Sent 05.14.2020

Dear Rambler Families of the Classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023,

 

As the school year draws to a close, we write to offer our thanks to you for your efforts in these challenging days and to share a bit about our plans for the future at Loyola Academy.

 

The time since mid-March has been unlike anything we have ever known. We struggle to find the words to describe our experience of these days of pandemic. All of us feel the burden of the threat of illness around us and the deep sadness of the suffering and loss experienced by so many. No one has been untouched by the tentacles of the COVID-19 impact and all of us have been asked to sacrifice for the good of others.

 

We are grateful to all of you for working with us as we moved our teaching and learning online. While not perfect, Loyola transitioned fairly seamlessly to a new way of proceeding. Many Loyola parents who have children in other schools have shared with us that the Loyola online experience outperforms other schools. Our faculty and staff have demonstrated the agility and creativity characteristic of educators in the Jesuit tradition. Teachers, counselors, campus ministers and administrators have all stepped up to offer cura personalis for our Ramblers. We have attempted to preserve our sense of community and connection as best as we can and we have paid special attention to the Class of 2020 whose final quarter at Loyola has been far from what they had expected.

 

Choosing to be part of a Catholic, Jesuit school community means that as we make our way together, we face the important questions of meaning and purpose as people of faith shaped by our tradition and worldview. We don't offer simplistic responses but instead pray for the humility to allow our questions to be asked in conversation with the God who loves us and manifests self-sacrificing love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Chirst. In our own simple sacrifices of these days, we are motivated by our deep desire to be loving people, following Jesus. Called to be women and men for others, our service is a response to God who first loves us.

 

We are people of hope. We know that the joy of Easter reveals to us that God's love has the final word on all things, including illness and death. Our hope is buoyed as we witness God's generosity in the talents and service of all those people who give of themselves in the cause of caring, healing, serving and protecting. As several saints and mystics of our tradition have noted, we ought to pray as if all things depend on God and work as if all things depend on us. Using our gifts and talents is a manifestation of God's goodness. When we serve, we give glory to God.

 

We always have our eyes on the horizon trusting that God is leading us to something more. In that spirit, we have continued the important work of planning for the 2020–21 school year. While there continue to be many unknowns, we are moving ahead with our plans and expectation that we will operate Loyola on campus and in person as we start the new school year. We are fully aware that the pace of the recovery from COVID-19 and the decisions of public health and government authorities are not in our control. However, we are moving ahead with our plans, always with the ability to adjust and modify in light of emerging conditions. The safety of our students, faculty and staff is the first and highest priority in every scenario we consider.

 

To guide our planning, we are assembling the LA COVID-19 Recovery Team, comprised of school leaders and medical experts. Areas of focus for the team include academics, facilities, health and safety, student life and faculty and staff. This team will shape the plan for reopening school as they identify the issues that must be considered as we move toward August. We are committed to developing a pathway that is focused on safety and best practices, manifesting the best characteristics of our tradition of cura personalis. We know that creativity and flexibility must characterize our work. We also know that it will be crucial to communicate clearly and frequently with you and all members of the Loyola Academy community.

 

An essential element of the mission of Loyola Academy is to provide financial aid to students and families who need assistance. We know that many members of our Loyola community have been hit hard financially during the pandemic. Family financial circumstances should not be a barrier to a Rambler returning to school in the fall. For those of you who have already applied for financial aid for the 2020–21 school year, your applications are being reviewed and aid amounts will be shared with you on or about June 1. As always, families may appeal those financial aid awards, especially if changes have occurred in family financial status. If you did not apply for financial aid but now face new financial challenges, we encourage you to submit an application. We have reopened the financial aid application process. Please see the Tuition & Financial Aid section of the school website for more information or to complete an application. New applications for financial aid must be completed by June 15, 2020. If you have any questions, please reach out to our financial aid office.

 

In closing, we thank you once again for partnering with us in our shared mission of Jesuit education and formation. These days have challenged us, but our faith is strong and our hope runs deep. Let's all continue to pray for one another.

 

Gratefully,

Rev. Patrick E. McGrath, SJ
President

Charles W. Heintz
Principal