St. Peter and Paul Parish Preparedness Plan for Faith Formation
August 2020
St. Peter and Paul plans to begin the Faith Formation year on an in-person basis with the following safety protocols due to COVID-19:
- All Covid-19 positive persons, those who are symptomatic, and those living with them must stay home.
- Parents should monitor the symptoms of their child(ren) and not send those who exhibit symptoms.
- Children in 1st - 6th grade will attend Faith Formation in-person on a bi-weekly basis to reduce the number of attendees on site. These children will attend on alternating Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade come one week and 4th, 5th, 6th grade the alternating week.
- Students in 7th - 9th grade will attend Faith Formation classes on Sunday mornings following 10:00 Mass.
- Classroom space available to allow for proper distancing includes two sides of the church hall with a closed divider and the church sanctuary.
- Students, volunteers and catechists will be seated allowing for 6 foot distancing per Minnesota Executive Order 20-81. If weather permits, class and activities may be held outdoors with proper distancing.
- Students, volunteers and catechists will be required to wear a face covering per Minnesota Executive Order 20-81.
- Anyone entering the classrooms will be asked to use hand sanitizer upon arrival and again as they are leaving. All participants should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Students will have individual supplies (crayons/scissors, etc) that will remain at the parish.
- Attendance will be taken each week and records will be maintained in the parish office.
- Physical contact between individuals should be avoided (i.e. handshakes, hugs).
- Students will remain in their classroom until parents arrive to pick them up. There should be no congregating before or after class. Parents will be asked to wait in cars until children are sent out; drive east on Cedar Street, turn south into the alley between the parish center and the church hall. Three drop off and pick up zones have been established - the north entrance by the bell tower, the northeast hall door (in the alley) and the kitchen door, also in the alley.
- Only one child should be released from class at a time to use the restroom. Please try to avoid trips to the restroom during Faith Formation class time.
- As part of enrolling children in the 2020 - 2021 Faith Formation program, the Student Waiver must be signed. All volunteers in the classroom must be VIRTUS trained and must sign the Volunteer Waiver. Both waivers are also available on the parish website.
http://www.sspeterandpaulmazeppa.org/student-waiver.html
- We want to best provide for the needs of individual children and families. This is especially true of more vulnerable populations. As the primary educators and catechists of their children, accommodations will be made and parish support given if parents and caregivers decide to home school their children’s faith formation program this year rather than participate in any onsite activities.
- All activities involving children and youth must follow Safe Environment child-protection protocols.
- All COVID-19 positive persons, those who are symptomatic, and those living with them, may not participate in programs until after they have self-quarantined as per CDC guidelines.
- At-risk persons and those with preexisting health conditions should consider staying home and not attending in-person faith formation activities at this time.
- If an adult, child or youth experiences symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive following attendance at a faith formation activity, the pastor and faith formation director should be notified immediately.
- All tables/desks/chairs will be sanitized between activities at our parish.
All catechists and volunteers have reviewed the policies in this document and are trained in our parish preparedness plan.