Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update & Reminders – May 27, 2021

Aloha Saint Mark Parents!

I hope and pray you all are doing well.  I am writing with my FINAL updates & reminders email of the 2020-21 school year. 

COMMUNITY CONDITIONS 
I am happy to report that the current case counts and positivity numbers (which are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative) have been dropping the past couple of weeks.  

Current Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 50 (39 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 1.0% (1.5% on O`ahu).

May 16 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 67 (50 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 1.4% (2.0% on O`ahu).

April 23 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 80 (57 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 1.5% (2.0% on O`ahu). 

LET’S GET VACCINATED this SUMMER!
As we head into the summer knowing that the COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and 100% effective in protecting against the disease for children 12 years and older, Saint Mark continues to strongly encourage all those eligible (Now 12 and older) to get the COVID-19 vaccine to please do so!  We understand that getting vaccinated and establishing community (herd) immunity is our best chance of getting Hawai`i’s kids and teachers fully back-to-school and resuming more normal/traditional school activities.

As you may have seen, I spoke with Samie Solina from Hawaii News Now last week as Hawai`i public schools announced that they would be returning to 100% in person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. I took the opportunity to share some of Saint Mark’s journey while reiterating the importance of getting vaccinated as we hope to return to a pre-pandemic normal.

For those who may have some reservations about getting their children vaccinated, I invite you to read this short and easier-to-understand article out of John Hopkins Medical School entitled COVID-19 Vaccine: What Parents Need to Know.

GRADE 8 GRADUATION
We are happy to celebrate the successful completion of the 2021-2022 school year for all of our students; however, an extra measure of congratulations goes to our 2021 graduating class and our Valedictorian Izzy Lee and our Salutatorian Haley Mafua!  Tonight’s celebration is not open to the public but the entire graduation ceremony will be live streamed via Facebook Live on Saint Mark Lutheran School’s Facebook page for those who cannot attend.

EARLY DISMISSAL
All grades (PK to Gr 8) will dismiss early with NO After School Care tomorrow, Friday, May 28.  We will be using the following staggered pick-up times:
 11:15 to 11:30 a.m. for K-2 students
11:30 to 11:45 a.m. for 3-5 students
11:45 to 12:00 p.m. for 6-8 students
12:00 to 12:15 p.m. for PK students
Please be sure to arrive at your scheduled time (arriving early or late creates a back log) and be sure to call the school office at 247-5589 should you have any questions.

BIDDING ALOHA
Please be sure to wish a warm aloha to Mrs. Margaret Carpenter, Mr. DJ Caoile, Mrs. Robin Kaha`ulelio and Mrs. Miriam McMillian (sabbatical year).  We profoundly thank them for their service to the good Lord and the entire Saint Mark community for many years, and we wish them all of God’s blessings in the future.  They will be missed.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS!
Our 24 finalists (12 boys and 12 girls) from grades 5 – 8 participated in a highly competitive championship race this past Friday.

The top three girls were 1st place – Jordyn Remily (gr 7); 2nd place – Kamele Trueman (gr 6); and 3rd place – Iliwai Maka’ina’i (gr 5).

The top three boys were 1st place – Conor Williams (gr 8); 2nd place – Kawena Wilson (gr 5); and 3rd place – Kamaha’o Bradley (gr 8)

We congratulate all of our runners and invite parents to checkout a number of fun photos on the Saint Mark Instagram page.  

BIG MAHALO TO OUR FAMILIES! 
As this emotional year comes to an end, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to all of our school families for your amazing efforts in following our safety protocols and guidelines throughout the entire school year. Because of your patience, diligence, dedication, cooperation, and communication, we were able to keep our students on campus for almost the entire year.  I hope you all are able to join me in collectively sharing a sense of satisfaction knowing that we worked together to keep our students ( and your children) safe while enjoying an authentic on-campus educational experience.  MAHALO to you ALL!

Mahalo, Blessings and Enjoy a Safe & Fun Summer,

David Gaudi
Head of School