St. Aloysius High moving all seniors to virtual learning until Dec. 14

Seniors at St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg are being sent home for a few days due to COVID-19 concerns.

In an email addressed to parents Tuesday, school administrators Mary Arledge and Karla McHan said the seniors would be moved to virtual learning “out of an abundance of caution” until Monday, Dec. 14.

“The number of students in 12th grade who have tested positive or who have had direct exposure (close contact) led us to make this decision,” they wrote. “We are following the protocols which we have communicated with you throughout the year. Under the guidelines for reasons to quarantine an entire grade or group it states “the class encounters difficulty continuing in-person education work due to student absences.” This is the situation that came to light when we began contact tracing. In an effort to mitigate the spread and keep everyone safe we deemed this action necessary in order to be proactive rather than reactive.”

The school has experienced “multiple” cases of COVID-19 in the 12th grade, although administrators did not specify how many cases have been diagnosed.

“This decision does not come lightly, but it is with the best intentions to protect the health of the students, staff, and faculty,” they wrote.

The decision extends to sports and all extracurricular activities; however, the school has put plans in place so that seniors can take their semester exams.