Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

May 21, 2020 Update (Regis & Genesis Child Development Centers)

Dear Parents & Guardians,

As we continue to move forward in a world changed by COVID-19, we want to make you aware of the various precautionary measures we are and will be taking at our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers. We will be following the Department of Children and Families recommendation of limiting our enrollment to 75% of our capacity.

Health Check

All parents, children, and any household members entering the building must conduct a daily temperature check at home before coming inside the center. Should you or any household member have the following symptoms, we ask that you remain home and notify the center. As a reminder, our policy states your child must remain symptom free for 72 hours before returning to care.

Symptoms of Concern

Fever of 100 degrees or higher
Cough
Difficulty breathing

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event any staff member or child in our care is diagnosed with COVID-19, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department will advise us as to the next steps we will need to take.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off, Entry Into Program

To limit the number of people coming in and out of our classrooms each day, we ask the following procedures be followed until further notice:

Parents must drop off and pick up children at the door of their classroom. (This does not include the youngest infants. Parents will be allowed to enter that room.)
Keep the amount of time spent in the building as minimal as possible.
Continue to have only one parent per family enter the building at drop off and pick up. Please do not bring older siblings into the building.
Daily sheets will temporarily be filled out by the classroom teacher. Please communicate to the teacher any important details at drop off. Daily sheets will be taped onto lockers/cubbies at the end of the day.
Please continue to use the hand sanitizer located next to the computer upon entering the program.

Sanitation

We will continue to diligently clean, sanitize, and disinfect surfaces, toys, safety gates, door knobs, handrails, etc. throughout the day.
Staff and children will continue to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands throughout the day.
Food service personnel will take extra precautions when preparing and handling food.

Reducing Exposure

To reduce commingling, the same teachers will work with the same group of children as much as possible.
Non-essential visitors will be restricted from entering the building.

School-Age Summer Care

To eliminate the amount of children housed in our main building at the Regis Child Development Center, that center’s school-age summer care will be held in the high school building in room 105.
RCDC School-Age parents will enter and exit the high school using door # 3, which is located by the front high school parking lot.
RCDC school-age parents will not need to log into the computer. The teacher will do this for them.
Our school-age children at the Genesis Child Development Center will remain in the Rambler Room in the lower level of the facility. GCDC school-age parents will continue to enter through the main doors and will be asked to log into the main computer.
We will be greatly reducing the number of field trips our school-age children take this summer. However, our outstanding teachers are busy planning engaging and exciting learning activities that will allow the children to enjoy a summer full of fun.

Many of these activities will be completed outdoors, allowing them to enjoy the beautiful Wisconsin summer. Please contact your center’s director if you have any questions. We thank you for your continued partnership as we work to keep our children and families safe and healthy.

May 14, 2020 Update

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MARK GOBLER

Dear Regis Catholic Schools Families,

On Wednesday, May 13, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state's latest Safer at Home order. There is, however, an exception when it comes to K-12 education.

As a result, Regis Catholic Schools will continue to follow the order closing schools across the state until June 30, which remains in effect. At this time, we will not be reopening and will continue the at-home instruction plan we currently have in place until the end of the year.

We will also not be altering any of our current plans regarding high school graduation, promotion ceremonies, award ceremonies, etc.

We have been working closely with and monitoring several different state sources and there is no indication state action will facilitate any change as it relates to K-12 education. Our Regis Catholic Schools administrative team will be sharing information with you in regards to the process for returning textbooks, electronic devices, and other materials in the near future. All of our school buildings will be closed to the public until further notice.

We will continue to follow the guidelines set forth by the Diocesan Schools Office and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.

On May 14, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department outlined its reaction and recommendations following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision. It says though Safer at Home is no longer in place, the COVID-19 disease is still present in the Eau Claire community and poses a serious threat to public health. CLICK HERE to read today’s official order issued by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.

Some details of the order are as follows:

Individuals are strongly encouraged to stay at home or their place of residence, minimize travel outside of the county, and keep their number of connections small
Restrictions for both public spaces and and public buildings, such as physical distancing and limitations on the number of people present at one time
Mass gatherings of more than 10 people are not permitted

This order goes into effect immediately and will be in effect until 11:59 p.m. on May 28, 2020.

God Bless you and your family. You remain in our prayers and we thank you for partnering with us during this unprecedented time.

Mark Gobler ‘73
President

Important Scrip Announcement (April 20, 2020)

In light of the state of Wisconsin’s Safer at Home guidelines, Regis Catholic Schools has shut down Scrip sales at the Central Office. We have, however, received inquiries as to if/when our families could purchase Scrip during the coming weeks. After virtual discussions among our administrators and the Regis Catholic Schools Finance Council, it was determined we could explore reopening sales if we follow strict safety guidelines.

On Thursday, April 23, we will offer curbside pick up of pre-ordered Scrip at the Regis Catholic Schools Central Office. This will be a test to see if this new method of sales is successful.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on April 23, you will be able to stop by to collect and pay for pre-ordered Scrip cards. You will first be required to download our special RCS Scrip Order form via the Regis Catholic Schools website. (You can also CLICK HERE to download the form.) Those completed forms can be emailed to scrip@RegisCatholicsSchools.com starting now and until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. This will give us ample time to validate our Scrip inventory to fill your order. If certain cards are unavailable, we will notify you by email/phone. (IMPORTANT: Please make sure you include your phone number on the order form.)

We may have a limited inventory of certain cards as we are focusing on those vendors that provide essential supplies. Once you receive verification of your order, you will be assigned a number to place in a visible spot on the passenger side of your windshield. As you drive up to the Regis Catholic Schools Central Office, an employee will validate your order and take your payment. (Checks or exact cash payments only.)

We promise to prioritize your health and safety and the health and safety of our Regis Catholic Schools employees during this Scrip sales test run. If it seems to be something that makes sense to do again, we will set another date and notify you as such.

Thank you for your patience as we explore new ways to help you continue to support our Regis Catholic Schools Scrip program. Our prayers to your family during these unprecedented times.

April 16, 2020 Update

Today, Governor Tony Evers directed the Department of Health Services to extend the Safer at Home order for the state of Wisconsin. CLICK HERE to read the order in its entirety.

It extends the state’s Safer at Home order until 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, or until a superseding order is issued. It also indicates all public and private K-12 schools shall remain closed for pupil instruction and extracurricular activities for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

Regis High School, Regis Middle School, Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School will remain closed and continue to deliver packet-based and/or digital instruction for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

All of our school buildings will remain closed to the public until further notice.

K-5th Grade Families | Please watch for more communication directly from your school regarding upcoming scheduled times during which you will be able to return completed work and pick up new work for your student(s) to complete. This will be done in a “curbside” manner, with parents/guardians not being allowed to enter the building. Again, more details will follow.

Our 6-12th grade families have their one-to-one devices and our teachers will continue to upload the newest assignment(s) with due dates. This has been working well and we anticipate it to continue. However, if you have issues or concerns please reach out to the individual teacher immediately to get more clarification or assistance.

Our Regis Catholic Schools administration team is meeting tomorrow (Friday) morning to discuss continued course work, elementary drop off and pick up dates, our plan regarding graduation for the members of our Regis High School Class of 2020, and more. We will also spend the next few weeks formulating plans regarding our end-of-year procedures, including the process for returning all school materials (i.e. Chromebooks, textbooks, etc.), and delivery of and elementary report cards. Your school principal will share more school-specific communication with you by late Friday, April 17.

We thank you for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as this mandated closure continues through the remainder of the current school year. We understand the strain this may be putting on your family and we thank you for continuing to partner with us as we educate our students.

If you have any questions regarding the continuation of at-home learning, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) or your school’s principal.

April 7, 2020 Update (Regis & Genesis Child Development Centers)

The health and well-being of our children and staff is our highest priority. In the interest of limiting the opportunity for transmission of COVID-19, we are taking the following precautionary measures:

Health Check

All staff and families, children, and their household members must conduct a daily health check before coming into the center. Should you or any household member have the following symptoms, we ask that you remain home and notify the center. The new recommendation is that your child remain symptom free for 72 hours, before returning to care.

Fever of 100 degrees or higher
Cough
Difficulty breathing

Pick-Up/Drop-Off, Entry Into Program

To limit the number of people in and out the classrooms each day we are implementing the following procedures until further notice:

Parents must drop off and pick up children at the door of their classroom (this does not include the youngest infants).
Keep the amount of time spent in the building as minimal as possible.
Continue to have only one parent per family enter the building at drop off and pick up. Please do not bring older siblings into the building.
Daily sheets will temporarily be filled out by the classroom teacher.
Please communicate to the teacher any important details at drop off. Daily sheets will be taped onto lockers/cubbies at the end of the day.
Please continue to use the hand sanitizer located next to the computer upon entering the program.

We will continue to do everything in our power to protect you and the children in our care, as well as our staff. Thank you for your cooperation in this very important matter.

March 24, 2020 Update

Today, Governor Tony Evers directed the Department of Health Services to issue a Safer at Home order for the state of Wisconsin. CLICK HERE to read the order in its entirety.

The Safer at Home order is effective beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25 and will remain in effect until 8 a.m. on Friday, April 24, or until a superseding order is issued.

As a result of this order, Regis High School, Regis Middle School, Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School will remain closed and continue to deliver packet-based and/or digital instruction through Friday, April 24.

All of our school buildings will be closed to the public until further notice.

Our Regis Catholic Schools administrative team is working on details regarding the continued delivery of at-home instruction to our students.

K-5th Grade Families | Please watch for more communication directly from your school regarding upcoming scheduled times during which you will be able to return completed work and pick up new work for your student(s) to complete. This will be done in a “curbside” manner, with parents/guardians not being allowed to enter the building. Again, more details will follow.

We thank you for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as this mandated closure continues beyond its original end date. We understand the strain this may be putting on your family and we thank you for continuing to partner with us as we educate our students.

If you have any questions as at-home learning gets back underway following spring break on Monday, March 30, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) or your school’s principal.

March 18, 2020 Update (Evening)

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MARK GOBLER

Dear Regis Catholic Schools Families,

COVID-19 has certainly altered everyday life for all of us. We understand this is a challenging time and thank you for handling the difficulties you are dealing with during this unprecedented event.

When I visited all of our schools on Wednesday, I was pleased to see a positive environment of staff preparing for the delivery of instructional materials to your family during the mandated closure. Our Regis Catholic Schools team will monitor, adjust, and accommodate as needed to help make this transition to off-site learning as seamless as possible.

Governor Evers recently declared all schools across the state are now closed until further notice. This offers no clear indication when our students and staff will be reunited at our schools. We, of course, continue to monitor the Governor’s mandates and will keep you updated.

Our building principals will be keeping you updated via email and I promise to stay connected as I get more details through state, local, and Diocesan resources. Please be sure to check your email on a regular basis or visit this Regis Catholic Schools Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Site for updates, links to outside experts, and important resources.

Your principals have informed you that we will be monitoring daily attendance during at-home learning days. The DPI has a different set of guidelines for non-public schools and at this time, we do have to maintain an attendance log. My personal feeling is that we will have more information regarding monitoring attendance after our scheduled spring break next week.

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says as of late this afternoon, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Eau Claire County. There are now two confirmed cases in La Crosse County.

Most of all, thank you for your patience. Hats off my administrative team who assisted me in drafting contingency plans as we prepared to close our schools. We truly want to provide a positive educational experience for our students, however, if you would like to make a constructive recommendation, please let your child’s principal know.

Because this hopefully a once in a lifetime occurrence, we readily admit there will be constant evaluation of the process and we are happy to listen to your feedback.

God Bless,

Mark Gobler ‘73, President

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Child Care Availability Update

This afternoon, Governor Evers said that child care centers may not operate with more than 10 staff present at a time and may not operate with more than 50 children present. We may still have opportunities for care for school-age children even under those restrictions. Please reach out to our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers to inquire if you are in need.

Mass Available on TV & Regis Catholic Schools Website

With parishes closed, we want you to be aware of a few ways you can still celebrate Mass. The Diocesan Televised Mass is filmed at various churches in the Diocese of La Crosse by Diocesan priests, parishes, and Catholic groups for those who are unable to attend Mass to their own parish. This is broadcast in the Eau Claire area on Channel 18 at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The Mass is also available any time of day, throughout the week, on the Diocesan Facebook page or Diocesan YouTube channel. Special Masses will be broadcast live at diolc.org/live.

Regis Chaplain Fr. Daniel Sedlacek and the Regis Campus Ministry team are working to make Mass recordings available on a daily basis via our Regis Catholic Schools website. CLICK HERE to access these videos. (You will also find them by clicking the “FAITH” drop down on our website and selecting “Digital Masses”.)

Regis Catholic Schools Central Office + Scrip Sales Update

As previously announced, the Regis Catholic Schools Central Office will remain open for the remainder of this week. Scrip will be available for purchase during the rest of this week. UPDATE: The Regis Catholic Schools Central Office and Scrip sales will be closed March 23-April 3. Please plan accordingly.

School Office Hours

Your individual school buildings have been sending communications via email. Please read these emails to see if and when your child’s building will be open in the event you need to pick up items.

Meals for Students

Regis Catholic Schools is unable to provide meals for students during the mandated closure. If you find yourself in need, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says the Eau Claire Area School District is offering free breakfast and lunch to students on what would have been regularly scheduled school days. (No breakfast or lunch will be offered March 23-27.) As of now, meals can be picked up at Delong, Northstar, and South from 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Meals will include lunch for the current day and breakfast for the following day. The Eau Claire Area School District says all meals will be free regardless of current eligibility status or location of enrollment. No identification or proof of enrollment will be required.

The Community Table and the Feed My People Food Bank are also available to help needy families during this time.

March 18, 2020 Update (Regis & Genesis Child Development Centers)

(5 p.m. UPDATE) | This afternoon, Governor Evers announced child care centers will be limited to 10 staff members and no more than 50 children present at a time. We understand this announcement may have you feeling concerned about our operation.

Rest assured the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will remain open and will follow these new recommendations.

Many of our families have the ability to keep their young child(ren) home at this time and are choosing to do so, allowing us to continue to provide care for families who need it, even with these new restrictions. Our highest priority is the health and safety of the children and our staff.

We will continue to follow all hand washing and sanitizing procedures at both facilities.

We thank you for your patience during this ever-changing situation.

IMPORTANT CHILD CARE AVAILABILITY UPDATE

(2:30 p.m. UPDATE) | Gov. Evers said Wednesday afternoon that child care centers may not operate with more than 10 staff present at a time and may not operate with more than 50 children present. We may still have opportunities for care even under those restrictions. Please reach out to our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers to inquire if you are in need.

In light of the ever-changing recommendations regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), many of our regular child development center families have the ability to keep their child(ren) at home and are choosing to do so.

The Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers remain open and now have the ability to welcome more school-age children than we previously believed we would have room for.

We understand some of you are struggling to find care for your child(ren) with our schools now closed and we invite you to reach out to one or both facilities to inquire about registering your K-5 student to attend. They could begin receiving care as soon as tomorrow, Thursday, March 19.

Both centers have the ability to accept more school-age children for the remainder of this week, during the week of March 23-27, and also now during the week of March 30-April 3.

Our trained staff are ready and able to care for your child(ren), even if you have not previously attended one of these facilities in the past.

If you are interested, please reach out immediately for more information, including tuition rates, via the phone numbers below:

Regis Child Development Center | (715) 830-2274

2114 Fenwick Avenue, Eau Claire

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Genesis Child Development Center | (715) 830-2275

418 N. Dewey Street, Eau Claire

Both facilities are open Monday - Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Again, at this time, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department is not recommending closures of child development center/day cares as they are deemed an essential services. Our highest priority is the health and safety of the children and our staff. We will continue to follow all hand washing and sanitizing procedures at both facilities.

March 16, 2020 Update (Afternoon)

After spending the entire day discussing our plans and listening to a Diocesan-wide conference call regarding coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided to begin our school closure one day early.

Our students at Regis High School, Regis Middle School, Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School will attend school on Tuesday, March 17. There will be no school beginning Wednesday, March 18. The anticipated reopening date for our schools is April 6, 2020; however, the reopening date is subject to change pending further information from the state.

Student Transit will provide bussing for our students tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17.

Our administrative team will meet again Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. to finalize our instructional plan during the closure. We will send an update when it is available.

As a parent, we remind you that you have the right to keep your child(ren) home from school on Tuesday if you choose. Please contact your school office if your child will be absent. All absences will be excused.

Our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will remain open, however, the facilities will be unable to care for school-age (K-5) children on Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19. The facilities will provide care for school-age children who were already scheduled to attend on Friday, March 20 and March 23-March 27. Again, you must have already signed up for care on those specific days to bring your child(ren). There is not available space for more children to be added at this time.

As a reminder, due to staffing limitations, the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will be unable to provide care for school-age children March 30-April 3.

Please watch for further communication directly from your school for important information as we prepare for the closure. We also have a few new updates to share with you below regarding specific topics.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Student Medication Pick Up

Parents/guardians must stop at their school office to pick up any student prescriptions and/or medications. These items cannot be sent home with students.

You can stop by Tuesday, March 17 between 1 and 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 18 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to gather these items.

Meals for Students

Regis Catholic Schools Central Office + Scrip Sales

As of right now, the Regis Catholic Schools Central Office will remain open for the remainder of this week and the week of March 30. Scrip will be available for purchase during this time. The Regis Catholic Schools Central Office and Scrip sales will be closed March 23-27. Please plan accordingly.

Wisconsin Parental Choice Program Enrollment Period

As the situation regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to change rapidly, we encourage any of our current families who utilize the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program to complete the application/verification process for the 2020-21 school year as soon as possible. The official WPCP application/verification deadline remains Thursday, April 16 by 4 p.m. We understand things can change quickly and we don’t want you to miss that important deadline. This is a time when we urge you not to procrastinate.

General Event/Item Announcements

The deadline to apply for our 2020-21 Regis Catholic Schools scholarships has been extended to Tuesday, April 14.
The Eau Claire Area School District’s special event on March 17, Suicide: The Ripple Effect, has been canceled. The district and Marshfield Clinic are working to find a date to reschedule this important event.
The Immaculate Conception Parish Fish Boils have all been canceled. That includes those events scheduled for March 27 and April 3.
The Regis Baseball fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at Pizza Ranch has been postponed. A new date has not been set.
The 17th annual Regis Baseball Camp scheduled for March 28 has been postponed. A new date has not been set. All registration payments that have already been received will be held for now.
The Regis Softball fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at Wisco’s has been postponed. A new date has not officially been set.

March 16, 2020 Update (Regis & Genesis Child Development Centers)

Our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers continue to monitor the ever-changing recommendations regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) from the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.

At this time, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department is not recommending closures of child development centers/day cares, however, we understand this could change in the future. Our highest priority is the health and safety of the children and our staff. We will continue to follow all hand washing and sanitizing procedures at both facilities.

NEW INFORMATION: Tuition will not be charged through April 3 for families who wish to keep their children home during this time.

As with our normal illness policy, we ask you please keep your child(ren) home if they have developed any symptoms of illness and remain at home until they are free of symptoms for 24 hours.

As a reminder, we will continue to care for our infant through preschool-age children as normal. (Please note, while the 4K program at both centers is canceled during the mandated school closures, extended care is still available for those children in the 4K program at the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers who normally use that extended care.)

Regarding school-age (K-5) children, both the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers plan to continue to provide care for those families who have already scheduled to attend at the facilities on Friday, March 20 and March 23-March 27. Again, you must have already signed up for care on those specific days to bring your child(ren). There is not available space for more children to be added at this time.

Due to staffing limitations, the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will be unable to provide care for school-age children on Thursday, March 19 or March 30-April 3.

As of right now, local health experts say there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Eau Claire County.

If recommendations in regards to closing our child development center programs change, we will inform you immediately.

March 16, 2020 Update (Morning)

As most of you are aware, the Eau Claire Area School District has modified its closure plan this week due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

At this time, Regis Catholic Schools plans to continue to follow Governor Evers’ mandate to close schools across the state beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18. That means as of the sending of this email, we will still have school on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18. Extra-curricular activities and athletics would be suspended as of 5 p.m. on March 18 and until further notice.

We have been in contact with Student Transit and our families will continue to receive bussing as long as our schools are in session.

Understandably, this is a very fluid and ever-changing situation. Our Regis Catholic Schools administrative team has been working through the weekend and will meet this morning (March 16) at 10 a.m. Our principles and President Mark Gobler will also participate in a Diocesan-wide teleconference at 1:30 p.m. today. If there is any change to our original closure plan, we will let you know.

At this time, our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will still remain open and will offer care for previously-registered school-age children on the same schedule as shared over the weekend via email and our coronavirus (COVID-19) information site. As a parent, you have the right to keep your child(ren) home from school if you choose. Please contact your school office if your child will be absent. All absences will be excused.

We understand the anxiety and fear you and your child(ren) may be experiencing at this time. The National Association of School Psychologists has created a resource for parents to help guide conversations regarding COVID-19. CLICK HERE to access this important and helpful information. PBS Kids has also created a resource for parents with younger children. CLICK HERE to access this important and helpful information.

We will continue to keep you updated as we proceed through this unprecedented time. Our priority remains the safety of all of our students and staff.

March 14, 2020 Update (Regis & Genesis Child Development Centers Plan)

With the announced closure of our schools due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), we have been working to formulate a plan of action at our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers.

At this time, both the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will remain open.

We will continue to care for our infant through preschool-age children as normal. (Please note, while the 4K program at both centers is canceled during the mandated school closures, extended care is still available for those children in the 4K program at the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers who normally use that extended care.)

Due to staffing limitations, the Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers will be unable to provide care for school-age children on Thursday, March 19 or March 30-April 3.

March 14, 2020 Update

Regis Catholic Schools, in partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Departments, continues to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it develops.

On Friday, Governor Tony Evers directed Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to issue an agency order mandating the statewide closure of all K-12 schools, public and private, as part of the state’s efforts to respond to and contain the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin.

The mandated closure is to begin at the end of the day on Wednesday, March 18 in order to give schools ample time to make plans for students, families, educators, and staff. The anticipated reopening date is April 6, 2020; however, the reopening date is subject to change pending further information. Extra-curricular activities and athletics will be suspended as of 5 p.m. on March 18 and until further notice.

Below is a look at the full schedule for the next few weeks for our PreK-12 students at our schools; Regis High School, Regis Middle School, Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School.

Monday, March 16 | Regular School Day
Tuesday, March 17 | Regular School Day
Wednesday, March 18 | Regular School Day (All Activities Ending at 5 p.m.)
Thursday, March 19 | NO SCHOOL (Mandated Closure Day)
Friday, March 20 | NO SCHOOL (Previously Scheduled Day Off)
March 23-March 27 | NO SCHOOL (Previously Scheduled Spring Break)
March 30-April 3 | NO SCHOOL (Mandated Closure Days)
Monday, April 6 | Schools Tentatively Scheduled to Reopen

The closure order does not include child development centers/day cares at this time. We are currently working with our Regis and Genesis Child Development Centers to discuss this development and decide what the plan of action there will be in regards to our infants through 4K students, in addition to any school-age children who may normally attend schools-out programing at one of these two facilities. Please watch for more information regarding our child development centers in the days to come.

As released earlier this week, our leadership team has been working on a plan to continue to deliver educational instruction to our K-12 in light of this now mandated closure.

Our kindergarten through 5th grade teachers will send home packets of work for students to complete while at home. The teacher will also send instructions so students do not become overwhelmed. In addition, teachers will make packets available on their school website if you need to reprint for any reason. We ask you to please email the teacher with any questions along the way. Our specialist teachers (gym, music, art, and Spanish) will send home suggested activities that you may wish to complete, but will not be required.

Our middle (6th grade through 8th grade) and high school (9th grade through 12th grade) students will have their one-to-one devices and RCS Google login. Students will be expected to follow their teacher’s instruction daily for assignments for each class in which they are enrolled. Students will be able to communicate and ask questions through email. We will ask our students to please keep in close communication as assignments will have due dates.

Please understand our teachers are working very hard to prepare to continue to provide your student(s) with a high-quality education while they are away from school. We are grateful for their hard work and ask for your patience as we work through this unprecedented closure.

On Thursday, the governor signed an executive order that directs DHS to take all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent and respond to incidences of COVID-19. It allows the Department to purchase, store, or distribute appropriate medications, regardless of insurance or other health coverage, as needed to respond to the emergency. It also authorizes state funds to support local health departments with costs related to isolation and quarantine, as well as the use of the Wisconsin National Guard.

As of right now, local health experts say there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Eau Claire County.

As a reminder, here are some things you can do to help prevent the spread of illness in our community:

Stay home if you are feeling sick.
Wash your hands often.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Follow guidance from the CDC and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health if you are traveling.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Regis Catholic Schools continues to work in close partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department for guidance on precautions, best practices, and communication. We will continue to keep you updated through the next several days as we all prepare for this statewide school closure.

March 13, 2020 Update

This afternoon, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department held a news conference to provide an update regarding coronavirus (COVID-19). As of right now, local health experts say there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the area. Those experts say the risk to Eau Claire County residents remains low and add there is not a reason to panic.

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says at this time, PreK-12 schools and child development centers are not at risk and are recommended to remain open. Local experts say at this time, keeping kids in school is the best decision. Again, if at any time a closure is necessary, we will work in partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. We would work together to determine the circumstances surrounding and the length of any closure and you would be notified immediately.

Following that advice, as of now, we plan to be open for classes next week beginning on Monday, March 16.

Health experts do recommend postponing or canceling events with more than 250 people for the next 30 days. With that in mind, we are canceling the evening performances for the Regis Middle School Band & Choir Concert on Monday, March 16. The students will instead perform their musical pieces during the school day, with the performances streamed live online at https://www.regiscatholicschools.com/live/. The schedule will be as follows:

6th Grade Band & Choir | Approximately 12:30 p.m.
7th & 8th Grade Band & Choir | Approximately 2:10 p.m.

The performance videos will also be saved online.

Regis Catholic Schools continues to work in close partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department for guidance on precautions, best practices, and communication. If you have any concerns, please contact your school office.

As a reminder, here are some things you can do to help prevent the spread of illness in our community:

Stay home if you are feeling sick.
Wash your hands often.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Follow guidance from the CDC and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health if you are traveling.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

March 12, 2020 Update

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the United States, the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority.

Regis Catholic Schools continues to work in close partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department for guidance on precautions, best practices, and communication.

At this time, our state and local health departments are not recommending school or child development center/day care closures in our area. If our schools and child development centers within the Regis Catholic Schools system are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, that decision would be made in partnership with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. We would work together to determine the circumstances surrounding and the length of any closure. We cannot predict if or when any closure may happen, but we want you to know we are working to prepare if it does.

With that in mind, our leadership team has been working on a plan to continue to deliver educational instruction to our K-12 students in the event of a closure.

Our kindergarten through 5th grade teachers would send home packets of work for students to complete while at home. The teacher would also send instructions so students would not become overwhelmed. In addition, teachers would make packets available on their school website if you need to reprint for any reason. We would ask you to please email the teacher with any questions in the event this happens. Our specialist teachers (gym, music, art, and Spanish) would send home suggested activities that you may wish to complete, but would not be required.

Our middle (6th grade through 8th grade) and high school (9th grade through 12th grade) students would have their one-to-one devices and RCS Google login. Students would be expected to follow their teacher’s instruction daily for assignments for each class in which they are enrolled. Students would be able to communicate and ask questions through email. We would ask our students to please keep in close communication as assignments would have due dates.

As you know, Regis High School, Regis Middle School, Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School will not hold classes March 20 - March 27 due to our previously scheduled staff development day and spring break. As of now, our schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday, March 30 following that break.

While our schools are empty, we will perform a complete disinfection of all of our classrooms and common areas. We will follow proper cleaning procedures as outlined by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and our school custodial staff. The gym, locker rooms, and Rambler Room on the Regis campus will be shut down on Wednesday, March 25 for the disinfection process. No one will be allowed to use these areas on that day.

Our child development centers continue to work diligently to perform complete disinfections of classrooms and common areas.

In addition, we are working closely with our food and supply distributors to stay updated on any possible disruptions. We are also working to identify alternate supply lines in the event of shut downs across the area.

We understand many of you have spring break travel plans and may have questions. Experts say when traveling, you should continue to wash your hands, avoid people who are sick, and maintain distance in crowded public areas. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health released new recommendations today (March 12) regarding travel in the United States. This is a precaution to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our state from people who have traveled to states with a higher number of cases and “sustained community spread”. At this time, those recommendations advise against non-essential travel to California, New York, and Washington. More information can be found at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm under “General Travel Guidance”. For all travelers returning to Wisconsin from these U.S. states where the CDC has determined that sustained community transmission is occurring, DHS recommends that those individuals self-quarantine at home for 14 days and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 (including fever and cough).

We invite you to review the attached resources provided by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department for more information on COVID-19. Local experts say the risk to Eau Claire County residents remains low.

While the risk remains low, everyone can help prevent the spread of illness in our community with a few simple, but effective everyday actions:

Wash your hands often.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Follow guidance from the CDC and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health if you are traveling.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

We will continue to keep you updated as this situation progresses, sharing any resources we receive from the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.