To My Boys: September 14, 2020
Good morning!
Today is a great day. In just a few minutes we will have at least some of the boys coming on to campus. Half of the sixth graders, the baby Wolverines, will make their way to their second home to get settled in. We are ready for them. All the protocols are in place, hand sanitizers installed, and reminder stickers have been put up around campus. We got this and we are excited.
Then comes everyone else.
Now, remember. It is very important that we all make sure to follow the guidelines that we have set out. For as uncomfortable as they may be, we all have to wear our masks all the time (except when we are eating or drinking, of course). Though many of us have people back home who clean up for us, we all have to wipe down our desks when we walk into a classroom. For as much as we hate standing in lines, we all have to stay six feet apart as we wait to walk into the dining hall for lunch, use the bathroom, or go into a class. And remember, for as much as we want to come to school, if we feel sick in any way, shape, or form, we need to stay home and learn virtually, at least that day.
Who knew? I never thought I would have to write an email like this one. When I was a student at Belen, the only mask I wanted to wear was the one required by a sport. When I was a student at Belen, the only thing I would wipe was my runny nose on the sleeve of my shirt. When I was a student at Belen, I always rushed to the cafeteria and tried to butt everyone in line (I confess I didn’t mind waiting to get into class). And when I was a student at Belen, I had to be infected with the West Nile Virus, bleed from my ears and eyes, and have an arm amputated before my parents let me stay home from school. But, as someone great once said some time ago: “It is, what it is!”
If we stick to the plan, then we are one step closer to making a full return. Someone can get sick, of course, but we can manage that. Following all the guidelines and going the extra mile will help make sure we get back to normal. Don’t think of it as simply protecting yourself. Think of it as you are protecting everyone else. It is being a “man for others." It is being a “band of brothers.”
Auspice Maria
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.