Recent Media Coverage:

“Uninterrupted Learning at St. Peter Academy”

South Boston Today – Thursday, March 26, 2020

Click here for the full article.

“St. Peter Academy – Learning Made Fun with Grade One”

South Boston Today – Saturday, April 18, 2020

Click here for the full article.

“Going Virtual with Visual Art at St. Peter Academy”

South Boston Today – Saturday, May 2, 2020

Click here for the full article.

“Virtual tours now offered at St. Peter Academy”

South Boston Today – Friday, June 5, 2020

Click here for the full article.

Updates:

1.) Update to the Community, from Wednesday, June 10, 2020, can be found here.

2.) The June 2020 Newsletter to families can be viewed here.

3.) Update to the Community, from Wednesday, May 13, 2020, can be found here.

4.) The May 2020 Newsletter to families can be viewed here.

5.) Update to the Community, from Tuesday, April 21, 2020, can be found here.

6.) The April 2020 Newsletter to families can be viewed here.

[Older, previous communications regarding the COVID-19 closure have been archived and can be found underneath “Virtual Learning Resources.”]

Contacting St. Peter Academy during COVID-19:

Main Office

Mrs. Doreen Brown, Administrative Assistant

Telephone: (617) 268-0750 (Dial “0” or “1′ when prompted; voicemail is checked frequently.)

Email: [email protected]

Office of the Chief Educational Officer

Mr. Andy Dilba

Telephone: (617) 268-0750 (Dial “5” when prompted; voicemail is checked frequently.)

Email: [email protected]

Virtual Learning Resources:

The following list is continuously being updated. Classroom teachers will be reaching out to families via email with directives and expectations regarding their individual classrooms.

Early Childhood Division (Toddler-Age):

Zoom (Login): Video conferencing application (To test your device’s compatibility, click here.)

Tadpoles (Login): School/Home Portal

ABC Mouse (Login): Interactive Educational Activities

Elementary Division (Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 6):

Zoom (Login): Video conferencing application (To test your device’s compatibility, click here.)

I-Ready (Login): Integrated teaching and learning system

Seesaw (Login): Student portfolio and work submission platform

Prodigy (Login): Mathematics application

Epic! Books for Kids (Login): Digital library tailored to individual reading levels

Vocabulary.com (Login): Grade-level vocabulary exercises

NewsELA (Login): Current event articles tailored to individual reading levels

Mystery Science (Set-up FAQ’s & Login): Interactive science platform

Archived Letters

Archived Emails & Text Messages:

Wednesday, March 18, 2020 UPDATE

(Letter attachment sent via email at 3:12 PM and notification sent via text message alert at 3:25 PM.)

Dear St. Peter Academy Parents and Guardians,

We wish to update you on the evolving situation in relation to our school and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Following the order from Governor Baker, our Elementary Academy (Grades Pre-K through 6) will remain closed until Friday, April 6, 2020. Our elementary faculty and staff have been meeting through phone and video conference with Principal Galligan, and Maryann Crush, President of the St. Peter Academy Board, daily this week. All of these educators are taking appropriate steps to ensure that organized and impactful remote learning has been taking place at home. At this time, we ask that families complete the questionnaire, found at the end of this letter, to assist us with implementing plans for virtual learning over the next two weeks.. We kindly ask that parents and guardians take the time to respond to this important survey within the next 24-hours.

In regards to our Early Childhood Division (Toddler-Age), our program will remain closed through next Friday, March 27, 2020. Our Operations Coordinator for Specialized Programs, Miss Ashley Crush, will be distributing a curriculum-based, family-friendly packet for remote learning taking place next week. This packet will be distributed via the Tadpoles Online Portal in a PDF format; if parents need a hard-copy printout of this information, we kindly ask that you reach out through the Tadpoles application. Additionally, the school will be reaching out to parents to assess needs with a questionnaire by next Monday, March 23, 2020, should an order not be given to close Early-Education Centers.  We will follow the guidance given by the Governor, the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  We will prioritize needs based upon the feedback gathered from families through the school-issued questionnaire that will be sent out, in addition to staffing availability.

Over the next week, our school building and property will be thoroughly deep cleaned to ensure preparation for a re-opening in the near future. Furthermore, we are currently awaiting confirmation of a possible exposure to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) within our school community. Out of an abundance of caution, we feel it is necessary to take the aforementioned steps with regards to closure and cleaning for the well-being of our community. We appreciate your understanding and support of our ongoing initiatives to ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff, and families. In these days especially, it is important for all of us to remain calm, positive, hopeful, and reassuring for the benefit of our children.

Once again, the questionnaire for parents in our Elementary Division can be found here. We kindly ask that this be completed by Thursday, March 19, 2020. We look forward to following up with additional information for all of you in the coming days. Together, we can keep our community healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Francis Galligan, Ed.M., Principal, St. Peter Academy

Maryann Crush, President, St. Peter Academy Board

 

Monday, March 16, 2020 UPDATE

(Letter attachment sent via email at 11:16AM and notification sent via text message alert at 11:25AM.)

Dear St. Peter Academy Parents and Guardians,

Since early last week, we would like to relay that Principal Galligan and Maryann Crush, President of the St. Peter Academy Board, have been in constant communication with each other regarding the unfolding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) emergency.

Our school remains closed for the time being based upon the actions of Mayor Walsh and Governor Baker. We will be reaching out later this week to assess the needs of our families, while adhering to local, state, and federal recommendations or mandates.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support during this unexpected crisis. We encourage our families to do their part in preventing COVID-19 from spreading any further; including, but not limited to, social distancing and following the guidance of Governor Baker, the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In these days especially, it is important for all of us to remain calm, positive, hopeful, and reassuring for the benefit of our children.

We look forward to following up with additional information over the next several days.

Sincerely,

Francis Galligan, Ed.M., Principal, St. Peter Academy

Maryann Crush, President, St. Peter Academy Board

 

Friday, March 13, 2020 UPDATE

(Letter attachment sent via email at 7:44 PM and notification sent via text message alert at 7:45 PM.)

Dear St. Peter Academy Parents and Guardians, ​

In regards to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation, we are carefully following the recommendations of the Department of Public Health and the leadership of Mayor Martin Walsh.

As a result, we are CLOSED effective Friday, March 13 through Friday, March 20, 2020. We will assess the situation daily and will announce any further plans by Thursday, March 19th.  Remote learning will commence on Monday, March 16, 2020.

As always, you are welcome to contact us or the school via email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Francis Galligan, Ed.M., Principal, St. Peter Academy

Maryann Crush, President, St. Peter Academy Board

 

Initial Letter to the Community: Friday, March 13, 2020

(Letter sent via email attachment at 10:40AM and notification sent via text message alert at 10:53AM.)

Download (PDF, 116KB)

COVID-19 Preventative Measures:

Helpful information on COVID-19 and Preventative Measures:

What can I do to prevent the spread of COVID-19?
  • You can practice healthy habits at home, school, and play to help protect against the spread of COVID-19:
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, throw it in the trash right away.
  • Keep your hands out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. This will help keep germs out of your body.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Follow these five steps—wet, lather (make bubbles), scrub (rub together), rinse and dry. You can sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
  • If you don’t have soap and water, have an adult help you use a special hand cleaner.
  • Keep things clean. Older children can help adults at home and school clean the things we touch the most, like desks, doorknobs, light switches, and remote controls. 
  • If you feel sick, stay home. Just like you don’t want to get other people’s germs in your body, other people don’t want to get your germs either.
Family Resources for Talking to Children about COVID-19
Children look to adults for guidance in stressful times. How we manage our own fears and worries when children are present can influence their mindset and responses. To the greatest extent possible, when we as adults project calm and confidence in front of children, it helps to reduce their anxieties.
Many children find it calming to know that there are behaviors within their control to lower the risk of contracting COVID-19.
  • Remain calm and reassuring
  • Make yourself available
  • Avoid excessive blaming
  • Monitor television viewing and social media
  • Maintain a normal routine to the extent possible 
  • Be honest and accurate
  • Know the symptoms of COVID-19
  • Review and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection
  • Discuss new rules or practices at school
Please remember to keep explanations age appropriate
  • Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should balance COVID-19 facts with appropriate reassurances that their schools and homes are safe and that adults are there to help keep them healthy and to take care of them if they do get sick. Give simple examples of the steps people take every day to stop germs and stay healthy, such as washing hands. Use language such as “adults are working hard to keep you safe.”
  • Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what will happen if COVID-19 comes to their school or community. They may need assistance separating reality from rumor and fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to prevent germs from spreading.
  • Upper middle school and high school students are able to discuss the issue in a more in-depth (adult-like) fashion and can be referred directly to appropriate sources of COVID-19 facts. Provide honest, accurate, and factual information about the current status of COVID-19. Having such knowledge can help them feel a sense of control.
For additional resources please visit the following: