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What face coverings are allowed?

• Face coverings are defined as anything that covers their face without leaving any open space around the nose, cheeks or chin. For this reason, bandanas will not be allowed as a face covering. N-95 masks, surgical masks, handmade fabric masks, and neck gaiters will be allowed. Masks can be any color, personalized, and do not have a specific uniform requirement. Masks can be purchased anywhere of your choosing and Land’s End is selling cloth masks as one of the options in our school uniform items with (or without) the Ascension Academy logo on them.

• Face shields are proven to not be as effective as a mask, so face shields will only be allowed for teachers who are socially distancing during instruction.

What if my student forgets their mask?

Extra masks will be avaible for students, staff and volunteers. Please notify the front desk if you or your student needs a mask unexpectedly.

Will hand sanitizer be provided?

Students are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer that can be kept in their backpack, but hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom and several wall dispensers on campus.

Why did we take some of the fall semester holiday days and add extra days to the end of the year?

Our parents are clear that they want in person instruction, and we are doing our best to accommodate that. If we have to close down for a short period of time, the extra days provide a buffer to prevent us from having to go online immediately following a campus closure. If we do not use those extra days, we will adjust the spring calendar to add back the missed holidays and or end school as originally planned in late May, depending on the number of days available.

What does After School Care look like this year?

After School Care will be held in the LRC from 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm daily. Rates and procedures can be found here.

Will community service hours be adjusted?

Students will not be penalized regarding community service hours.

May parents be on campus this year?

• Parents who need to come into the building or who are volunteers will be screened when they enter. Those who show symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to go home.

Will there be an online only learning option?

Please contact Katy Engler or Tim Oditt to discuss this further.

How will school clubs work this year?

Third period will still be open to clubs throughout the year. Activities may vary depending on social distancing and new competition rules.

What if my child has an existing medical condition similar to COVID-19 Symptoms? (ie- asthma, seasonal allergies, migraines)

When filling out the health history - please be through and indicate any chronic health related issues on the form such as asthma/allergies or migraines.This will better serve the nurse in making determinations to when a child should not attend school for the day.

What is the criteria for students having to stay home?

Students need to stay home if they exhibit any of the following that is not normal:

• Feeling feverish or a temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.
• Loss of taste or smell
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Shaking or exaggerated shivering
• Significant muscle pain or ache
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting
• New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergies/asthmatic cough, a change from the baseline of their chronic condition)
• New onset of severe headache, especially with fever

What will happen when my student does not feel well during the school day?

• Students need to tell the teacher they need to see the nurse.
• The teacher will text the School Nurse, or in absence of the nurse, the Dean will be texted.
• The Nurse will come to the classroom to pick up the student.
• The student will be taken to an isolation room and assessed to determine if the student needs to go home or can return to class.
• If a student is exhibiting any of COVID-19 symptoms without a recorded health history of chronic symptoms that are similar on the health history form, the parent/guardian will be called to pick up the student.
• The nurse will escort the student to the corridor or outside to be picked up.

What if my child exhibits COVID-19 Symptoms during the school day or at home?

• If a student is sent home or shows signs or symptoms of COVID-19, the student will need to stay at home for 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms without the use of medication.

What will happen to the upcoming trips?

Cancelled: Texas JCL Trip (Latin): 3/26 - 3/29 Texas HS Bowling Tournament: 3/27 - 3/29 TAPPS Academic Trip: 3/30 - 4/2 WTCAA JH District Track Meet: 4/4 Postponed: Rummage Sale Music Fundraiser: 3/28 PROM - 4/4 (POSTPONED TO 5/9) NHS/NJHS Installation Ceremony: 4/7 To Be Announced: GOOD FRIDAY - NO SCHOOL: 4/10 EASTER MONDAY - NO SCHOOL: 4/13 Spring Music Concert: 4/14 Track District Meet: 4/16 Choir/Orchestra Trip: 4/17 - 4/19 TAPPS State Golf Tournament: 4/19 - 4/21 TAPPS Regional Track Meet: 4/22 WTCAA Golf District Championship: 4/23 WTCAA Tennis District Championship: 4/24 MS Play: 4/24 & 4/25 Senior Signing Assembly: 4/27

What will happen to AP Testing?

AP Tests will be moved onto an online format that students can take at home. For more information and for practice tests, students can log in to their AP Portal.

What does the CDC say about COVID-19?

The CDC continues to stress that the health risk to the American public remains low and the best way to prevent the spread of any disease, including COVID-19, is through proper hygiene. We are working with our schools to be diligent in stressing healthy hygiene habits with students, but families may want to consider reinforcing these steps at home.

Recommendations from the CDC:
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds on a regular basis. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cough or sneeze into your bent elbow or a tissue and dispose of the tissue in the trash. Stay at home and seek medical attention if you are not feeling well. ​ Our first priority is always the safety of our students and staff. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent the spread of all communicable diseases in our schools and continue to work closely with local health officials. For more information on COVID-19, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html.

Update: April 17, 2020

Today at noon Gov. Abbott effectively closed schools from further on-campus operations through the end of the normal school year. For us this means that we will continue our online program through Friday, May 15 (which would have been our normal last day of classes). We will ask students to turn in assignments in each of the next four Thursdays (April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 14) which will be a collection only day with no new written assignments. Our teachers will complete their grading of all work by Thursday, May 21, after which final report cards and transcripts will be prepared and available on Gradelink.

Update: March 31, 2020

Ascension Academy has suspended all on campus classes, extracurricular activities and athletics through Monday, May 4, 2020. Our online, remote learning program will continue to provide instruction via Google Classroom.

Update: March 19, 2020

Ascension Academy has suspended all on campus classes, extracurricular activities and athletics through Sunday, April 5, 2020. Our online, remote learning program will be initiated by Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Update: March 18, 2020

In response to national, state and local measures to protect our school community from further spread of the coronavirus epidemic, Ascension Academy will remain closed to all student learning and extracurricular activities through Sunday, March 29, 2020. The administrative staff and faculty of the school are developing contingency plans to enable our students to continue their education via online resources available to us. These plans will be communicated to all of our families at 4:00 p.m. (CDT) on Monday afternoon, March 23, after our faculty and staff have formulated our plan for continuing Ascension learning online. Ascension's administrative staff will continue to monitor the progress and remediation of this health crisis on a daily basis and communicate with our faculty and families through the duration of this period of suspended classes and school activities. Additional Cleaning Measures: Over the past several months we have all been made aware of the coronavirus emanating from China. While it has not touched us so far, the likelihood that it might has gotten all of our attention. To address these health threats, Mr. Hooks, our Director of Maintenance, has purchased a Clorox Total 360 Electrostatic Sprayer System for our school. This will give us a proactive way to safeguard our school by sanitizing and disinfecting our entire facility: bathrooms, hallways, classrooms, offices, lockers, gym and café using state-of-the art technology proven to kill 99.9% of those bacterial and viral organisms that could pose a danger to all of us. Our maintenance staff will soon begin treating our entire building and continue to do so on a schedule that should keep us clean and safe over the Spring Break.

Update: July 20, 2020

Ascension Academy will be reopening with in-person instruction for both the middle and high school this fall. The reopening plan was developed based on feedback from parents, several meetings with administration and Faculty, advice from a parent who is a medical doctor, and guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS), and others. The full plan is available on the top of this page.