Activities in most Catholic school campuses will be limited while other schools will continue to offer distance learning when classes reopen, the Archdiocese of Agana said.
The contact restrictions is part of the schools' protective measures against the spread of Covid-19. Along with sanitizing and disinfecting schools, the protocols call for checking temperatures of everyone before entering campus, following social distancing, and wearing facemasks or individual face shields.
The archdiocese said activities on campus will be limited to avoid extended contact among the students in and out of the classroom.
"The primary means for instruction will be face-to-face teaching and learning in the classrooms every day of the week," the archdiocese said.
For some schools, that means restricting overall school enrollment to the number of students who can be accommodated in the classrooms with limits on the number students according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
Other schools will limit enrollment in the classrooms and offer distance learning on the school campuses in various locations such as gyms, auditoriums, libraries, multipurpose rooms, and cafeterias. Some schools will also offer distance learning opportunities to students choosing to stay at home.
The Office of Catholic Education submitted the new set of protocols for the 2020 reopening of schools to the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services.
"The protocols were reviewed by and include recommendations from the Governor’s Physicians Advisory Group. The priorities of the protocols are the health and safety of the students, the delivery of effective academic instruction, and the attention to the students’ social and emotional well-being," the archdiocese said.
Church officials said the schools will continue instruction and activities focusing on the teachings of the Catholic Church and the practices followed by members of the Catholic faith on the island.
"Throughout the fourth quarter of the last school year, Catholic schools provided distance learning opportunities until the end of the year.," the archdiocese said.
"Many lessons were learned from those new experiences. Teachers, administrators, and staff members have attended meetings and training sessions this summer to enhance distance learning if that is necessary. The schools are also preparing for the new school year by ensuring that the equipment and activities are ready for the students’ re-entry into on-campus academic activities."