More comprehensive COVID-19 plans and information will be made available as the Marion County Public Health Department releases their guidance and recommendations.
(Updated July 27) For the 2021-22 school year, masks will be optional.
Masks are recommended for:
- Unvaccinated students and staff
- Vulnerable individuals who may be at increased risk of illness
- Anyone who feels more comfortable wearing a mask.
This policy could be modified based on updated guidance from the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD).
The Holy See and U.S. Bishops have determined that vaccination is morally acceptable and responsible. The CDC and the Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) recommends that all eligible parties be encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Bishop Chatard will not require vaccinations of students and staff. We believe that getting vaccinated is a personal family decision.
NOTE: Vaccinated students and staff members will not have to quarantine due to close contact exposure.
Students will be seated three feet apart in the classroom and facing forward. 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 daily self-screen will be required of students and staff. Students and staff who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without being otherwise explained, are prohibited from coming to school.
Similar to last year, a daily self-screen will still be required of students and staff. Students and staff who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without being otherwise explained are prohibited from coming to school. See above for a list of symptoms.
- If a student tests positive, he/she will need to be isolated.
- Parents of students that meet close contact criteria will be notified that their child has been potentially exposed to COVID-19. Options for what a close contact student can do will be explained to parents to include quarantining, returning to school, or monitoring for symptoms.
- We will continue to be transparent and send out weekly updates of positive cases in our community, as needed.
There is no opt-out for full-time, virtual instruction as we believe it is important for our entire school to return to the normalcy of full, in-person instruction.
Students will have assigned lockers in 2021-22.
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.
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.
In January, BCHS secured a Mobile Ultraviolet Sanitizing Machine to enhance cleaning and sanitizing throughout the school.
This unit uses Ultraviolet Germicidal Light to inactivate pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza. It is able to clean a 700-square-foot area in approximately five minutes and will be used during unoccupied hours to thoroughly disinfect classrooms, restrooms, locker rooms and other spaces in the school. Similar units are being used in healthcare and government settings and are becoming the gold standard in disinfection. This disinfecting process will be utilized in addition to the many protocols already in place.
In addition, over the summer 2021, every classroom has an additional air purification system in place ready for the beginning of the school year. Other improvements are ongoing and will be communicated as they progress and are completed.
Lunch will be provided in the cafeteria and auxiliary gym to increase social distancing. Additional safety measures in the cafeteria include:
- 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.
- New digital screens and labeling to increase speed of serving line and point of sale.
- Further information will be posted as it becomes available.
Lunch will be served daily. Students will pay for their lunch with a BC issued ID card that will be distributed on their first in-person school day during Seminar period. Cash or check will not be accepted at the point of sale registers. A lockbox will be available outside of the Cafeteria Manager’s office for students to deposit money into their MealTime account.
In the event of a hybrid transitional schedule, students will be eating in the cafeteria in small groups with social distancing guidelines.
Feel free to contact Principal Hansen at 317-251-1451, ext. 1900 or via email at jhansen@bishopchatard.org with additional questions.
Specific COVID-19 questions can be directed to medical@bishopchatard.org.
The Learning Schedule
View the Updated Learning Plan, as of April 26.
View the actual bell schedules at the top of this page.
View the current 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 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. 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.
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!
Safety With Students in the Building
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.
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.
In January, BCHS secured a Mobile Ultraviolet Sanitizing Machine to enhance cleaning and sanitizing throughout the school.
This unit uses Ultraviolet Germicidal Light to inactivate pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza. It is able to clean a 700-square-foot area in approximately five minutes and will be used during unoccupied hours to thoroughly disinfect classrooms, restrooms, locker rooms and other spaces in the school. Similar units are being used in healthcare and government settings and are becoming the gold standard in disinfection. This disinfecting process will be utilized in addition to the many protocols already in place.
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.
Health and Safety
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
- Onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
- 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.
Scroll to the top of this page for details on how to report COVID-related information to the school.
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.
