The Parish has agreed to provide the additional space necessary for our students to return to the classroom. This outcome serves as a testament to what we can achieve when we approach a difficult challenge with patience and clear intent.
May 4, 2021
Final supporters
Please see below letter that will be sent to Msgr. Parry on Tuesday, February 16th. If you agree, please sign the petition by Monday evening. You may sign your name or sign anonymously. Thank you for your support.
February 16, 2021
Rev. Msgr. Charles Parry
St. Patrick’s Parish
4101 Norbeck Road
Rockville, MD
Re: Increasing School Access to the Parish Center to Facilitate in Person Learning
Msgr. Parry,
The purpose of this letter is to initiate a more open dialogue regarding access to the Parish Center to facilitate in-person learning. We are grateful to be part of a strong community of faith and love during an unprecedented pandemic. To that end, we recognize that your Ministry has already made certain adjustments to accommodate the children of St. Patrick’s School.
In this letter, we humbly ask that you consider granting more fulsome access to the Parish Center to enable more of our children to attend School in-person four days per week. Leaders in both the Church and the Government, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, agree that it is beneficial for a child’s development to be in school as much as possible.
We ask that the School and the Parish openly and urgently collaborate to reach an agreement on how to share the Parish Center facility. While we do not presume to have all the facts, it is our impression that much of the Parish Center sits empty during school hours when it could be utilized for classroom and other instruction. It is our understanding that multiple requests for expanded School access to the facility have been denied this year. Certainly, there must be a workable solution allowing for additional use of the large rooms located in the Parish Center.
As this terrible pandemic persists and the duration of the impact remains uncertain, our primary concern is that the current virtual learning model- which is not sustainable for our children - will be unnecessarily sustained by the decision-makers at the School and the Parish. We have concerns that this will be detrimental to the morale of our faithful community, ultimately resulting in attrition from the Parish and School.
Social distancing regulations determine that maximum occupant load in a space by the square footage of a room. We ask that you consider allowing the largest groups of people to use the largest spaces in the Parish Center. To the extent the space is shared, certainly sanitizing protocols can be negotiated between the School and the Parish. One example would be to consider allowing the 3rd grade class to use Room 104 of the Parish Center in order to facilitate in-person learning 4 days per week for some of our youngest students. There is a good chance that social distancing protocols in Montgomery County remain in place through the Fall of 2021. The attrition our Parish and School might suffer if we do not work together to support in-person learning is concerning.
While we understand and appreciate that the Parish Center is a shared space, we ask you to consider allowing the School priority use of the space between 8:00 am- 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday. As our Parish demographic changes and we welcome additional young families, we think that opening the doors of the Parish Center to the children of St. Patrick’s School demonstrates a loving and supportive collaboration during a very difficult time. This collaboration will strengthen the relationships within our Parish and we can emerge from this pandemic as a stronger faith-filled community. We appreciate that there are many factors and obstacles that we may not fully appreciate, but as both Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church and parents of St. Patricks’ students, we are writing to express our need for a more open dialogue. We are asking that you articulate the barriers to accessing the Parish Center, in writing, so we may begin to problem-solve with your Office and address all obstacles to in-person learning.
While many families elected to sign their names below, many have preferred to remain anonymous at this time for personal reasons. We consider this an urgent request and the favor of your written response is requested by March 1, 2021.
Sincerely,
Concerned St. Patrick’s School Families and Parishioners
Updates
February 11, 2021
The conversation regarding the Parish Center involves many perspectives and requires patience. I am currently reaching out to parish leadership to ensure our request for expanded space remains a priority for the upcoming term.
February 11, 2021
The groundswell of support we have witnessed lately shows how deeply connected our community is to the education of our children. This momentum confirms that a collaborative solution between the school and the parish is both desired and necessary.
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2021
32 Comments
As an ardent supporter of the Parish, the School and the Parish Center though volunteerism and financial contributions, I urge that a compromise solution be reached that allows a strong Catholic education to reach our most vulnerable population who have suffered greatly during this pandemic. Please open the Parish Center and support our students, our teachers and the entire Parish family.
It is beneficial for all the students to be in an in person setting for their education and development socially, personally, and spiritually. As grandparents, we encourage and support all the students at St. Patrick's school to return to in person education 5 days/week. We strongly support all the parish facilities/center to be utilized for the students in a safe manner.
As both a St. Patrick’s parishioner and a parent of St. Patrick’s students, I am hopeful that the almost entirely unused parish center can be used to meet the needs of these young members of the church. We look forward to working as a team to meet the needs of the entire church community.
St. Patrick’s is a very important place to my children and our family. We like so many other loyal school parents and parish families were happy to pledge and fulfill generous monetary support of both the school’s original founding and then this much needed and impressive parish center. Please open it up for the well-being of our school children, with its intended use to bring our community together. Thank you.
St. Pats has been bear and dear to our hearts sending 2 kids through there and running many fund raising events (silent auction and golf tourney for many years) to help get the parish center built. Would love to see it opened for classroom instruction. We have other kids in HS going to school full time and we are definitely seeing the benefits of this with no issues. Thanks for your consideration!!
Classroom learning is essential for the kids. It is important for cognitive and emotional growth.
As a members of one of the original founding families of St Patricks Parish, we strongly encourage the facilitation of this meeting. In these difficult times we believe the church should be doing everything possible to provide for the best possible situation for all the students and staff. Not doing so would be a rejection of the mission of St Patricks School which is .. "to provide quality traditional, Catholic education in a secure, caring and nurturing community." Every resource available should be employed to see that all students can return to continue their education.
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The Parish has agreed to provide the additional space necessary for our students to return to the classroom. This outcome serves as a testament to what we can achieve when we approach a difficult challenge with patience and clear intent.
May 4, 2021
Final supporters
Please see below letter that will be sent to Msgr. Parry on Tuesday, February 16th. If you agree, please sign the petition by Monday evening. You may sign your name or sign anonymously. Thank you for your support.
February 16, 2021
Rev. Msgr. Charles Parry
St. Patrick’s Parish
4101 Norbeck Road
Rockville, MD
Re: Increasing School Access to the Parish Center to Facilitate in Person Learning
Msgr. Parry,
The purpose of this letter is to initiate a more open dialogue regarding access to the Parish Center to facilitate in-person learning. We are grateful to be part of a strong community of faith and love during an unprecedented pandemic. To that end, we recognize that your Ministry has already made certain adjustments to accommodate the children of St. Patrick’s School.
In this letter, we humbly ask that you consider granting more fulsome access to the Parish Center to enable more of our children to attend School in-person four days per week. Leaders in both the Church and the Government, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, agree that it is beneficial for a child’s development to be in school as much as possible.
We ask that the School and the Parish openly and urgently collaborate to reach an agreement on how to share the Parish Center facility. While we do not presume to have all the facts, it is our impression that much of the Parish Center sits empty during school hours when it could be utilized for classroom and other instruction. It is our understanding that multiple requests for expanded School access to the facility have been denied this year. Certainly, there must be a workable solution allowing for additional use of the large rooms located in the Parish Center.
As this terrible pandemic persists and the duration of the impact remains uncertain, our primary concern is that the current virtual learning model- which is not sustainable for our children - will be unnecessarily sustained by the decision-makers at the School and the Parish. We have concerns that this will be detrimental to the morale of our faithful community, ultimately resulting in attrition from the Parish and School.
Social distancing regulations determine that maximum occupant load in a space by the square footage of a room. We ask that you consider allowing the largest groups of people to use the largest spaces in the Parish Center. To the extent the space is shared, certainly sanitizing protocols can be negotiated between the School and the Parish. One example would be to consider allowing the 3rd grade class to use Room 104 of the Parish Center in order to facilitate in-person learning 4 days per week for some of our youngest students. There is a good chance that social distancing protocols in Montgomery County remain in place through the Fall of 2021. The attrition our Parish and School might suffer if we do not work together to support in-person learning is concerning.
While we understand and appreciate that the Parish Center is a shared space, we ask you to consider allowing the School priority use of the space between 8:00 am- 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday. As our Parish demographic changes and we welcome additional young families, we think that opening the doors of the Parish Center to the children of St. Patrick’s School demonstrates a loving and supportive collaboration during a very difficult time. This collaboration will strengthen the relationships within our Parish and we can emerge from this pandemic as a stronger faith-filled community. We appreciate that there are many factors and obstacles that we may not fully appreciate, but as both Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church and parents of St. Patricks’ students, we are writing to express our need for a more open dialogue. We are asking that you articulate the barriers to accessing the Parish Center, in writing, so we may begin to problem-solve with your Office and address all obstacles to in-person learning.
While many families elected to sign their names below, many have preferred to remain anonymous at this time for personal reasons. We consider this an urgent request and the favor of your written response is requested by March 1, 2021.
Sincerely,
Concerned St. Patrick’s School Families and Parishioners
Updates
February 11, 2021
The conversation regarding the Parish Center involves many perspectives and requires patience. I am currently reaching out to parish leadership to ensure our request for expanded space remains a priority for the upcoming term.
February 11, 2021
The groundswell of support we have witnessed lately shows how deeply connected our community is to the education of our children. This momentum confirms that a collaborative solution between the school and the parish is both desired and necessary.
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2021
32 Comments
I have been a life long member of this parish and local community. We are privileged to have a resource (ie, building) that many others do not have. It would be a shame to have it sit empty or minimally used whilst needed to address the needs of educating our youth and having some semblance of normalcy for them.
As an ardent supporter of the Parish, the School and the Parish Center though volunteerism and financial contributions, I urge that a compromise solution be reached that allows a strong Catholic education to reach our most vulnerable population who have suffered greatly during this pandemic. Please open the Parish Center and support our students, our teachers and the entire Parish family.
It is beneficial for all the students to be in an in person setting for their education and development socially, personally, and spiritually. As grandparents, we encourage and support all the students at St. Patrick's school to return to in person education 5 days/week. We strongly support all the parish facilities/center to be utilized for the students in a safe manner.
As both a St. Patrick’s parishioner and a parent of St. Patrick’s students, I am hopeful that the almost entirely unused parish center can be used to meet the needs of these young members of the church. We look forward to working as a team to meet the needs of the entire church community.
St. Patrick’s is a very important place to my children and our family. We like so many other loyal school parents and parish families were happy to pledge and fulfill generous monetary support of both the school’s original founding and then this much needed and impressive parish center. Please open it up for the well-being of our school children, with its intended use to bring our community together. Thank you.
St. Pats has been bear and dear to our hearts sending 2 kids through there and running many fund raising events (silent auction and golf tourney for many years) to help get the parish center built. Would love to see it opened for classroom instruction. We have other kids in HS going to school full time and we are definitely seeing the benefits of this with no issues. Thanks for your consideration!!
Classroom learning is essential for the kids. It is important for cognitive and emotional growth.
As a members of one of the original founding families of St Patricks Parish, we strongly encourage the facilitation of this meeting. In these difficult times we believe the church should be doing everything possible to provide for the best possible situation for all the students and staff. Not doing so would be a rejection of the mission of St Patricks School which is .. "to provide quality traditional, Catholic education in a secure, caring and nurturing community." Every resource available should be employed to see that all students can return to continue their education.
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I have been a life long member of this parish and local community. We are privileged to have a resource (ie, building) that many others do not have. It would be a shame to have it sit empty or minimally used whilst needed to address the needs of educating our youth and having some semblance of normalcy for them.