Parent / Student Guidelines for the Remainder of 2020

Dear HT Parents and Guardians,

Holy Trinity has been preparing for the likelihood of Governor Pritzker’s order for school buildings to remain closed for the remainder of the academic year. While we realize that learning without the personal contact of proximity is much more challenging for both teachers and students, our goal is to prevent learning loss and enable students to complete the school year successfully—and maintain their GPAs and scholarships. The effective e-learning that has been in place since March 16 at HT is evidence that we can do this!

Our partnership with you is more critical than ever as we must continue to depend on your onsite support to oversee the day to day participation of your students in the learning process. We have surveyed students and teachers to determine what strategies have been most effective and have made a few adjustments in our procedures. Please see the guidelines below that will take us through the end of the academic year. 

While all regular events and athletics have been canceled, watch the school calendar and the weekly newsletter for virtual events such as a Parent Meeting, College Signing Day, and Student Honors and Recognition.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at mlynch@holytrinity-hs.org. I also continue to have meal vouchers available for those who need them. Please do not be afraid to ask!

Sincerely,

Marianne Lynch, Principal

Attendance and Participation Expectations

  1. Attendance and participation is critical. Students who do not participate in e-learning will not receive credit for the semester.  
  2. Students must sign-in on the Google attendance form using their school Gmail account each day of e-learning before 10:00 a.m.     
  3. Students are also expected to check in with each class through Schoology and begin working on the day’s assignments before 3:00 p.m., when teachers are available for questions. Students are expected to attend videoconference sessions at the time assigned by the teacher.
  4. The deadline for all work for the day is 11:59 p.m. Individual teachers may vary deadlines within that time frame. This allows teachers to see and give credit for the previous day’s work the next morning. 
  5. If a student fails to check in with three or more teachers, parents will receive an attendance call the next day. 
  6. If a student is ill, the parent should notify the attendance office by email at attendance@holytrinity-hs.org  and copy the Dean at rongwela@holytrinity-hs.org. 
  7. If you have a disruption in internet service, notify the attendance office at attendance@holytrinity-hs.org and the principal at mlynch@holytrinity-hs.org. If you cannot access your email, call the attendance office at 773-278-4212 and leave a message.

Support Services

  1. Teachers and counselors remain actively engaged with students and continue to be available electronically for student questions and help from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.   
  2. United Stand and Youth Outreach Services are continuing to stay in touch with students they have been working with throughout the year.
  3. RLC – Ms. Nease is available for tutoring and assistance upon request and during posted hours. cnease@holytrinity-hs.org.  Sr. Mary Ann Penner is available to help students in Strategies classes and students who continue to working on credit recovery mpenner@holytrinity-hs.org
  4. DePaul University’s Center for Access and Attainment offers free editing services for high school students. The center’s virtual editors will assist students with any type of written work, providing feedback within 1-2 days of submission. Learn more by clicking here: DePaul essay editing service for high school students.
  5. Any student with technology needs, difficulty with internet access, or who needs to access materials from the building should contact the principal at mlynch@holytrinity-hs.org to make arrangements to do so.

Grading and Final Exams

  1. We believe in giving work that has value and providing students with feedback and recognition for the work they do. Chromebooks have been issued to or made available to all students, and we have found that internet access is generally not a problem, enabling students to fully participate in e-learning. As a result, we have been and will continue to give regular grades. 
  2. Teachers have made adjustments to make classwork more manageable for students in this new format. Deadline extensions have been provided to students who are ill or have internet/computer difficulties.
  3. Final exams are a way to provide closure to a course and sum up what students have learned. While we will still hold a Summative Assessment schedule, teachers have been working on providing a wide variety of ways to do this in place of traditional exams. Because these are not traditional exams, there will be no exemptions.
  4. The College Board has modified both the schedule and the format for Advanced Placement (AP) exams this year. Students will be taking these at home following the guidelines provided by their AP teacher. Based on the teacher’s discretion, students may not have to complete an additional summative assessment for an AP class.
  5. Students who were passing a class at the end of the 3rd quarter and continue to actively participate in e-learning for that class should expect to receive a passing grade for the semester.
  6. Students who were failing a class at the end of 3rd quarter have two possible outcomes: 
    • If they have been actively engaged and participating daily in their e-learning assignments, they have the opportunity to improve and receive a passing grade for the semester.
    • If they have not been engaged and participating in e-learning, then they are continuing on the path they established in the classroom and will not receive credit for the course.
  7. Incompletes may be offered to students who have been ill or struggling in some way, with approval of the principal and the student’s counselor. However, work on Incompletes will still need to be completed online, with limited teacher support available in the summer.

There are still 6 weeks of school remaining. All students have ample opportunity to improve their grades. The key is participation and communication.

Calendar and Schedule

  1. Every class will meet every day from Monday through Thursday, from April 20 to May 20.  Fridays will be ‘catch-up days’ for students and teachers. Students may catch up on missed work. Teachers will work on grading and planning and may offer a tutoring session or be available to answer student questions. New assignments will not be given.
  2. To help coordinate videoconferencing sessions, we are instituting a regular schedule. This only applies to live sessions, not all regular work, and will help avoid conflict between different classes. The schedule through May 20 is as follows:
    • Period 1: 9:00 – 9:40 a.m.
    • Period 2: 9:45 – 10:25 a.m.
    • Period 3: 10:30 – 11:10 a.m.
    • Period 4: 11:15 – 11:55 a.m.
    • Lunch Break: 11:55 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
    • Period 6: 12:25 – 1:05 p.m.
    • Period 7: 1:10 – 1:50 p.m.
    • Period 8: 1:55 – 2:35 p.m.
  3. End of Course Summative Assessments will be scheduled over four days. All students will complete these at the same time. There will not be a separate senior schedule.
    • May 21 – Period 1 Exams: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.; Period 2 Exams: 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
    • May 22 – Period 3 Exams: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.; Period 4 Exams: 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
    • May 26 – Period 6 Exams: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.; Period 7 Exams: 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
    • May 27 – Period 8 Exams: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.; after 10:30 a.m., students have time to make-up for missed work/assessments
    • May 28-29 – Make-up days for any missed work or assessments with teachers available to students with questions.
    • June 1 – Grades due

Emptying Lockers and Returning Chromebooks and Rentals

Chromebooks and textbooks are necessary to complete the year. Students and parents will receive instructions that include school and gym locker clean up, return of school property including Chromebooks, athletic uniforms and equipment, musical instruments, and school textbooks when the academic year is complete. The earliest this will begin is the first week in June. Please begin thinking about what you need to get and what you need to return.  Watch for more details on this nearer the end of the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be a prom and graduation ceremony for the class of 2020?

Prom has been canceled for this year. All prom payments will be refunded. If we are allowed to begin to gather safely in groups this summer, seniors may choose to have a dance at Holy Trinity. 

Our plan right now is to have Robing and a graduation ceremony when we are able to safely gather. We are hoping to be able to do this by late July but are awaiting directives from the Governor and health care experts.

When can we expect to see prom refunds?

The Business Office will be contacting families this week regarding the Prom payments made to date and how you would like to have them refunded. If you would like a refund check, we will ask who it should be made payable to and where it should be mailed. Or if you prefer, it can be credited to your tuition.

My senior did not think he/she would need a Chromebook because we have a computer at home.  However, with multiple people using it now, scheduling schoolwork can be difficult. What can we do?

If a senior is in need of a Chromebook to more effectively complete their work, please contact the principal. We will arrange for you to get one for the remainder of the year.

Will there be summer school?  What will it look like if we still have to remain at home?

We still hope to offer credit recovery for those students who need it. Since credit recovery work is done online, it may need to mirror e-learning, with some electronic oversight from teachers. We are still working to clarify our options for this.

My student is having trouble getting answers to their questions in time for assignments. What do I do?

Contact the teacher via Schoology or their HT email. You may also want to confirm that your student’s questions are being submitted during the day when teachers are available electronically, generally from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If the problem persists, contact the principal.

Can I collect my student’s belongings from his/her locker earlier? No. We are still working out the logistics of allowing people to safely access the building. If students are in need of a book or materials for their classwork, please contact the principal.

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