Health Commitment Letter

Dear Catholic School Families, Faculty, and Friends,

During this pandemic, we understand now more than ever how much we depend on each other. No one is an island and each person's health can have an impact on the entire community.

This is undoubtedly a challenging time and we thank you for your continued partnership. We’re fortunate that our archdiocesan and school specific safety plans permit us the opportunity to go to school in-person; however, we all recognize some of these protocols can be inconvenient and even uncomfortable at times. Amid all of this, we are called to exercise the virtues of honesty, temperance, fortitude, prudence, patience, and kindness.

When we adhere to our school safety measures and act prudently when we are away from campus, we offer protection to all members of our respective school communities and their households. This protection primarily benefits the "least ones," those that may have an increased risk during the pandemic – our parents, siblings, and dear friends who are not at our schools.

What we do for these least ones, we do for Christ:

• When the morning drop-off line takes longer and we choose to wait patiently, we do it for Christ.

• When we wake up earlier to take our children's temperatures each morning before school, we do it for Christ.

• When we take a day off from work to stay home with a child who might be sick, we do it for Christ.

• When we explain to our children why special events are canceled or altered, we do it for Christ.

• When we learn new routines and pack new school supplies, we do it for Christ.

These measures and more, when done for Christ, help all members of His kingdom.

I invite your family to make a prayerful commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities. Outlined below are the specifics of this commitment. If you are so inclined, please consider sharing your family's commitment on your social media channels using the hashtag #DoItForHim. This public sharing of your commitment is not for self-laudation, but rather to offer encouragement and witness to other families during this unprecedented time.

My Catholic school household commits to:

• completing all daily health screening questions honestly;
• staying home if we are feeling ill;
• following the safety measures set forth by the Archdiocese of Detroit and my school to the very best of our ability;
• exercising prudence when engaging in activities in the community; and
• offering up to Our Lord any daily inconveniences that may be associated with keeping our communities safe.

Considering the positive impact that mitigation efforts have had on our statewide and metropolitan area over the last several months, we are hopeful that these trends will continue so we may continue to welcome students back into our schools each day this fall. With our continued commitment and prayer, our school communities can continue to come together and ensure our students have an excellent Catholic education. Let’s #DoItForHim.

Kevin D. Kijewski, J.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Cc:     The Most Reverend Allen Vigneron, Ph.D.
          The Very Reverend Jeffrey Day, V.G.
          Victor Michaels, C.A.A.
          Mike Evoy