Parents Comfortable Returning To Campus

Last week Lima Christian School submitted its re-opening plan to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the State Education Department (SED). The plan has met or exceeded the public health guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH and SED. The re-opening plan was designed with recommendations and guidance provided by public health experts at both the federal and state level, as well as education experts at the State Office of Religious and Independent Schools (SORIS) and Lima Christian’s Board, Administration, Faculty and Staff. This week, the school anticipates receiving final approval from Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) for a September 8, 2020 re-opening. (Parents should note that this is a change from the earlier announced date of September 2, 2020, allowing more time for teacher orientation and to maintain a consistent calendar with other area districts.)

Mr. John Reese, the Principal of Lima Christian School, said, “Prior to the completion and submission of the plan, parental input was sought to make certain that our return to campus met not only the mandatory public safety measures, but also the expectations of our parents.” Polling, with representation from every grade level and a vast majority of current LCS families, conducted between July 17-24, 2020, yielded the following results:

  • Over 97% of Lima Christian School parents reported feeling either “extremely comfortable” (31.43%), “very comfortable” (34.29%) or “somewhat comfortable” (31.43%) in sending their child(ren) back to LCS this September.
  • When asked, “Thinking about instruction this fall, are you most comfortable with: In-person instruction, a combination of in-person instruction and distance or remote learning or all distance or remote learning”, 65.22% of parents chose in-person instruction, 31.88% picked a combination and 2.9% preferred remote-learning only.
  • Regarding daily temperature checks of students, faculty and staff, 88.57% of parents were comfortable with this level of health monitoring.
  • Parents were also asked, “Are you comfortable with students being required to wear face masks when they cannot practice social distancing (such as on buses or in the hallways), but not during instructional times?” 77.14% reported that they were “okay with this.”

Mr. Reese stated, “At Lima Christian School, we serve as partners with parents in the education of their children. Accordingly, Lima Christian’s re-opening plan incorporates all of the mandates that the state has listed for a return to campus, but it is also consistent with the concerns and the comfort level of our families.” Reese continued, “As such, alternative, on-line options will be provided for students who may have underlying health conditions or are otherwise hesitant or unable to return to campus.”

To maintain a minimum of six feet of social distancing in each classroom, Lima Christian School will be capping the number of students it can enroll for the 2020-21 Academic Year. Some of those classes are already at or nearing capacity, families considering an LCS education should contact our admissions office as soon as possible,” Reese concluded.

Principal John Reese can be reached at 585.624.3841 ext. 152 or at JReese@LimaChristian.org. Admissions can be reached at Admissions@LimaChristian.org.

Lima Christian School Anticipates On-Campus Instruction In September

On the heels of a graduation ceremony where Lima Christian School graduating seniors walked the stage to receive their diploma, the LCS Board is pleased to announce that the school anticipates resuming on-campus instruction on September 2, 2020.

“We were pleased to see how well our faculty, students and their families adapted to a distance-learning model when the circumstances warranted it, and, if need be, we’ll be ready to do so again,” said Board Chairman Jason McGuire. “However, we believe that one of the reasons why our families choose LCS is because here we foster a community where personal relationships thrive, while students pursue an excellent education. We provide a safe environment in which a student’s faith is nurtured. This model best meets the whole person’s academic, social, and spiritual needs,” concluded McGuire.

On July 8, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out a timeline for plans and decisions regarding school re-opening. The Governor stated that his administration was in the process of finalizing guidance on school re-opening, adding that the guidance will be finalized on July 13. Gov. Cuomo noted that school districts were expected to submit school re-opening plans by July 31.

Principal John Reese remarked, “LCS will be prepared to meet Gov. Cuomo’s deadline. As we await guidance from state and local authorities, we have been developing plans for a plethora of potential scenarios,” said Reese. “Our administration has been making a return to campus, with proper public health and social-distancing guidelines, a priority since May. Mr. Reese also noted that alternative options are being further explored and developed for students who may have underlying health conditions or are otherwise hesitant to return to campus this September. We anticipate receiving final approval during the first week of August,” added Mr. Reese.

Our administration has been making a return to campus, with proper public health and social-distancing guidelines, a priority. – Mr. John Reese

“One of the strengths of our school is its small class size. We are better suited than many larger educational institutions to meet recommended safety protocols. In fact, our cleaning procedures surpassed CDC recommended guidelines prior to the pandemic,” Reese said. “Still, to meet governmental mandates, LCS may have to limit enrollment in certain grade levels. Families considering an LCS education should contact our admissions office as soon as possible,” he concluded.Principal John Reese can be reached at 585.624.3841 ext. 152. The admissions department can be reached at admissions@limachristian.org.

Lima Christian School is a private, faith-based, Pre-K through 12th grade day school located where Livingston, Monroe and Ontario Counties meet in Lima, NY. LCS is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International. It provides academic excellence, a nurturing environment, and strong community to help students discover their God-given talents and prepare them for a life honoring Jesus Christ.

Testing and End of Year

I hope this message finds everyone in our community safe and healthy. I wish all LCS moms a fantastic day on Sunday. I’d like to update you on several important items.

Academic Material Pick Up

Academic materials for the remainder of the year are ready for pick up in the breezeway on the south side of the sanctuary. The doors are open 24/7 so you can stop by at your convenience. Many of the teachers will start using the new material next week, so please find a convenient time before then.

Upper School End of Year Test Schedule

In your email, you will find the schedule for our final testing week for 9th-12th grade students (as well as 8th grade advanced math). The testing will take place Monday, June 8th – Thursday, June 11th. Please know that not all classes will be conducting the fourth quarter/end of year tests. In addition, some teachers will be testing the week prior. Teachers will notify students with specific information that pertains to them. As a reminder, the last day of academic instruction is Friday, June 5th.

Graduation 

We are in the process of working with state officials to understand when we will be able to hold this year’s graduation. My focus is to find a time when we can give our seniors a truly memorable celebration for their significant life milestone. Thank you for your patience, and I will be in touch regarding details as soon as I am able.

Student Locker and Desk Clean Out 

We will open up LCS for families to clean out students’ desks and lockers at the end of the school year. Like planning for graduation, we are working with state officials to understand the best way to do this and abide by current safety guidelines. Stay tuned for more details. Please join me in continuing to pray for our wonderful school community during this time and be sure to rest this weekend! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions you may have and have a great weekend.

Update and plans for next year

I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. I would like to give you a quick COVID-19 update. In addition, we are in the process of planning for next year and I would like to share next year’s tuition rates and financial aid information.

COVID-19 Update
It is hard to determine how the planned phases of opening up our geographic region will affect schools. What we do know is that schools are closed through May 15th. It appears that opening schools will be toward the end of phase II. If our region continues to see a daily drop in COVID-19 infections, phase I should begin in mid-May. If infection rates continue to decline each opening phase lasts two weeks. That would place a possible start to phase II the end of May to early June.

In reality, the path forward is not yet clear. Governor Cuomo has stated that he will share additional information regarding schools this week and I will be sure to keep you up to date.

I encourage you to combat the uncertainty of our times by leaning into our Lord as our firm foundation, knowing that He is on the throne and His faithfulness will carry us through this storm. We will continue to make God guided decisions with safety first as we move forward.

2020-2021 Tuition Rates and Reserving your Seat
Lima Christian is a continuous enrollment school. Since we view educating a child to live for Christ as a long-term partnership with parents, we anticipate that current families will come back each year. All you need to do to reserve your child’s spot for next year is pay your registration fee reflected on a bill that will be sent on May 10th. Please pay your fee by May 29, 2020, and remember that registration fees do increase after June 1st.

Tuition rates will increase 4% for the 2020-2021 academic year. You can view next year’s rates on the LCS website by clicking here.

Financial Aid
Lima Christian has partnered with FACTS to assist families in the financial aid process. Click here if you would like to apply for financial aid for the 2020-2021 school year or visit our financial aid page under the admissions heading on the LCS webpage.

For our planning purposes, please notify us as soon as you are able if your child will not be returning next year.

Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to educate your child at Lima Christian School. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school office at 585-624-3841.

Jesus Will Move Heaven And Earth To Provide For Our Every Need

Dear LCS Community,

At our last meeting, the Board spent a time of dedicated prayer for our students, their families, faculty, staff and the administration. We know that the Coronavirus is a challenge for our community, but God is in our midst, helping us each step of the way.

The Board has taken action on contingency plans that assure current staff levels through the end of this academic year. Some LCS faculty and staff are being temporarily reassigned or shouldering increased responsibilities to help continue educating our students through distance learning, but they all have the assurance that their income is secure in these uncertain times and you have the assurance that your student’s teachers will continue with them through the end of the academic year. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting many of our families. Our board wants to help those who are struggling, due to a loss of income, maintain their enrollment at Lima Christian School. Please let us know how we can help.

We continue to be in prayer for you and your family.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Sunday, let it remind us that He will move heaven and earth to provide for our every need because of His great love for us.

God Bless and Happy Easter,

Karen Conlon
Board Chair, Lima Christian School

Heading into April Break

I hope that you all have a truly restful week ahead. I feel strongly that this time has been provided for us to focus on God, our family, and take care of each other.

Below is Lima Christian School’s learning plan for next week (Monday, April 6th through Friday, April 10th) to accommodate New York State’s request that academic offerings continue, while providing a restful time for our community.

Lower School Plan (K-5th grade)

As your family schedule allows, students can continue to work with their current grade level academic packets that you have at home.

Middle and Upper School Plans (6th-12th grade)

Teachers have extended assignment due dates. Assignments due either on Thursday, April 2, or today, April 3 have been extended to Tuesday, April 14th. Also, a good portion of our teachers have provided extra credit assignments via Google Classroom. Extra credit assignments are optional for students and they are not required to turn them in.

Note for Students Taking AP and Collegiate Level Courses

Please refer to what your teacher has stated regarding assigned work for next week.

Note For Needed Food

If your family is struggling and is in need of food next week, please know that meals can be provided through your local school district. Contact your local district to find out the locations and their meal pick up times.

Additional Activity Ideas

You can watch our latest virtual chapel service by clicking here or visiting https://limabaptist.sermon.net/limachristian.

The yearbook staff is looking for pictures of how you are coping with the COVID-19 isolation at home. Please upload pictures of you and your family doing school work or spending this time in a fun/creative way. You can upload them to https://lcs1.smugmug.com/upload/BD3d7c/coping. The password for the galleries is in your email.

The yearbook staff would also love to receive short stories of how God has blessed you during this time. Please submit your stories to Jerry Thompson at gthompson@limachristian.org.

I will be in touch next week with additional information for distance learning during our 4th quarter.