St. Augustine High School
Covid-19 Update – 4-27-20
From the Principal – Mr. James Horne
Saintsmen and families,
So many things have been upended and so many activities that help shape the Saints Experience have been altered, gone virtual, or simply been cancelled in this abnormal year. That said we are trying to hang on to a few of the experiences that are cornerstones of a Saints Education.
The Sophomore Retreat scheduled for Wednesday April 29th will happen via Facebook and CANVAS. The day will begin with Mass via Facebook live from Fr. Max and will be followed by student speakers and small group discussions via ZOOM. Students can check their CANVAS pages for information and more information is available in Mr. O’Beirne’ s written report below.
Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation is currently scheduled for Friday, May 29 …. Although there is still much uncertainty around this date, we are still hopeful that we can gather and celebrate this day, albeit with a reduced crowd to provide for adequate social distancing.
If allowed to hold a ceremony on May 29th we will limit attendance to graduates and their parents. We will provide a free live stream video link to the ceremony for all family and friends of graduates.
If current California and San Diego Covid19 response guidelines don’t allow us to gather in May we will postpone the ceremony and look to host the Baccalaureate and Graduation on Friday, June 26th
If we must postpone that date we will then host on Friday, July 24th.
We know the possibility of limiting the attendance to graduates and parents only is controversial, However, it seems without such measures we may not be able to host a graduation any time soon …. Our final decision on this will be based on social distancing requirements at the time … if we must maintain social distancing, we will be forced to limit the numbers in attendance. Thanks for your understanding in advance.
“You have made us for yourself O’ Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
From the office of the President – Mr. Edwin Hearn
TASTE of SAINTS is our largest fundraiser of the year. However, it is about more than the money we raise for our endowment. It is an evening of connecting with former classmates, catching up with friends we do not see enough and making new friends. Taste of Saints would not be the same any other way.
With that in mind, we have made the decision to reschedule for this summer. Our tentative date is Saturday, August 15, 2020.
If you have already purchased tickets, we can hold on to your registration or we can refund you. Please email ccallery@sahs.org if you prefer to receive a refund.
We look forward to seeing you at Taste of Saints this summer. Stay well
From the Director of Finance and Facilities – Mr. Kevin DeRieux
At this time of financial difficulty for many, Saints has pushed back the re-enrollment and registration deadline to April 30th. We hope this extension alleviates any stress at this time of uncertainty.
From the Assistant Principal for Academics – Mr. Gregory Hecht
- No FINAL EXAMS – Important reminder – spring final examinations, whether online or on the ground at St. Augustine High School, WILL NOT TAKE PLACE. Teachers will be basing final grades on the assignments and assessments given up to and including the final day of instruction, be it online or face-to-face. Thus, it becomes all the more important that Saintsmen continue to remain focused and engaged in their coursework for the balance of the school year.
The final day of instruction for seniors will be Friday, May 22.
The final day of instruction for all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will be Friday, May 29.
- To all Advanced Placement Students – Please visit the Advanced Placement corona virus update website (see links below) and carefully review ALL documents concerning the format and implementation of this year’s AP exams. The links also include the revised exam schedules. PLEASE BE SURE TO NOTE THE SPECIFIC DATE(S) AND TIME(S) FOR YOUR EXAM(S). ALL STUDENTS WILL BE TESTING FROM HOME.
https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/
https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students/taking-ap-exams/ap-exam-schedule
https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students
It is imperative that ALL AP STUDENTS review the details of the new examination protocols. AP students MUST know their AP account Username and Password and verify that they are able to sign into to their account BEFORE the date of their examination (s). This is a VITAL step as St. Augustine High School DOES NOT have access to ANY student Usernames or Passwords and WILL NOT be able to assist students during the examination days. The College Board has indicated that they will be publishing a student ‘how to’ manual in the very near future so please frequently check the College Board AP Corona Virus update page (links above) so you have the most up-to-date information.
AP students should also be sure to consider the following in preparation for the exams at home:
- Do you have a clean, well-lit place to conduct your exams?
- Have you reviewed the revised exam schedule and noted the new dates and times for your exams?
- Do you have a power source handy for your device if your battery gets low or runs out during the exam?
- Is the software on your chosen device up to date?
- Do you have a backup device?
- What is the plan if the Wi-Fi drops out?
We understand that taking Advanced Placement exams in the home environment might induce some unnecessary worry and anxiety, so hopefully being prepared and having your technology in order will help alleviate some of the stress associated with these new protocols.
- Follett Book Return and Buy Back
- Book returns will be handled through the mail this year. All customers will receive an email with a link to a free shipping label for their returns.
- These mailed returns will only apply to rental books.
- Follett will include a link to valorebooks.com for students looking to sell a purchased book.
- Follett will send some additional information around the beginning of May, so we should be prepared to make some announcements regarding that stuff at that time.
From the Assistant Principal for Student Services – Mr. John O’Beirne
SOPHOMORE RETREAT!! The first ever On-Line Sophomore Retreat is this Wednesday April 29, 2020.
Sophomore’s look in your Homeroom Canvas page for details.
We will start the day with a mass, talks and small group interaction all done on line and on the computer. It is considered a school day with no assignments given or due that day. It should conclude by noon. It is a good time for spiritual reflection, to catch up with your classmates and strengthen our community.
SUMMER SCHOOL AT SAINTS-We are preparing to have Summer School at Saints For remediation and advancement from June 15 to July 24. In addition our College Counseling Workshop will take place August 3 to August 14. Go to www.sahs.org for details and offerings.
From the Assistant Principal for Auxiliary Services and the Athletic Director – Mr. Michael Haupt and Mr. Matthew Linville
NCAA Eligibility
Students with an expected Spring/Summer 2020 graduation date who initially enroll full time at an NCAA school in 2020-21 will be academically eligible to receive athletics scholarship, practice and compete in the first year of full-time enrollment if they meet the following criteria:
Division I*
- Meet the core-course progression requirement for NCAA-approved core courses (10 core units, seven of which must be in English, math or science) before start of the seventh semester; and
- Present a 2.300 or higher core-course GPA in such courses.
Division II*
- Complete 10 NCAA-approved core course units before start of the seventh semester; and
- Present a 2.200 or higher core-course GPA in such courses.
*Note: These criteria do not include ACT/SAT scores. The criteria also do not apply to students who are expected to graduate after Spring/Summer 2020.
If you would like to read more information regarding NCAA eligibility please visit the NCAA website at the following address:
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/COVID-19_Public.pdf
From the Director of Counseling Services – Dr. Jerry Rey
Today’s update applies mainly to graduating seniors who have been accepted to a UC or CSU school, and to juniors who will be applying to UC or CSU schools for Fall of 2021.
Both the UC System and the CSU System have announced that they have temporarily relaxed their admissions standards for both newly admitted students and prospective high school and community college students to account for issues related to the COVID-19 disruptions.
For Seniors: At UC campuses, the deadline for students to accept their admissions offers remains May 1 for freshmen and June 1 for transfer students. However, the university has asked campuses to provide maximum flexibility for students who request extensions. Students should contact campus admissions offices directly with these requests. And, despite changes to the format and content of AP exams this term, the university will continue to award credit for exams with scores of 3, 4 or 5.
CSU campuses are prepared to be as flexible as possible with students who need may need more time to meet intent to enroll, and transcript deadlines. And regarding AP Exams, the CSU will honor all existing transferable credit articulation for spring 2020 AP exams on which scores of 3, 4, or 5 are earned.
For Juniors: UC will suspend the standardized test requirement (SAT and ACT) for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission. This modification is not intended as an admissions policy shift but is rather a temporary accommodation driven by the current extraordinary circumstances.
For the UC Response on Admissions to the COVID-19 outbreak you can go to https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/response-covid-19.html
For the CSU schools you can go to the specific website for the schools you are interested in.
Events Update
The following is a list of events that, as of March 16, have been cancelled or postponed:
April 29 – Sophomore Retreat- Online experience – CANVAS
May 9 – Prom-CANCELLED
May 21 – Underclass Awards Ceremony-CANCELLED
May 22 – Senior Class Awards Ceremony -CANCELLED
May 25 – Memorial Day – No classes
May 29 – Baccalaureate and Graduation – TBD
Questions? – email us …. The Faculty and Staff email directory can be found here https://www.sahs.org/faculty/
We will continue to be diligent in communicating facts and changes to school plans/activities and push notifications to the community using CANVAS, social media sites, and the website.
Thanks … pray for us and know we are praying for you.
