Shakopee Area Catholic School will continue in-person classes unless confirmed positive test cases show the virus is spreading faster than in the community, too many teachers are out sick or the Minnesota Department of Public Health recommends changes.

As of Nov. 16, the school reports that there were 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Principal Julie Moran said, the Parishes of Saints Joachim and Anne in Shakopee bulletin reported. 

“Whenever we have a positive case, we are required to report to Scott County, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. For each case, we work with a contact tracer to determine close contacts whom we then call individually. We also send “courtesy emails” notifying all SACS parents of positive cases. We will continue to be open and transparent regarding this pandemic,” Moran said, the bulletin reported. 

The school also would follow an archdiocese recommendation to make a change. If 10% of the students or staff become sick, the school will change the approach, she said.

Moran said the school is working hard to monitor the situation so that everyone can continue living their life as fully as possible. Until then, we are called to be responsible in our approach to the pandemic.

“Do you want to hear about a bright spot of my day? I was opening the front door and greeting our middle school students at 7:30 am on a Thursday. This is a fun part of every day for me, to watch our students get out of the family car and walk into school where I greet them,” she said in the bulletin. 

She said that one of the middle schoolers began skipping to school on a Thursday morning – a sight to be seen, indeed.

Children are delighted to be back in school and even in the hard times, let us find the small moments of joy which do exist.