Catholic schools eager to start

by Katherine Donlevy

Associate Editor

Everyone at Catholic schools is returning to in-person learning this year and it’s hard to tell who is more excited: the students, the parents or the teachers.

“I think that everyone’s looking forward to it. I didn’t have anyone ask otherwise,” said Veronica Arbitello, the assistant principal at Christ the King High School.

The Middle Village school had offered students the chance to choose whether they wanted to come into class some days of the week or to stay at home for the last academic year. Many students and teachers chose the latter option out of an abundance of caution, but with many vaccinated and Covid regulations loosening, just about everyone is eager to return to the school.

Arbitello said Christ the King administrators had planned to return to in-person learning even before all the Catholic schools throughout the borough collectively decided to forgo the hybrid and remote options. If Covid takes a turn in the wrong direction, however, the schools can lean back on the athome practices they perfected last year.

“We have always operated under the idea that this would be the best thing for the students,” Arbitello said of returning to fully in-person learning. The classroom not only offers direct access to teachers, but provides the teenagers a much-needed chance to socialize. “Last year [was] kind of sad because the building was super quiet ... We’ll welcome the noise in the hallway. We missed it.. We’re looking forward to them to bring life back into the building.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced social distancing guidelines from 6 feet to 3 feet last March, which allows Catholic schools like Christ the King to pack more students into classrooms, cafeterias and gymnasiums again.

When the rules changed, Holy Cross High School in Flushing seized the opportunity to bring its students back to finish out the school year with one another. The exiting class even was able to have a graduation on the school’s football field, though it was split into two sessions.

Mike Truesdell, the school’s president, sees the approaching school year as a continuation of last year.

“It’s so much better for the students. When they’re not with their friends, they could continue to do their work, but they lose the social aspect,” said Truesdell. “I think the families appreciate that there’s a routine.” Despite the changing nature of the pandemic, the Holy Cross students performed strongly, Truesdell said: Their Regents scores reflected those of “normal” years, and the teachers made extra efforts to be available, whether remote or in-person.

In what Truesdell said was a testimonial to Holy Cross’ success last year, the school will be welcoming its largest freshmen class ever. About 207 young students will be joining the Holy Cross family next month.

Increasing enrollment rates is a common theme among Catholic schools across Queens, especially in primary schools, many of which spent the entirety of last year operating fully in-person.

Many of those new students came from public schools. City-run institutions flip-flopped several times last school year between remote learning and the hybrid option, often at a moment’s notice, which may have led many parents to seek out the stability Catholic schools were offering, some principals theorize.

JoAnn Heppt, the principal at Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy, said 10 public school families transferred to the Rego Park primary school last year. Nine of those families are staying for the new year.

“They are happy to be in-person, and in school,” Heppt said. “It’s the same protocols as last year; we have a layered approach. They’ll be distanced and they’re wearing masks. They wipe their desks when they eat and after. We have cleaning every night.”

The Ss. Joachim and Anne School in Queens Village is welcoming about 25 new students this September, a number Principal Linda Freebes wouldn’t be surprised to see jump.

The primary school offered both in-person and hybrid lessons last year, but Freebes noticed a joy from parents and students on the opportunity to return full time.

“All our families are very happy about it because most are poor and don’t have sitters and can’t stay home. It’s a difficult situation to be in when they depend on us from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Freebes said.

Strict CDC and Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens guidelines prevented Freebes from hosting before- and afterschool programs, which put a strain on some families.

This year, the principal is elated to offer 3K and 4K classes in addition to K-8. Not every Catholic school, whethMore students in er primary or secondary, is offering clubs, sports and other afterschool a welcome routine programs just yet, but others are making them a priority. Such activities are included in St. Francis Preparatory School’s reopening plan, Principal Patrick McLaughlin said. “It was difficult last year trying to get sports off the ground because of the many rigid guidelines,” McLaughlin said. However, with the help of the school’s athletic director, the Fresh Meadows high school was able to come up with a plan that allowed students to safely get back on the field and get back to some sense of normalcy. For Prep and other schools in the league, it meant hosting its football season in the spring instead of the fall, and finding other creative avenues. Finding a way to give the students what they need to succeed has been St. Francis Prep’s mission throughout the entire pandemic, McLaughlin said. Returning to the classroom full time is an opportunity for the staff to reignite that promise to its massive student body. “When they found out we were going back there was a joyous scream that went out,” the principal said. “The word for us is to recommit to everything we’ve been doing over the years. ... This is going to be another challenging year. We made it work last year. We’ll make it work this year.” Q

St. Francis Preparatory School freshmen celebrated their Spirit Day in June. The walk-a-thon and day of ice-breakers kicked off their high school experience, which they can expect to be fully in-person, unlike the two grades that came before them. ST. FRANCIS PREP PHOTO / FLICKR