should report them as sick and they will not be expected to be in class either in-person or virtually.  A student who is at home sick may still participate virtually; however, a student reported as sick may not participate in any after school activities to include practices, games, concerts, or other events.  

*Any illness not related to COVID-19 should be reported to SchoolMessenger.  

If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or is quarantining** due to COVID-19 exposure, please contact BCHS using the email address medical@bishopchatard.org. Include in your email:

• The student’s name, grade level
• A parent/guardian contact phone number
• If reporting symptoms:
  1. Date of the first symptoms
  2. Please list all symptoms
• If reporting close contact/exposure to COVID-19:
  1. Who was the person of close contact?
  2. Relationship (ie. immediate family, friends, another student or other)
  3. Approximate date of exposure (as close as possible)
  4. Was the person of close contact only symptomatic or did they have a known positive COVID test?

View COVID testing locations in Marion County

PLEASE NOTE: The medical@bishopchatard.org email address is to be used only to report COVID-19 positive test results, quarantining due to exposure and COVID-related absences. Standard school procedures should be used to report absences for other reasons or to ask health-related questions. If an absence qualifies to be reported through the medical@bishopchatard.org email, it doesn’t need to be reported through our standard school procedure. Details on how to report an absence can be found at https://www.bishopchatard.org/academics/safearrival/

Bishop Chatard has created a dedicated quarantine room for students/staff who might have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases and are waiting for pickup. This room will be disinfected frequently and restricted to authorized staff/students.

Bishop Chatard will have a nurse on duty each school day. We will have additional procedures and protocol in place to keep students safe. Students who come to the clinic exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 will be sent to our quarantine room in the office area. Parents will be called to pick up their child with a recommendation that they contact their health provider. Students may not return to school until they are fever and symptom-free for 72 hours without medication.

If the parent reports a positive case of COVID-19, the Marion County Health Department will be contacted. Contact tracing information will be provided to the Marion County Health Department. The nurses’ office and quarantine room will be sanitized each day.

Students and employees will be excluded from school if they test positive for COVID-19, have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (close contact is defined as within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more. This could be a single encounter of more than 15 minutes or multiple encounters within a single day that add up to more than 15 minutes. – Updated Aug. 30) , or potentially after returning from travel in certain places. Please note that a student or employee should quarantine if someone in their home tests positive for COVID.

Once a student or employee is excluded from the school environment due to COVID positive testing or close contact, they may return if they satisfy the recommendations of the CDC. Currently those guidelines are:
Untested: Persons who have not received a test proving or disproving the presence of COVID-19 but experience symptoms may return if the following conditions are met:

• They have not had a fever for at least 24 hours (that is no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers); AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved); AND
• At least 10 calendar days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

Tested Positive & Symptomatic: Persons who experienced symptoms and have been tested for COVID-19 may return to school if the following conditions are met:

• The individual no longer has a fever (without the use medicine that reduces fevers); AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved); AND
• At least 10 calendar days have passed since symptoms first appeared or the individual has received two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Tested Positive but Asymptomatic: Persons who have not had symptoms but test positive for COVID-19 may return when they have gone 10 calendar days past their test without symptoms and have been preferably released by a healthcare provider.

It is essential for the Bishop Chatard community to work together to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in the school environment and in the community while still providing a quality education program. Bishop Chatard has the authority to exclude students who have a contagious disease such as COVID-19 or are liable to transmit it after exposure (IC 20-34-3-9). In addition, the local health department has the authority to exclude students from Bishop Chatard and may order students and others to isolate or quarantine (IC 16-41-9-1.6). Bishop Chatard will make every effort to be proactive in recognizing the symptoms of COVID-19 and responding appropriately.

Federal law typically limits the type of medical inquiries that can be made but, given the nature of the pandemic, more leeway has been given to schools in this circumstance to make additional medical inquiries of staff and students than would otherwise be allowed.

• If a parent tells Bishop Chatard that a student is ill, the school may ask the parent whether the student is exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19.
• If an employee calls in sick or appears ill, Bishop Chatard can inquire as to whether the employee is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
• If a person is obviously ill, Bishop Chatard may make additional inquiries and may exclude the person from school property.

Even without symptoms, if a student or employee has recently had contact with a person with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, has someone in their home being tested for COVID-19, or has recently traveled from somewhere considered to be a “hot spot” by the CDC, Bishop Chatard may exclude the student or employee from the school building and recommend that they self-quarantine for 14 calendar days.