Updates and Resources

Please use this page as your resource for the latest information regarding McNicholas news connected to the coronavirus closure.

For the McNicholas weekly Wednesday newsletter archive, please click here.

Resources from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Living Catholic Social Teaching

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati offers these ideas and resources for helping others during this public health crisis.

Holy Thursday Letter from McNicholas Leadership

April 9, 2020

Dear Friends of McNicholas,

As we enter these most holy days of the year, we send our prayers and best wishes for you and your family. The McNicholas community is tight-knit across generations and distance. Being mindful of each other and holding each other in prayer will help us get through these trying times. Thank you for the ways in which you're living out Full Stature in Christ as you help others through your work, your interactions with family and friends, your prayers for medical professionals and first responders, and your kindness to people in need. Veteran theology teacher John Norman reminds us that the Sisters of St. Joseph "put their feet in the street" by putting love into action. It's overwhelming to imagine all of the ways in which Rockets across the city and across the world are uplifting people around them with their Rocket spirit. Be inspired by this uplifting message that Mr. Norman sent to students this morning!

It's so strange that the classrooms, café, gym, and theater at 6536 Beechmont - ordinarily teeming with life - are all empty. But Rocket spirit is bursting out in new and creative ways. Our awesome educators quickly transitioned quality education from classroom to computer. Our students are staying on task with their studies while being very creative and current on social media. One example is the Prayer for Health Professionals.

Tablet computers have become indispensable now that classes have moved online. On Sundays, teachers post assignments for the upcoming week. Students work through lessons within due dates set by teachers. Teachers hold online office hours via Microsoft Teams to clarify and reinforce concepts and respond to questions. While nothing will replace the value of in-person classrooms, teachers are making a virtue of the necessity of remote learning. Blessed with ten years of experience with tablets, they are innovating even more effective ways to use them to help students learn. In addition to planning coursework, teachers are focusing on sustaining community with human interest touches, such as posting photos of their "home classrooms" and reporting on the antics of their pets. At times such as these, when students are adjusting to life without eating lunch with their friends or going to team practices after school, these human connections matter. We are looking forward to celebrating important school events such as Prom and Graduation as soon as possible.

Campus is not completely deserted. As needed, students visit our outstanding Help Desk staff by appointment -- and with social distance -- for emergency repairs for their tablets. Deep cleaning is taking place. A desperately needed new roof was just installed on the wings of the Convent Building.

While we cannot anticipate the full impact of Covid-19 on McNicholas, one thing is clear: it's making Rocket spirit stronger than ever as our forced separation makes us more mindful of what we're missing. Resurrection is bursting forth from suffering! With gratitude for your Rocket spirit, we send these Easter greetings that our students received from teachers and classmates this morning.

Sincerely,

Sarah Frank-Fogarty Dave Mueller John Jorden

Board Chair Principal Director of Development

Office Hours

OFFICE HOURS SCHEDULE

Mondays and Wednesdays

8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
English and French

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
Spanish, Latin, and Greek

9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Library
(available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Health

11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Technology and Business

1:15 – 2:00 p.m.
Math

Tuesdays and Thursdays

8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
Social Studies

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
Theology

10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Counseling

11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Fine Arts

1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Science

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Library

Update on remote learning--March 16

March 16, 2020

The dedicated McNicholas faculty met today and affirmed a path forward for this unprecedented time when school buildings are required to be closed. The overarching principle is care for students in light of the realities of the pandemic:

Quality McNicholas education will continue through methods and media appropriate for our sudden new realities.

Students will not meet in class groups. Unpredictable home schedules for students and faculty make scheduled online class meetings impractical.

Teachers will publish the calendar of assignments for the upcoming week on Sunday. Schoology will continue to house class content, assignments, and resources. Students are accustomed to Schoology as the headquarters for their classes. Knowing the work for the upcoming week on Sunday will enable students to schedule their work in light of the realities of their home schedules. Teachers will guide students to pace their work for the week.

Email will be the medium for communication between teachers and individual students. Students will use email to pose questions and receive answers. Faculty will respond within 24 hours to messages they receive on class days. Faculty and students will continue to email each other only through their McNicholas accounts.

Scheduled online faculty office hours will be the medium for real-time online meetings between teachers and students to review topics and answer questions. These sessions are optional for students. Unpredictable home schedules for students make required attendance impractical. Students may participate as needed. Microsoft Teams will be the online tool for faculty office hours. The schedule will be published very soon.

Instruction and assessment will focus on the course content and skills most essential for future success. Teachers might offer stretch learning opportunities for students with the time and passion for more. Completing stretch learning challenges will be purely for the love of learning; it will not enhance a student's academic average. Why this approach? We want to ensure that all students gain a solid foundation in the most important learning even if their time for learning is limited by unpredictable disruptions. At the same time, we want to unleash students who have the drive and time to learn more.

The website and Schoology will be the headquarters for updates. So that we don't clutter your email inbox, teachers will not push updates to parents and students via email. Instead they will use Schoology to post updates. The administration will continue to consolidate news in the Wednesday newsletter to parents and students and will email bulletins as needed. Important but less urgent information will be available on the website.

Individual students and parents are welcome during office hours for needed business. Students might need to retrieve a textbook. Parents might need to meet with a staff member. Please call ahead for an appointment to ensure that a staff member will be available to open the door. Students, please call ahead even though your key card might continue to work. In compliance with the Governor's order, we ask students not to meet at school in groups.

Today, March 16, is the last date team and other activities can meet until the Governor and the Ohio High School Athletic Association lift the current restriction. Unfortunately, all athletic, retreat, and co-curricular activities on and off campus are suspended. We hope that students will stay connected with one another while not on campus. We faculty and staff members hope to foster Rocket community in innovative ways.

Students, enjoy your off day tomorrow, Tuesday - St. Patrick's Day! Teachers will publish assignments for the rest of this week on Schoology by tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. We will send the next update soon.

Update--Friday, March 13

Today at McNicholas High School, students learned how to access their teachers and classes through Microsoft Teams on their tablets. Microsoft Teams will be used for real-time video/audio interaction between students and their teachers from Wednesday, March 18 through Friday, April 3. Assignments and lesson plans will continue to be posted on Schoology, and students will use Microsoft Teams at scheduled class times for instruction. Please watch for additional schedule information.

Governor Mike DeWine has ordered ALL school activities and sports to be suspended during the time when students are not in school.

All athletic games and practices up to and including Friday, April 3 are cancelled. Coaches may meet with players one last time next Monday, March 16. Beyond Monday, there is to be no contact between coaches and players outside of electronic communication.
The McNicholas Prom has been tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, May 9 at the same location RSVP in Loveland.
Kairos 122 has been tentatively rescheduled for April 28-May 1.
Easter Break will remain April 10-19.

Per the recommendation from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, if any student and/or member of your family is diagnosed with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 please email me directly. Additionally, we need to know if anyone who has been in contact with your student is diagnosed with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Update on McNick at Night

McNick at Night is moving online! Starting at noon on Saturday, March 14, our auction will be online and available for bidding through Sunday, March 22. Even if you were not planning to attend McNick at Night, you can bid on lots of fabulous items!

All our fun ticket packages, collectibles, entertainment, and spirit, sports, food and fashion offerings will be on our bidding site. Click here to access the bidding site, and then click "Sign In" in the upper right corner and follow the instructions to add your personal and billing information. You can do this from your phone and/or computer.

McNicholas will be hosting small get-togethers at local establishments with a McNick connection to thank you for your support and boost the bidding. Stay tuned to email, social media and the McNick website more information to follow.

Parent Information on Virtual Class Meetings

McNicholas High School will continue promote high levels of learning through remote learning. The overarching principle is care for students in light of the realities of the pandemic. Quality McNicholas education will continue through methods and media appropriate for our sudden new realities.

Students will not meet in class groups. Unpredictable home schedules for students and faculty make scheduled online class meetings impractical. Scheduled online faculty office hours will be the medium for real-time online meetings between teachers and students to review topics and answer questions. Microsoft Teams will be the online tool for faculty office hours. Students have access to Teams with their McNick email and password. Students have a webcam on their tablet to do a video call.

What should my student work on each day?

Teachers will post lesson plans for the week in Schoology on Sunday, as they typically do.

How will my student be graded?

Teachers will post grades to the PlusPortal, as they typically do. Assignments and assessments may look different than they do in a face-to-face class. Students use Schoology and OneNote for digital work.

How do I check in on my student?

You have access to Schoology to check lesson plans. You have access to PlusPortal to check grades and attendance.

Will the school monitor what my student is doing?

While your student is at home, we do not have the ability to monitor what programs and sites they use. Please address your expectations with your student about their device use.

Do you have any tips for me to help my student?

Make sure your student is using the Chrome web browser. It works best with many of our programs.

When in doubt, have your student restart their computer.

What if we have tech issues?

Please reach out to our tech department.

Emily Materna ematerna@mcnhs.org Director of Educational Technology

Andy Ey aey@mcnhs.org Director of Technology

School closure, online classes, and McNick at Night--Thursday, March 12 at 5 p.m.

Governor Mike DeWine has announced the closure of schools for three weeks, March 16-April 3. During this time, McNicholas will conduct classes electronically. We have a foundation of good preparation for this situation: ten years of experience with using tablets, a knowledgeable technology team, and teachers dedicated to preparing themselves and their students to use digital tools that enable quality interaction between students and teachers to take place outside of classrooms.

During math classes tomorrow, Friday, March 13, faculty and staff will train students on how to access their teachers and classes through Microsoft Teams on students' tablets. Microsoft Teams will be used for real-time video/audio interaction between students and their teachers. Assignments and lesson plans will continue to be posted on Schoology, and students will use Microsoft Teams at scheduled class times for instruction.

Monday is a scheduled professional development day. Teachers will use that day and Tuesday to prepare online classes. Online classes will begin Wednesday, March 18. As a result, students' last day for on-campus classes will be tomorrow. Please watch for more information.

McNick at Night cancelled

Governor Mike DeWine has announced a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people. Consequently, McNicholas High School is cancelling our McNick at Night celebration scheduled for Saturday, March 14. The health and safety of our McNick family and the local community at large is our highest priority.

Although our public event is off, fundraising at McNick is still very much on! Please keep an eye on our website, Facebook page, and your email for additional details as we convert our silent and live auctions and Special Appeal to an online event. We still have amazing gifts, ticket packages, and bargains for you! More information to follow.

Once the health threat passes, we will come together as a community to celebrate all that is wonderful about McNicholas High School and set the stage for an even brighter future.