STM UPDATES
STM has continued to provide meaningful learning opportunities despite the disruptions and challenges of distance learning. While there is no substitute for face to face classroom interactions our teachers have found ways to adapt and innovate, overcoming obstacles to teach and connect with students. As we move forward, we will continue to plan and improve our teaching methods to meet the needs of all students. I am grateful to announce that our current faculty and staff are all returning next year. Some roles may change slightly as we adapt to the new normal in our schools, but it is reassuring to continue to work with such a dedicated and caring team.
We are purposefully planning for all contingencies, face-to-face, remote, or hybrid. We hope to share an initial outline of them with you in the next few weeks. We very much appreciate the 136 families who took the time to respond to the survey. This data, as well as data we are gathering from teachers and students, will guide our future planning. It is gratifying to note that over 90% of our families are mostly or extremely satisfied with the distance learning program at STM. Be assured that we want all members of our school community to feel safe, healthy, supported, and learning. We will follow closely all the directions from the CDC in regard to hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, mask wearing, cleaning of classrooms and bathrooms. We are looking at all our available spaces and are considering splitting classes into smaller groups. This will probably necessitate additional staffing for classroom assistance and supervision. Recess and lunch times will be staggered and new outside activities that are more individual based will be considered. Please be aware that the school does not receive any funding from the Archdiocese of San Francisco nor from St. Thomas More Church. Our annual budget of approximately $2.55M comes from tuition, fundraisers and grants. Tuition and mandatory fees have been set for the 2020-2021 school year. Regardless of the method of instruction, these will not be refunded even if we have to continue with full or partial distance learning. Many of our fundraisers, such as the Fall Festival will need to be eliminated next year so balancing our budget will be even more challenging. | 
