COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION UPDATES

 

Please read and consider all the information referenced below and in the links regarding updated communications from Clearwater Central Catholic High School.

   FORMS

Medical Mask Exemption Form
During times of high transmission (as determined by the Florida Department of Health), masks are mandatory for all staff, students, and visitors while indoors on campus. You may complete this form – completed by your medical health care provider with detailed explanation of the medical reason for exemption from mask wearing – and submit to reporting@ccchs.org. 

CCC Mask Opt-Out Form
When our county is no longer considered as having a high transmission rate (meaning Pinellas has a positivity rate under 10% and under 100 cases per 100,000 population), our school still requires masks on campus. However, parents may opt their child out of this policy by completing this form – which is good for the duration of the 2021-22 school year. You do not need to fill this out multiple times.

GENERAL RESOURCES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Who determines quarantine protocol for each student exposure? Who communicates quarantine decisions to each family?
    CCC has a dedicated internal team – our COVID Response Team – that assesses each situation on a case-by-case basis using the COVID 19 Decision Tree and makes the determination about exposure and quarantine. We are currently streamlining our communication process so that each family knows what to expect, but currently each affected family is directed to the COVID 19 Decision Tree. During the school day, affected students are consulted by a member of the Response Team and students assist the quarantine protocol by calling parents and arranging pick-up or approval of dismissal.  Our students on affected athletic teams are contacted by the Coach or Athletic Director if after school hours or over the weekend.
  2. If my child is quarantined due to a known exposure, will their attendance record be affected? What provisions are in place for students to stay current with schoolwork while they are off campus?
    Per DOSP Office of Catholic Schools and Centers policy, students out on quarantine due to a known exposure will NOT be recorded as absent, but instead be coded as PM, or Present: Medical.

Presently, quarantined students should log into Canvas to access their assignments and instructions for each class. Our Education Team is actively developing better solutions for quarantined students. We are encouraging students to email their teachers directly for questions and guidance.

 

  1. If I get a negative COVID test (at-home or at a clinic) for my student after a known exposure, can my student immediately return to school?
    We ask that you please reference the COVID 19 Decision Tree provided to all families by the DOSP Office of Catholic Schools. The Office of Catholic Schools does not currently accept at-home testing for positive or negative results.
  1. May I provide the results of an at-home antibody test as evidence of immunity from COVID-19, thus avoiding the need for my child to participate in quarantine protocol?

The Office of Catholic Schools does not currently accept any antibody testing results.

  1. If my child stays home due to an illness or other symptom (such as a sore throat), may they return to school when symptoms are gone? Even without a COVID test?
    When your child exhibits symptoms of illness, we ask that you keep them home while symptomatic. Regarding their return to campus, we ask that you take into consideration the following questions. Has there been a known exposure to COVID-19? Is there another likely explanation for their symptoms, i.e. a known history of allergies, potential exposure to food poisoning, etc? If your child has been symptom-free for 24 hours and you feel confident about the source of their ailment, they may return to campus.
  2. How long is the mask opt-out form good for? What if I change my mind about the opt-out based on local community spread?

You may complete the opt-out form any time throughout this school year, accessible on the CCC website. Unless a specific change in mask policy is issued by the Office of Catholic Schools, the opt-out option remains in effect for that student for the duration of the school year.

It’s worth noting that many families have informed us that while they have chosen to have completed the opt-out form, this does not mean their child will always go mask-less. These families are having critical conversations with their student about making responsible decisions and reading social situations. Some of these opt-out students will choose to wear masks at their own discretion. If a parent chooses to remove an opt-out option on file, please contact Mrs. Leanne Knoop.

  1. If I’m not comfortable meeting face-to-face, may I request a parent-teacher conference over Zoom or telephone?

Yes, you may request a socially-distant alternative to a face-to-face meeting.

  1. When you survey parents and families (e.g. the late summer anonymous vaccination survey), will you share the resulting data with us?

Where appropriate, yes, we like to share community data with our parents on important issues. We encourage every family to participate in school-administered surveys whenever possible, and we will do our best to keep them short and efficient. If you are not receiving our parent newsletters, please check your junk mail and add ccc-communications@ccchs.org to your “safe sender” list.

On Friday, Aug. 7, we distributed an anonymous parent survey via the weekly parent newsletter asking a few questions about vaccination and voluntary disclosure. For this survey, we received responses from approximately 54% of our families – so please keep in mind that this is incomplete data, and CCC cannot validate its accuracy.

Of the families that responded, 49 cases of COVID-19 were reported. The majority of respondents indicated they would provide proof of vaccination or recent COVID-19 infection to avoid having to quarantine.

  1. Is Back-to-School Night still on the calendar, or will this event be re-scheduled?

Back-to-School Night is currently still scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 1. We will soon send out more details on this event, including the agenda and timing, and we look forward to seeing our families on campus that evening!

CCC RETURN TO SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS

October 3, 2021
A Message from the CCC Administration
2021 COVID Response
Communication 7
Dear CCC Community,
As you know, we’ve consistently based our Covid-19 safety decisions on two measures: positivity rate below 10% and new weekly case rate below 100 per 100,000 county population. All Covid-19 measures have declined for the past three weeks in Pinellas County. We’re happy to report that Pinellas County has met the positivity threshold even though it’s still above the optimal case rate. Based on the downward trends in all key Covid-19 areas, including hospitalizations, Bishop Parkes has approved Clearwater Central Catholic High School to return to a mask recommended status as of Monday, October 4. If you’ve already submitted a mask opt-out form for your child, you do not need to send in another one. If you choose to submit a mask-optional form, please find the form on ccchs.org under the tab “Parents”. The form will be in the Covid-19 Update folder. Once completed, please send to reporting@ccchs.org .
In addition, we will be posting changes for the contact tracing and quarantining procedures for our school. Essentially, we will allow students who’ve had a close contact and remain asymptomatic to continue to come to school with provisions during the “quarantine” period. The new details are included in the revised student decision tree which will be posted by Tuesday October 5th.
As always, every family is encouraged to speak to their primary care physician about vaccinations and other preventative measures to keep their family and others safe. In addition, parents are asked to err on the side of caution by keeping their children home from school and getting them tested if they are experiencing Covid-like symptoms. We also ask that you notify the school. Let’s continue to work together and pray for one another as we all move forward.
In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

August 27, 2021
A Message from the CCC Administration
2021 COVID Response
Communication 6
Dear CCC Families,
Today we received revised guidelines from the DOSP Office of Catholic Schools & Centers regarding on-campus safety protocols.
Effective and fully enforced on Monday, Aug. 30, CCC will be requiring face masks for ALL employees, visitors and students (age 4 – grade 12) while indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status and/or previous opt-out election.
Please read the below letter from Superintendent Christopher Pastura for full details.
We’ve highlighted here some key takeaways from this update, but we encourage all parents to read the letter in full (also available en español).
  • MASK MANDATE IN EFFECT WHILE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION IS HIGH
  • While our county’s community transmission rate is HIGH, all OCSC schools in Pinellas are under a mask requirement for all students.
  • A medical mask Opt-Out Form is available and must be completed by a licensed health care provider with description of medical reason for exemption. Send completed forms to reporting@ccchs.org.
  • This policy will be in effect until the weekly new case rate is below 100 per 100,000 population and the positivity rate is below 10%, as documented by Florida Department of Health.
Currently, Pinellas County has HIGH community transmission (632 cases per 100K, and 20.6% positivity), so the mask requirement will be in effect as of the start of school Monday. We will communicate to you directly again when this requirement has been lifted.
Parents are asked to err on the side of caution by keeping their children home from school and getting them tested if they are experiencing Covid-like symptoms. See below for locations in Pinellas and Hillsborough with Covid-19 resources:
Pinellas
Hillsborough
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Info for Hillsborough County
  • COVID-19 Testing Info for Hillsborough County
  • Testing Locations: The following temporary locations will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. No appointments needed.
  • Palm River Park Community Center, 725 S. 58th St., Tampa, FL 33619
  • Code Enforcement Complex, 1101 E. 139th Ave., Tampa, FL 33613
  • Cordelia B. Hunt Center at Al Lopez Park, 4602 N Himes Ave, Tampa FL 33614
  • Albert “Al” Barnes Park, 2902 N 32nd Street, Tampa, FL 33605
Thank you for your understanding and diligence as we continue to help and support one another through our actions and prayers.
In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal27

A Message from the CCC Administration 
2021 COVID Response
Communication 5
Dear CCC Families,
This week, the Office of Catholic Schools & Centers (OCSC) staff reviewed and revised the guidelines for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg (DOSP).
Effective tomorrow (Wednesday, Aug. 11) and fully enforced on Monday, Aug. 16, CCC will be requiring face masks for all students. Please read the below letter from Superintendent Christopher Pastura for full details.
Below we’ve listed some key takeaways from this update, but we encourage all parents to read the letter in full (also available en español).
  • TEMPORARY SCHOOL CHANGES WHILE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION IS HIGH
  • If a county’s community transmission rate is HIGH, all OCSC schools in that county will move to a mask requirement for all students.
  • Parents may opt their child out from the mask mandate by completing and returning this CCC Mask Opt-Out Form NO LATER THAN end-of-day Friday, Aug. 13.
  • A HIGH transmission rate is determined by Florida Department of Health statistics: a weekly new case rate of greater than 100 per 100,000 population and a positivity rate is above 10%.
  • As soon as community transmission drops below 100 per 100,000 population and the positivity rate is below 10%, schools will return to a mask-optional status.
  • The requirement for all unvaccinated staff and visitors to wear masks while indoors is unchanged.
  • QUARANTINE INFORMATION
  • Students who have a prior positive COVID-19 diagnostic test in the past 90 days and students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine – as long as they are asymptomatic.
  • All other students may return to school if they are asymptomatic and either:
  • Receive a negative diagnostic COVID-19 test after four (4) days from the date of last exposure, or
  • Seven (7) days have passed since the date of last known exposure.
  • Please reference the updated Student Decision Tree for detailed guidance.
Currently, Pinellas County has HIGH community transmission (516 cases per 100K, and 18% positivity), so the mask requirement will be in effect as of the start of school tomorrow. We will communicate to you directly again when this requirement has been lifted.
THURSDAY’S ALL-PARENT MEETING TO BE HELD VIA ZOOM
Based on this latest guidance from the DOSP OCSC and in an abundance of caution, this Thursday’s All-Parent Meeting will now be held via Zoom – and NOT on campus. More info, including Zoom link, will follow later this week.
CCC’s Leadership Team will continue to evaluate and implement all guidance from the Office of Catholic Schools for the safety of our students and staff this academic year. We will keep you informed as soon as we are able to.
Thank you for your support and diligence as we continue to help and support one another through our actions and prayers.
In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

A Message from the CCC Administration
2021 COVID Response

Communication 4
We pray that you and your families are enjoying your precious last few days of the summer break. As we look ahead to the start of school, we’d like to share with you the latest guidance from the DOSP Office of Catholic Schools, including the below letter from Superintendent Christopher Pastura.
Below we’ve listed some key takeaways from this letter, but we encourage all parents to read the letter in full (also available en español).
  • In compliance with the July 30 Executive Order from Governor DeSantis, both DOSP and CCC will maintain our earlier position that masks remain optional for students.
  • In lieu of any mask requirements, we strongly encourage unvaccinated students use face masks when community transmission rates are high (as they currently are today).
  • Additionally, we ask that parents err on the side of caution by keeping their students home and getting them tested if they exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, including: fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, flulike respiratory and digestive problems, muscle aches, fatigue.
  • Please note that unlike the alpha variant last year, with the Delta variant school-aged children account for about 1 in 5 new cases.
As previously noted, some operational changes from last year are here to stay, including our block schedule, red and yellow days, as well as enhanced sanitation, cleanliness, and some social distancing practices.
Moving forward, CCC’s Leadership Team will continue to evaluate and implement all guidance from the Office of Catholic Schools to inform or update our school’s own Reopening Plan for the upcoming academic year.
Thank you for your support and diligence as we head into a new school year renewed, reinforced, and revived.
In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

A Message from the CCC Administration
2021 COVID Response
Communication 3

The Office of Catholic Schools and Centers at the Diocese of St. Petersburg this week shared with us their guidance on COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming school year. We wanted to forward the Superintendent’s letter to all DOSP parents to make them fully aware of the direction and expectations as we return to campus this Fall.
Below we’ve listed the most notable highlights from this announcement. You can read the full letter from Superintendent Christopher Pastura here (en español).
  • All students will attend school in-person, and we will no longer support synchronous online learning.
  • As long as county and area levels of infection remain low, masks will be optional for students.
  • Schools can resume clubs, sports, parent meetings, and most field trips that had previously been suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions.
As previously noted, some operational changes from last year are here to stay, including our block schedule, red and yellow days, as well as enhanced sanitation, cleanliness, and some social distancing practices.
Moving forward, CCC’s Leadership Team will continue to evaluate and implement all guidance from the Office of Catholic Schools to inform or update our school’s own Reopening Plan for the upcoming academic year. We are finalizing the 2021-22 Reopening Plan to include all Diocesan directives as well as CCC-specific protocols.
We appreciate your unwavering support over the past 18 months, and we promise to navigate our future together with ongoing hope, honesty and discernment.
In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

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A Message from the CCC Administration
Pressing the “Reset Button”
Communication 2

We would like to issue a correction and clarification to last week’s Pressing the Reset Button communication regarding the use of face masks/gaiters.
In keeping with the new and updated CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals will have the option of wearing or not wearing masks while on the CCCHS campus beginning June 7, 2021. This policy will be effective for June and July, assuming that current trends continue. It is our hope that all students will be able to return to normal beginning on the first day of school; however, no final decisions regarding COVID-19 precautions have been made to date.
We expect more direction from the Office of Catholic Schools and Centers following the Florida Catholic Superintendents’ meeting and the Diocesan COVID-19 task force meetings. We apologize for any confusion our earlier communication may have caused and will continue to communicate with you throughout the summer.

In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

A Message from the CCC Administration
Pressing the “Reset Button”

Thank you for your support during this challenging time. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we chose the inspirational tagline, “With Courage and Hope We Will Make It Together.” How true that has proven to be.

As we navigated our way through the obstacles that COVID-19 presented for educational institutions, our goal at Clearwater Central Catholic High School was to continue providing students with a superior academic experience, guided by our mission and vision. In response to the global pandemic, a Response Task Force was formed consisting of school and community leaders, teachers and staff. The Task Force referenced and continuously reviewed the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Florida Department of Education, and the Diocese of St. Petersburg regulations and recommendations to optimize the safety of our students, faculty, and staff.

Pressing the Reset Button is our first communication concerning our return to a more normal experience on campus. By reset, we are not sweeping everything away but instead continuing to adjust in those areas where we accommodated to the demands of COVID-19 and now realize that these accommodations are no longer needed. On the other hand, we discovered that some new ways of operating have been highly effective in optimizing student learning, and therefore, there is no need to reverse course at this time.

For the remaining few weeks of school, all rules, regulations, protocols, policies, and procedures as outlined in the Re-opening of School Plan, distributed back in August, remain in full effect (barring effect (barring any additional recommendations from the CDC, the Diocese of St. Petersburg, or the Pinellas County Health Department).

Below are initial changes for the 2021-2022 school year:

· Face Coverings will not be required. Following CDC and DOSP guidance on wearing face-coverings, students, faculty and staff will not be required to wear a mask or gaiter. Masks are optional.

· Desk Shields will no longer be required or permitted for students.

· Blended Learning Educational Model:

· At-home Learning using Synchronous Learning (real-time) will not be available next year.

· Our school will provide temporary permission to work from home using Asynchronous Learning on a limited basis in emergencies such as extended student illness or injury. Students will use CANVAS to follow up with instructional activities in all courses during the absences. We will communicate more detailed information with criteria and request process.

· We will continue our Block Schedule (Red and Yellow Days) with potential adjustments to make early dismissals on yellow days more consistent. We will communicate the adjustment once the calendar events for next year are confirmed.

The advantages of block schedule:

· The block schedule provides an opportunity to complete the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, shifting the cognitive load from the teacher to the student in a single class period (I do; We do it together; You do it alone).
· It provides more time to complete learning activities during class time, including time for collaboration and project-based learning, lab experiments, and interdisciplinary connections.

· It gives more time for differentiation of instruction with different levels of support or means of action.

· It provides fewer transitions and disruptions in the daily schedule maximizing learning times.

· It also allows for an extended homeroom (8th period) on yellow days. During this time, CCC offers students time for study hall, tutoring, participation in meetings related to student activities, assemblies, Mass, and other spiritual events.

· On early dismissal days, the block schedule provides an opportunity to implement the Marauder Academic Recovery Sessions (MARS), offering time for students to improve by connecting with their teachers or working individually in an environment conducive to learning.

Please continue to look for future Pressing the Reset Button communications. Thank you again for your support. With Courage and hope, we will continue to make it together. Truly, God is so very good all the time!

In God’s provident care,
Dr. John A. Venturella, President
Mr. James Deputy, Principal
Mr. Enrique Garza, Assistant Principal

ATHLETICS

STATEWIDE FALL SPORTS START DATE PLACED ON PAUSE 

The FHSAA Board of Directors has paused the start of fall sports across the state until at least August 24. The Board will meet again no later than August 17 to determine how to proceed. All summer workout/conditioning activities may continue. These activities remain completely voluntary as no official practices or tryouts may be conducted.

The sports impacted are cross country, cheerleading, football, golf, swimming and volleyball.

Tryouts for volleyball will be rescheduled no earlier than August 24.

This is a good time to make sure student physical and consent forms are up to date and uploaded to athleticclearance.com. Additionally, a CCC COVID-19 release form must be signed and on file with the director of athletics. If you have any questions on these forms, contact John Gerdes, jgerdes@ccchs.org.

FALL COACH CONTACTS 

Cross Country – Ron Willms, cccrunning@gmail.com

Cheer – Hayley Oka, hayleyoka@gmail.com

Football – Chris Harvey, charvey@ccchs.org

Golf – Pat Shriver/Bill Shriver,  pat@covecaygolf.com

Swimming – Craig Coghlan, craigc@belleaircc.com

Volleyball – Stephen Shepherd, shepherds@pcsb.org

Safe Return to Athletics Letter from the Athletic Director.

The following are required before students may participate in athletics:

  • COVID-19 Release of Liability Form.
  • Please read the Policies & Procedures for Coaches, Athletic Staff & Student-athletes.
  • AthleticClearance.com – create an account (new students) or log in to your existing account (returning students) and upload the athletic physical form and digitally complete and sign the EL3 Consent Form which are mandated by state law. Returning students, insert your NEW student ID 10522..All forms are valid for one year from the date of the physical, so new ones will need to be uploaded each year.
  • NFHSLearn.com – create free account and take three online courses on Concussions for Students, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Heat Illness Prevention as required by the State of Florida.Completion certificates must be turned in to the CCC Athletic Department.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding athletics, please email Athletic Director Mr. John Gerdes at: jgerdes@ccchs.org.