By Raymond L. Delisle
Communications Ministry director
Will I be with my classmates in school in September?
Do we have to wear masks?
Will I have to eat lunch at my desk?
These are just some of the questions that families and students in Catholic elementary and high schools have, as the new school year nears.
“Our goal is on-site learning come the beginning of September, so our focus is planning, as best as possible, to make that a reality,” said David Perda, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools. Nonetheless, he added, schools are also making plans for hybrid learning, for students who may need to be at home, and for remote learning, should the need arise.
“Given the changing nature of COVID, schools and school communities need to be ready to shift if the situation requires it,” Mr. Perda said.
All schools have been closed since mid-March as the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, raced through the state, the country and the world. With little advance warning, schools transitioned to remote learning for the remainder of the year.
Catholic school administrators have been spending the summer planning for opening dayand safety and flexibility are key, the superintendent said.
Some dioceses have formed task forces to determine how their schools will open this fall. The Worcester Diocese, according to Mr. Perda, made “a conscious decision to have school-based plans rather than a broad task force, because context matters.”
The process being used by Catholic schools is, interestingly, dependent on two key Catholic principles: subsidiarity, which keeps decisions closest to the level of those being affected, and a well-formed conscience, which best prepares someone for good and prudent decision-making.
According to Mr. Perda, Massachusetts has at its disposal some of the finest medical authorities in the country and experts in education. Since June 25, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has used these experts for guidance in planning school openings.
“Even though our schools are not bound by that guidance,” Mr. Perda said, “it would be foolhardy for us to not take advantage of their advice and adapt it to fit our needs.” State resources are also assisting with before- and after-school program design, athletics, social and emotional support, and student assessment options to monitor student growth.
Catholic Schools Office senior staff and the principals of the central and parish-based schools have been meeting weekly since late June to discuss opening plans.
Mr. Perda said, “Each facility has unique assets known by the local administrators so they can each develop the best plan for their school.” He noted that the local planning is involving teachers, staff and other stakeholders, either at the outset or for review.
By Aug. 1, each school must present its plan for on-site learning to the Catholic Schools Office for review and feedback. By Aug. 10 the plans will be submitted to DESE for input and will be shared with parents.
“The dates may sound late, but we already know that the state will be making announcements in early August as well, so this will work in parallel with many public school system announcements,” Mr. Perda said.
He noted that Catholic schools are uniquely positioned to adapt and comply with various safety regulations. He stressed that on-site learning is also about experiencing a strong sense of community, which was really lacking in the remote learning experience in the spring. He feels that students will want to do their best to keep not just themselves safe but each other safe.
“Our Catholic values compel us to be caring for each other, which includes not spreading a potentially dangerous virus to our classmates or our teachers,” he said.
So, what could it be like on opening day?
Students in grade 2 and up, and all teachers, will be wearing masks. Hand cleaning will be frequent, as will cleaning common surfaces.
“Classrooms will look a lot more like they did when their parents or grandparents attended some of these schools,” Mr. Perda noted. Individual desks will replace group tables, and everyone will be facing forward and kept at a distance from each other. The former competition to be the student to erase the blackboard may now be the competition to be one who helps keep desks clean each day with sanitizing wipes.
Students will be encouraged to associate in what DESE has termed, “cohorts,” or smaller groups of students. They will be encouraged to stay together over the course of the day. According to DESE, keeping kids in smaller, defined groups is one way to reduce the transmission of the virus and, should one student become ill, there will be a smaller number of students who may have been exposed and can be tested and/or monitored.
Much like what people are asked to do when they return to office buildings, parents will be asked to abide by strict rules for monitoring their child’s and their household’s health.
“Parents and guardians must accept at the outset that they will not send their child to school if they have a fever, or exhibit any symptoms, or even if someone in their household is potentially COVID positive,” Mr. Perda said.
Preschool, kindergarten and first grade should feel closer to normal.
“Teachers will take all necessary precautions, and these young children will be able to benefit from socialization and an interactive education that provides more than any computer screen can offer them,” Mr. Perda said.
In fact, learning responsible behavior will be the focus of the first few days of the school year. Mr. Perda expects that opening days will probably be phased in for most schools, first training teachers and staff, then families, then welcoming students back to school. That will make it easier to get everyone trained and accustomed to new policies, such as lunch in the classroom or staggered schedules, to avoid crowds in hallways or at recess.
The challenges are not limited to students. Teachers are also being asked to develop a new normal in their daily routine. Educational models over the years have focused on the advantages of collaborative learning in teams. Now many lesson plans will need to be adapted to fit the traditional classroom environment.
When asked about activities outside the classroom, Superintendent Perda said, “Just as we are concerned about everyone’s wellbeing in the classroom, the same applies to school sports and after-school programs. We are closely watching the announcements from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), such as delaying the season until Sept. 14. We are optimistic that some lower-risk sports, with minimal contact, may be possible, while others will not. We look forward to further guidance coming soon from state resources to protect student athletes, their coaches and staff.”
In the end, Mr. Perda stresses that parents can be confident that their Catholic schools will be well prepared for the fall.
“Our smaller class sizes, and computer resources are certainly helpful,” he noted, “but our strength is that we are a community committed to Christian charity. We all have posters that say Christ is the reason for our school’s existence. Caring for one another by protecting each other from getting this virus is one more way that we will practice that lesson in real life.”