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Opening SND USA-Sponsored Schools Amid COVID-19
This past fall, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued infection protection guidelines for K-12 schools returning to in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Each school district across the United States was tasked to make decisions based on the rates of COVID-19 in their community, and the district’s capacity to mitigate risks within their schools. The agency suggested the lowest risk for in-person learning involved a “hybrid” learning model with online mixed with in-person classes – small in-person classes with alternating or staggered schedules. Furthermore, the CDC recommended cloth face coverings for students, teachers and staff, no handling common items, frequent handwashing, regular deep-cleaning of highly touched surfaces in school facilities, eating lunch in small groups, rearranging desks to face all in one direction, and installing plastic shields in bathrooms where sinks could not be six feet apart. SND educators across the country worked with great determination and creativity toward one goal: to keep students safe for in-person learning and the full experience of a close school community.
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Lial Catholic School
TOLEDO, OHIO
Lynn Cherry is Head of School at Lial Catholic systems were installed on our HVAC units. This School in Whitehouse, Ohio, which includes a system helps to clean our buildings of mold, pre-K through 8th grade elementary school. “I pollen, allergens, and viruses. All carpets and started working together with faculty and staff ductwork were thoroughly cleaned. ‘Zones’ were last June to create our guideline resources,” created designating certain classrooms, doors, Cherry says. Three handbooks were designed to and restrooms to specific grade bands to reduce guide and assist Lial families through the 2020- the number of contacts a student/staff member 2021 school year: Living Lial at School Handbook, encounters. Our weekly Mass is celebrated and Living Lial at Home Handbook were created virtually in all classrooms.” “Our goal was to open safely and lovingly for families ready for face-to-face instruction.”
- Lynn Cherry, Head of School, Lial Catholic School, Whitehouse, Ohio
to run in tandem with each other to meet the needs of families wanting face-to-face instruction for their students and those wanting remote instruction. If the entire school had to learn remotely, all families follow Lial Catholic School’s Online Handbook.
Cherry explains, “I reworked many of our policies to keep our schools safe. Custom plexi barriers were designed and installed on all community tables in classrooms, the Science lab, and the Spanish room. Three outdoor classrooms were created with custom picnic tables and large tents. Two water stations were built outside allowing for eight students at each station to safely wash hands while being socially distant. It was designed off drip irrigation systems found in greenhouses. Additionally, iWaves air purification Lial Catholic School in Whitehouse began their normal five-day schedule on September 1. Families choosing the “Living Lial at Home” option also began on September 1, using Google Meets to join classrooms from home.
“Our goal was to open safely and lovingly for families ready for face-to-face instruction,” Cherry states. She is confident that Lial Catholic School continues to provide the same high-quality education despite COVID-19. “We put in long hours to prepare for this school year. An added bonus, we have great parents who are involved and who work well with their children’s teachers,” she explains with a smile. “Lial isn’t just a building; it’s the people who choose to fill it. Our Lial community is like a family. Together, we support each other in faith and friendship to keep each other safe and healthy.” continued on page 10 Winter 2021
COVINGTON, KENTUCKY
Jack VonHandorf, principal of Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky, and his 2020-21 School Planning Team are constantly adjusting to the COVID-19 situation. They designed three plans at the onset of the school year: • Plan 1
Traditional Learning @NDA: Full return to school with safety precautions in place • Plan 2
Blended Learning @NDA: Combination of online and in-person classes to reduce the number of students at school • Plan 3
Remote Learning @NDA: Full remote learning
“We began working last May to develop our Pandas Return to Campus Plan, ensuring that necessary health and safety measures were in place to mitigate the spread of coronavirus when school opened on August 17. NDA President Dr. Laura Koehl and I presented this plan to our community through a pre-recorded video,” VonHandorf says. “We also posted a written version on our website for reference throughout the school year. We followed what was provided by the CDC, NKY Health Department, the Kentucky Department of Education, and the Diocese of Covington. We also took into consideration all the data collected from recent parent surveys as well as input from faculty, staff and students.”
In addition to increasing the physical safety of their school community and COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies, NDA’s plan includes programs provided by their Student Services Department, addressing the social and emotional wellness of their students.
“While there have been many new protocols, policies, guidelines, and modifications at NDA for the 2020-21 school year, NDA’s custom COVID-19 Self-Test is one of the best,” VonHandorf exclaims. “This self-test is completed by NDA students in the morning before they enter the building. Their responses produce a green or red screen on their phone or iPad. If they receive a green screen, it indicates they are healthy to attend school that day, and they show school personnel as they enter the building. If the screen is red, students must contact the school nurse before reporting to school. Along with the self-test, school personnel are taking student temperatures. This custom-designed app makes our arrival procedure safe, healthy and efficient.”
The experienced NDA principal believes the protocols put in place enable NDA to remain open and control the spread of the virus. “Our students are spaced six feet apart in classes and at lunch. We require masks in all classrooms. We added additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures. We are doing everything we can to protect our students while they are at school, and we are encouraging them to take safety precautions outside of school,” reiterates VonHandorf. He says they hired a school nurse, who works closely with the Northern Kentucky Health Department and Diocese of Covington, to help with emergency measures.
“We communicate with students and families directly affected by the person who has tested positive for the virus,” he adds.
- Jack VonHandorf, Principal, Notre Dame Academy, Park Hills, Kentucky
Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, KY
“We are a one-to-one iPad school. This technology allowed us to quickly move to online learning in the spring of 2020,” VonHandorf states. “We added additional technology to improve the online experience that some students are choosing for their classes.
“This is an opportunity to reinforce what it means to be a community and the sacrifices we sometimes have to make to be supportive of one another. We focus on comprehensive and transparent communication to provide parents and students with all the information they need regarding school at NDA during this time. We built a great deal of trust within our community with the success of our remote learning implemented last spring. As a leader in educational technology, NDA was well positioned to take on the challenge of virtual instruction without sacrificing the quality of a Notre Dame Academy education,” VonHandorf says.
continued on page 12
CHARDON, OHIO
Like Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky, Notre Dame Schools in Chardon, Ohio safely made reopening schools for in-person learning a priority. All students, faculty, and staff are required to wear masks. They may be on campus only if healthy and symptom-free. “We conduct temperature checks for everyone entering our buildings,” Dr. Michael Bates, President of Notre Dame Schools, remarks. “We augmented our facilities staff to ensure frequent sanitizing and disinfection of highusage areas. We created new spaces to socially distance in classrooms and at lunch. We continue to coordinate with the local Geauga County health authorities and a Board task force of doctors and nurses on all policies related to COVID-19.” A local newspaper reported, “Leadership and school spirit, not the coronavirus, surged on Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (NDCL) campus the end of August as students and staff stepped up to implement the health and safety protocols enabling NDCL to offer in-person instruction for 95 percent of the 710 students.” Joseph Waler, principal of NDCL, credits the high school’s successful reopening to student leadership as well as the careful, deliberate preparations of the faculty and staff throughout the summer.
Students in grades K-12 returned to campus with a staggered start over 10 days in mid-August. Students had a choice for in-person or virtual learning. “We follow local and state guidelines and rely on local health authorities to do contact tracing,” he adds. “Our messaging abides by HIPAA privacy laws. If our county or schools are asked to quarantine or return to online learning for
- Dr. Michael Bates, President, Notre Dame Schools, Chardon, Ohio
a period of time, we are readily prepared.” The Notre Dame School’s president is confident they are providing the same high-quality education despite the pandemic. Bates says, “Parents receive weekly communication from both the elementary school and high school during the pandemic, and we provide them with resources to be even more resilient as parents.”
He reassures students and parents, “You are loved by God and by our community. Never forget that our community abides in love and with respect for you. We are in this together, and we will thrive through this time.”
Maggie Marschner, Principal of La Reina High School & Middle School in Thousand Oaks, California, says they have done monumental work to protect the health and safety of their faculty, staff, families and students at La Reina. “Through careful planning and oversight, our Director of Facilities and Operations, Mr. Laird Wilson, and his staff did an incredible job preparing La Reina’s facilities according to federal and state regulations to ensure all health and safety guidelines are in place,” Marschner states.
“Through the summer of 2020, the La Reina staff worked tirelessly to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. We gathered as a community and formed the Return to Campus Task Force, composed of medical, therapeutic, instructional, legal, security, technical and other areas of expertise. We prepared for the eventualities of this school year,” Marschner continues. “Our administrative team re-imagined three master calendars: one that allowed for socially distanced classrooms, as well as a hybrid version for La Reina on campus, and La Reina at-home option.
She says desks are positioned six feet apart, and each classroom has hand sanitizing wipes and pump options available. The air conditioning system pulls fresh air and circulates it while windows are opened so air flow maintains the same direction. Hallways offer an eight-feet distance so students can move safely following directional arrows. They have touchless water stations and the spacious layout of their campus accommodates outdoor instruction. “As both an educator and principal, I am most concerned about the safety and well-being of all students and staff,” Marschner emphatically states. “We remain vigilant to maintain the necessary guidelines and procedures. Temperatures are taken before students exit their vehicles in the morning. Students take a health screening survey prior to coming to campus. If a student is identified as having contracted COVID-19, La Reina’s staff works in full cooperation with Ventura County Public Health Department.” “We remain vigilant to Marschner adds, “La Reina maintain the necessary educators are professionals guidelines and procedures.” of the highest - Maggie Marschner, Principal, La Reina High caliber. Their School & Middle School, Thousand Oaks, California instructional pedagogy is something that, as professionals, they are continually refining. Last March, La Reina pivoted to Distance Learning with one day’s notice. La Reina’s faculty and staff boldly stepped into Spring 2020 and took on the challenge of COVID-19 by giving 110% every day in the virtual environment. We saw the results of that work with a 97% attendance rate, 91% AP pass rate, and our students maintaining their A-F grading scale.
“The tradition of La Reina is rich and strong, never more so than at this very moment in history during the 2020-2021 school year. La Reina continues to lead the way in our community by boldly facing a shifting landscape, grounded solidly in the Educational Vision and Principles of the Sisters of Notre Dame.”
