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Letter From the President
ARTHUR RAIMO President FROM THE PRESIDENT
FROM THE ACADEMY OF THE HOLY NAMES CHRONICLES, OCTOBER 1918
As we move through 2020, one thing is abundantly clear: this has been a year like no other. However, as you can see from the excerpt from the Academy Chronicles above, it’s not the first time the Academy has dealt with a deadly pandemic.
In 1918, the Academy shut its doors when schools were ordered to close. We were compelled to do the same in March. Within a few days, we began a distance-learning program for all our students from pre-K through 12th grade. Succeeding as well as we did is a testament to the fine work of our teachers and administrators, the resilience of our students, and the unwavering support of our parents. It wasn’t always easy, and not so pretty at times, but we carried it off as well as anyone.
Throughout the summer, we spent countless hours busily preparing for the start of what will be as challenging a year as any since 1918. In that year, the schools reopened for good after a few months. In August, we opened our doors with approximately 85% of our students learning on campus. Only time and the course of the virus will determine whether we can keep them open.
Trying to sift through the recommendations from the CDC, the state and local governments regarding the protocols and procedures to put into place has been challenging, to say the least. It is clear that our parents wanted their children to return to school; 88% of them opted for in-person instruction. This presents us with the challenge of keeping our students and their teachers safe. Given the number
of people in our building at any time, masks are mandatory for everyone. While we are working hard to provide social distancing, we understand that it will be difficult at times. Mask-wearing will be the key to our success. In addition, we have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols to create as safe an environment as we possibly can.
A MONTH OR SO AFTER THE OCTOBER STATEMENT ABOVE, WE FIND THE FOLLOWING ENTRY IN THE CHRONICLES: “The dread disease has not passed us by. Although every precaution was taken, already five of our boarders are stricken with the malady and owing to our limited space two others have been sent to a local hospital. We do not anticipate any fatalities as all are doing very well.”
As in 1918, we have taken every precaution possible while reopening the school, and even with new construction and renovations completed over the past several years, space remains limited as our school enrollment remains at capacity. We hope and pray that we come through this recent pandemic as those before us did in 1918, but it will take more than prayer to make it happen. It will take all of us—teachers, staff, students and parents—working together to the best of our ability to ensure we come through this difficult time with the most positive outcome possible.
Sincerely,
Arthur Raimo President
