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 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

TEACHING OUTDOORS

Mr. Ilson takes advantage of the nice weather and teaches his art class outdoors.

way to both types of learners at the same time. To address these needs, teachers were provided several days of professional development that included workshops on strengthening synchronous and asynchronous formative assessment, how to nurture social and emotional needs to manage trauma, best practices for using technology in a synchronous classroom, expanded use of Google Classroom, learning the many features of Zoom and how to effectively offer extra help and office hours virtually. Along with targeted professional development, teachers were given instruction on advanced use of technology to synchronize instruction in a blended classroom. Naturally, there was a period of transition for both students and teachers, as classmates adjusted to being in a group with remote learners. Students also had to become used to new types of assessments, as in some instances, traditional assessments would not work with the blended format.

Teachers took advantage of online opportunities to expand their repertoire of classroom tools to make lessons more accessible to all students and to adhere to safety restrictions. One example of

WELCOME CARDINALS!

Freshmen Joseph Roselli and Rocco Pericolosi on August 27, 2020, the first day of school.

PFPS PRODUCTION TEAM

Mr. Geoffrey and his team of students work together to film our first virtual Liturgy.

this was the use of simulated science labs where Mrs. Woltschlaeger’s chemistry classes learned about gas laws. The investigation took place in a virtual lab that contained a cylinder filled with gas molecules as well as a thermometer, pressure gauge, hot plate, and weights. In different scenarios, students changed an independent variable in order to learn more about how the gas properties are related. During the lab students collected data, plotted graphs, made observations and drew conclusions. The real benefit with these types of activities rested in their ability to teach all students effectively in an engaging and safe way.

Although teaching under these unique conditions has been challenging, it has also allowed teachers to stretch beyond their comfort zones and to implement strategies and use tools that they may not have done during a normal year. While some classroom techniques and tools may not be implemented in the non-pandemic future, many of our newfound opportunities, expectations and methodologies are here to stay.

Throughout this journey, a critical ingredient to our success has been consistent and transparent communication with students, their parents, and our community at large. In many challenges there is often a silver lining. As a school we have risen to the challenge and found the rewards that adversity often brings.

SENIOR PERSPECTIVE

By Drew Hamel

SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL...everyone’s favorite year of their lives. I have been a proud Cardinal since joining the PFPS community in 2017. As I flew through my time at PFPS, I became more and more excited for my senior year.

Then, everything changed last March when the world as we knew it flipped upside down and we were forced to finish the school year remotely. Although I praised PFPS’s dedication and commitment to making remote learning as beneficial for us as possible, I could not help but feel sad for the class of 2020. Their senior year was cut short and they were forced to spend their last few months only seeing their classmates on a computer screen. After realizing that the pandemic would not be going away overnight, and seeing many public schools committing to remote learning for the fall, I was starting to feel very disappointed that our senior year at PFPS would be confined to computer screens. However, thanks to PFPS’s commitment to their students’ success and happiness, and with careful planning, PFPS was able to safely return to in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Being able to attend school in-person has allowed me to organize and participate in many faith-based events at school, such as becoming a member of the Christian Leadership Team. I particularly enjoy running our underclassmen retreats, which would never be possible if we were not in-person. Looking ahead to the end of senior year, I look forward to spending every school day with my classmates and all experiencing graduation, together as a class. I could not be more thankful to Dr. Harrington, and all of the faculty and staff for making in-person learning possible for us.

Our technology gurus, Mr. Geoffrey and Ms. Coulombe; our wonderful school nurse, Mrs. Jackson; and Mrs. Fenton, our school receptionist PFPS Faculty and Staff

Our maintenance crew superstars — Ms. Carmen, Mr. Geiger, and Mr. Stelzer

Reopening Committee members — Mr. Brodeur, Mrs. Fenton, Mrs. Geiger, Mr. Geoffrey, Dr. Harrington, Mr. Hollwedel, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. O’Connell, Mrs. Scibelli

FOR YOU — WE ARE GRATEFUL!

COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented disruption to education. At Pope Francis Prep we are incredibly proud of how diligently our teachers and staff work together to ensure that a quality learning experience continues for all of our students. Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you continue to do to help keep our doors open and our students learning!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO OPEN PFPS DURING A PANDEMIC?

STAY 6 FT. APART

110

gallons of disinfectant cleaner

32,800

sanitizing wipes

3

Victory electrostatic sprayers

40

delineator posts

100+

custom-made signs

50

level 1 disposable gowns

60+

gallons of hand sanitizer

1

Zoom subscription

2

additional cleaning staff

22,000

nitrile gloves

75

trigger spray bottles

180

free standing plexiglass shields

200

feet of rope

500+

face masks

10

sanitizer dispensers w/ floor stands

24

conference microphones

1

e-hallpass subscription

and your support!