CHARLOTTE — All 19 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte are preparing to open for in-person instruction in the coming weeks.
Aug. 31 will be the first day of school for students at Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury; St. Michael School in Gastonia; Our Lady of Grace and St. Pius X schools in Greensboro; Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point; Our Lady of Mercy and St. Leo schools in Winston-Salem; and Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
Sept. 8 will be the first day of school at Immaculata School in Hendersonville and Asheville Catholic School.
All schools will also accommodate remote learning options for students who opt to stay at home due to health concerns.
Teachers have already begun returning for training in new diocesan-wide safety, cleaning and sanitation protocols, as well as to set up their classrooms and prepare their lesson plans for both their in-person and remote students.
“Our efforts have been focused on offering the safest possible return to campus while also keeping our commitment to create as normal a learning experience for our students as possible,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We look forward to seeing students very soon.”
All Catholic schools in the diocese will follow guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the safest possible learning environment – including health screenings, frequent cleaning and handwashing, face coverings, social distancing, protective barriers and other measures to keep students and staff healthy and safe.
A diocesan taskforce worked with public health officials to compile extensive guidelines that have been customized for each school’s specific needs.
Here are snapshots of what is being implemented at some of the diocese’s schools:
ASHEVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Principal Mike Miller said he is looking forward to welcoming back students Sept. 8 after what has been a six-month absence.
“We have been planning and working all summer to make sure that our return is as safe as possible for students and staff,” Miller said. “Additional workdays have been added in August to allow staff extra time needed to make sure that preparations for new protocols are complete, and additional training can be scheduled.”
Desks in every classroom will be spaced apart according to CDC guidelines, and each desk will have a Plexiglas shield for added safety. Hand sanitizer stations have been placed at every entrance and in every classroom.
“We also have set up a morning entrance process that allows students to get from their car to class without needing to touch any doors, lockers, etc.,” Miller added.
Technology is being installed in classrooms to enable teachers at every grade level to provide synchronous learning for students who have opted to learn from home.
“This will reduce the demand on teachers who will be teaching students in person, while also having students learning remotely,” Miller explained. “We have also been busy hiring additional staff to help us meet the new demands that we face this fall. Additional custodial staff, IT support and teaching support staff have all been added for the ultimate benefit of our students.”
To help make for a smooth return to class on Sept. 8, the school is producing videos to send to families that convey information the school typically communicates in person at orientation meetings.
“This will help since we are not gathering in large groups as we would during typical orientation meetings,” he said.
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte is excited to begin using Canvas, an online education platform, when it opens for classes Aug. 31.
“While the teachers did an outstanding job delivering curriculum (last academic year), we used multiple platforms, which was a challenge for many students,” said Principal Kurt Telford.
Charlotte Catholic will continue with the traditional seven-period school day, but the schedule will be modified so that only five classes meet per day. All lessons will be streamed live via Canvas.
The modified class schedule and livestreaming capabilities mean the school can be very nimble if they have to shift to a hybrid in-person/remote learning model or a fully remote learning model, Telford explained.
Like the diocese’s other schools, all Charlotte Catholic students will have temperature and symptom screenings upon arrival each day.
The school has also eliminated homeroom and breaks to reduce students’ movements inside the school. Hallways and stairwell traffic have markers to control the flow of traffic, and students will have more time to get to each class.
In the classrooms, every teacher’s desk will have Plexiglas shields. Plexiglas has also been installed in science labs and other classrooms where students sit at shared tables.
To help students remain socially distanced, a limited number of students will be able eat in the cafeteria, and some students will eat in their classrooms after getting their lunch.
Staff have had to work hard over the summer to put all these plans into place, but it’s worth it, Telford noted. He and his teachers have missed seeing students.
“I look forward to seeing students enter the doors on Aug. 31,” he said. “Students bring an energy to school that cannot be quantified.”
HOLY TRINITY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Offering instruction for students in grades six to eight, Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte is relying on its mascot – a bulldog – to make social distancing a bit easier and fun for students when school opens Aug. 31. Blue pawprints have been painted all over campus.
These “Bulldog Spacing Paws” are visual reminders to socially distance, said Principal Kevin Parks. “They also indicate paths on campus from building to building. Each building on campus will also have one-way hallways and up/down stairways.”
Common areas – hallways, chapel, cafeteria, gymnasium and multipurpose rooms – will not be used by large, mixed classroom groups this year. And like the other schools in the diocese, all-school assemblies are also off the table for now.
In lieu of standard water fountains, touchless water bottle refilling stations have been installed for students to fill personal water bottles or containers.
“I am extremely excited to reopen Holy Trinity to our teachers and students. We look forward to an excellent year,” Parks said.
IMMACULATA SCHOOL
When classes begin at Immaculata School in Hendersonville Sept. 8, students, staff and families will notice a difference from the minute they drive up – thanks to a major renovation project completed at the school over the summer. The changes are visible starting with the front entrance and throughout the school.
Part of the interior improvements to the K-8 school include safety features that incorporate state and federal guidelines.
“One of the blessings in disguise (during the pandemic) came in the way of renovations of the school, because we were able to use funds slated for the remodel to make sure the school is safer,” said Principal Margaret Beale.
Plexiglas panels are being installed on each student’s desk and every teacher’s desk. Automatic faucets in remodeled restrooms, touchless sanitizer stations in every classroom and throughout the school and water bottle filling stations instead of water fountains have also been installed.
“We are so excited for our students and teachers to return to our Immaculata Catholic School campus,” Beale said. “The schools in our diocese really focus on educating the whole child, so returning to in-person instruction is necessary for us to continue that mission. When we gather together as a community, we are stronger and able to accomplish much more than when we are apart.”
Beale added that in this time of uncertainty, it is important to focus on the positives. “Education is changing and we are on the frontlines of a new frontier. With having to master the tools to make distance learning possible, we are equipping our schools to become stronger and more connected globally in this digital age,” she said.
“There will definitely be growing pains along the way, but I am excited for the future of education and how we can make our mark as a Catholic school,” she said.
ST. MATTHEW SCHOOL
Staff at St. Matthew School in Charlotte are also working hard to prepare for students’ return Aug. 31. Similar to the other schools in the diocese, St. Matthew is putting lots of protective measures in place.
“We will have floor signage (in the hallways to help with social distancing) and Plexiglas set up in some areas around the school,” noted Principal Kevin O’Herron.
“The culture of St. Matthew is one of community and family, wrapped around our faith. It seems a natural fit for us to return to campus together – understanding that spiritual, academic, social and emotional growth occur best face-to-face,” O’Herron said.
“We are so fortunate to have a faculty at St. Matthew who have chosen this vocation of Catholic educator. They are so dedicated to ensuring that safety of our students comes first as we return home to our school building,” he said.
— SueAnn Howell and Patricia L. Guilfoyle, Catholic News Herald
Pictured above: St. Matthew School in Charlotte, like the other 18 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte, is preparing to welcome students back for in-person instruction in the coming weeks. Pictured is kindergarten teacher Jennifer Faries. Some of the safety measures being put in place at all schools include socially-distanced desks, face coverings, cleaning supplies and hand sanitizing stations, traffic control signage, and water bottle filling stations instead of water fountains. (SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald; Additional photos provided by Holy Trinity Middle School)
Have questions?
For more information, parents should contact their school’s administration or visit the “COVID-19 School Updates” page on the diocesan schools’ website at www.charlottediocese.org/schools-office