West Catholic and diocesan administrators are in close contact with our local (county), state and federal (CDC) public health organizations and we are following their recommendations carefully. We ask that you continue to monitor this page for the latest information.
Reminders
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Use hand sanitizer as a supplement to hand washing.
- Stay home if you are sick.
Current Instruction
Families have the option to send their students to school in person or have them join the classroom virtually. For more information, regarding online learning opportunities, please contact the main office at 616-233-5900.
Online Learning
- Teachers will use Google Meet and Canvas to deliver instruction during their designated class periods.
- Students are required to join all meetings and have video turned on.
- Students are required to complete all assigned material.
- Students will attend Focus periods when required by a teacher. If a student has not been assigned a Focus period, the student can sign up to attend or choose not to attend anything at that time.
- Students will attend Household meetings.
Other Academic Programs:
- All dual enrollment students must adhere to the plans and policies of the college/university to which they are enrolled.
- Kent Career Tech Center students will also be responsible for following instruction plans set by KCTC.
Other Updates
Due to COVID-19, many colleges are test-optional where students can apply without an ACT/SAT score. However, an ACT/SAT score may help with some colleges in getting scholarships.
If your student is planning on taking the ACT or SAT, please be sure to visit the following websites for more information about how COVID-19 may be affecting test-taking:
As a service to students and families, NACAC is providing this online tool as a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Resources can be found on the Personal/Social Resources page on our website. School Counselors will continue to check email regularly. We are here for all of you!
Coronavirus Resources:
- Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety (Harvard Medical School)
- 7 Science-Based Strategies to Cope with Coronavirus Anxiety (The Conversation)
- What You Need to Know About COVID-19 (CDC)
- Complete Mental Health Guide During COVID-19 Pandemic (Peak Resilience)
- Manage Anxiety and Stress (CDC)
- Coronavirus: 8 Ways to Look After Your Mental Health (MHE)
We continue to follow MHSAA guidance per our return-to-school plan.
MHSAA's Sports Reopening Update Center (link is external): As schools and school sports around Michigan continue to adapt in this fluid environment, the MHSAA will continue to provide updates with effective dates listed with each change or addition to allowed activities. Please refer to this page frequently for updated information.
Student-Athlete Testing
The MDHHS currently requires all student-athletes to complete a weekly antigen test in order to compete in high school sports. On Friday, May 4, the MDHHS came out with a fact sheet that allows parents to test their student-athletes at home instead of coming to the school. We have created a Google Form for parents who will be conducting at-home testing to fill out. We ask that you test your student(s) within 12 hours of test dates and have the results submitted to us via the Google Form no later than 8 a.m. on each test date. Our remaining test dates are Monday, May 17 and Thursday, May 27. The two tests accepted are Ellume and BinaxNow. Unfortunately, we cannot supply families with these kits.
When reporting, we only need to know if the test is negative or positive. If a student tests positive, please give us a call first thing in the morning. We do not need to know which test you are using, nor are we required to collect any other documentation. We will need the name of your student. This is for us to clear your student’s participation with the coach. The form we fill out and send to the State of Michigan does not have any personal information on it for negative tests as we are only required to report the total number of negatives. We do have to report the names of students who test positive.
If you have further questions, please contact the main office.
As a reminder, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are FREE to students through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. We encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity to receive nutritious and delicious meals at no charge. Please contact Dining Services Director Mary Jo Jones with any questions - maryjojones@grwestcatholic.org or (616) 233-5923.
Current decisions regarding programming changes are listed below. We will continue to update this information as final decisions regarding each event are made. Please check back regularly to stay up to date.
Honors Assembly (Monday, May 24) - The Honors Assembly will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the competition gym. Due to space limitations, only seniors and their parents will be allowed to attend.
Graduation Mass & Commencement (Tuesday, May 25) - Mass will begin at 5 p.m. in the competition gym. Due to space limitations, only seniors and their parents will be allowed to attend. After Mass, there will be a brief break, in which time graduates and attendees will move to Falcon Stadium. The commencement ceremony will begin at 6:45 p.m. Additional family and friends are invited to attend the outdoor ceremony. (If the weather does not cooperate, commencement will also take place in the gym after Mass. In this instance, only seniors and parents would be able to attend.)