SPECIAL NOTICE

Our Mt Calvary Lutheran Church Council recently voted to extend our current practice of distance education for Grades K-8, through the rest of this academic year.  

This decision was based upon: 

1. The ongoing concern for the health and well-being of our MCL students and their families, and the recognition that one of the most helpful things we can be doing is to stay home.
2. The decision of our local Walnut Unified and Pomona Unified School Districts, who have chosen to not resume on-site school instruction this academic year.  We feel that it is wise to maintain a similar position for consistency in our wider community setting.
3. The suggestions from our Governor and the State Superintendent of Schools, that it is not wise, nor safe at this time to hold school as we would traditionally do.
4. The stark realization that this pandemic is not ending as quickly as we had hoped. It seems to continue to spread and the forecast is that the peak is yet to come.  We cannot plan to resume gathering together with such uncertainty.

This is very disappointing for us all.  

Please know that our teachers miss their students and that our staff misses serving you in our roles.  We know that the students miss each other, as MCL is a place of real connection—a true community of faith.  We also know that even though we are apart, that we will get through this together.

What does this mean for MCL in practical ways?

• We will continue with the delivery of our advanced curriculum through May 21st as we have been doing—Middle School on the Google Classroom, Grades 3-4-5 also on Google Classroom with printed support material as needed, and work-packets and Zoom class sessions for Grades K-1-2
• As planned, we will have a shortened week next week, with a “1/2 Day” on Maundy Thursday, April 9th, and no instruction or work on Good Friday, April 10th
• There will be no instruction the week of April 13-17 as we continue to follow our master calendar and recognize this week as Easter Vacation.
• Education will then resume on April 20th.  Please pay attention to your email, as that date approaches, for details of how instruction will resume for your child. 
• Our teaching staff will continue to explore more ways of connecting with students through Google Hangout, scheduled individual tutoring time as needed, individual and small group Zoom instruction sessions as needed.  
• Our staff will seek to explore additional resources such as Flip-grid, Khan Academy, Newsela, and other digital education resources.  It’s a whole new world out there and our teachers are exploring this new frontier!
• The faculty will come up with a plan of how we will recognize the special accomplishments of our students, which normally would have taken place at our Awards Ceremony held on the final day of school.
• Tuition will continued to be collected as we are providing students with our MCL curriculum and instruction—albeit in new and differing ways.
• Our 8th Grade teacher and Kindergarten teacher will come up with plans of how we might conduct Graduation and Kindergarten Promotion.
• We will also come up with an “end of school plan” for how students can turn in their books and other items that are property of Mt Calvary.

These are unusual times.  It is a pathway that none of us have really walked before.  Take heart, because we do not walk alone—we have our families, we have one another, and we have our Lord Jesus who promises to never leave us nor forsake us.  

Walking with you all,