WE RISE RETURNING TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL brought with it excitement and a note of uncertainty. After being apart for so long, since March of 2020, teachers were looking forward to getting back into the classroom and being with their students face to face. The faculty and staff realized that coming back to school in the fall for in-person learning was uncharted territory, especially since most schools remained in remote status. We faced the challenge to make this new normal work with tenacity and a renewed dedication to making learning in this unique atmosphere the best it could possibly be.
A reopening committee of faculty, staff, and administrators met weekly from June until opening day in August. This committee was tasked with researching, strategizing, and crafting a reopening plan that provided the greatest sense of normalcy for students while placing health and safety at the forefront. From surveys of school families, to dialogues with education colleagues from other schools, to dissecting policy and recommendations from CDC, MA-DPH, and MA-DESE publications, this committee worked to ensure a safe return to campus. Naturally, things looked and felt different upon return in August — hand-sanitizing stations were placed throughout classrooms and common spaces; plexiglass partitions were added to lunch tables along with reduced capacity; desks were measured to six foot distances from one another in every classroom and classroom capacities were reduced; one-way traffic patterns for passing periods between classes were established; class times were
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POPE FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
extended to allow for new cleaning protocols at the conclusion of each period; all students and families agreed to a COVID Code of Conduct outlining pandemic-specific policies; and a re-entry process was established in the event students, faculty, or staff members were out of school for a COVIDrelated absence. The pandemic has changed the way students are educated. What is now considered best practice may not have been just a year ago. Offering in person learning, as well as synchronous remote learning, during this challenging time has brought out the best in both teachers and students at PFPS and has allowed the continuum of the delivery of high-quality education that our school has become known for. Upon return, teachers were faced with about 80-90% of their students in the classroom, while the remaining students were remote learners from home. This created new challenges for teachers to learn how to effectively deliver the curriculum in an engaging
