SMI Reopens With In-Person Learning Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

PLAINFIELD, IL — While the Plainfield School District 202 has opted for remote learning for the beginning of the school year, St. Mary Immaculate Parish School will be resuming in-person classes, amid the pandemic, starting Wednesday.

"We will be following the policies of the Diocese of Joliet, who are guided by the CDC, IDPH, and the State of Illinois regarding safety and sanitizing," the school's website said.

With all the restrictions in place, school will look different this year, said Jennifer Errthum, principal of St. Mary. In order to prepare students for the changes, the school shared a video on its Facebook page. According to it:

• Students will require to put their masks on before exiting their cars and a staff member will take their temperature.
• If a student has a temperature below 100.4 degrees, they will be cleared to enter the building. Students who have a higher reading will be directed to a holding zone and their temperature will be taken orally. Based on this, they can either enter school or be sent back home to follow quarantine procedures.
• Once students enter the classroom, they will proceed to keep their things on the floor and wash their hands in the sink with soap.
• Hand sanitizing stations will be located in every classroom.
• All desks will be placed six feet apart.
• Students will be dismissed in shifts at the end of the day to accommodate social distancing.

The school will keep parents updated about resuming bus service. Watch the full video here.

Just like SMI, all other Diocese of Joliet schools will also be reopening for in-person learning this fall.

"Much like the re-opening committees that worked on re-starting masses in the diocesan churches, there has been a re-opening committee that is focused on reviewing each of the plans for the schools," Superintendent of Catholic Schools Michael J. Boyle said. "School principals drafted plans and submitted them to the Return to School committee. This team has reviewed the plans and is in the process of returning the review rubrics and certifications back to schools."

Despite the differing opinions on this, Boyle said the guidelines they are following are "universally advocated by recognized experts and medical scientists."

"We want to protect all to the very best of our ability," he said.

For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Plainfield Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!