September 5, 2020

Staff, students and parents remain vigilant and prayerful as Catholic schools open

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee welcomes students back to class.

CHICOPEE – Donning masks and keeping their distance, Catholic school students continue to return to class in the Diocese of Springfield, after months of remote learning and anticipation. St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee was the first school to reopen on Monday, Aug. 23. Principal and Franciscan Sister of St. Joseph Cecelia Haier said her staff came together to ensure the school was ready and safe.

“We had to move tables out of classrooms and take them to storage to provide the social distancing necessary to allow for safety in our classrooms. One of our parents offered us the storage space,” said Sister Haier. “We believe it’s so important for children to be in school because in-person learning builds a relationship,” she said.

Each Catholic school in the diocese, from the Berkshires to Greater Springfield, is adhering to guidelines set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The first day for St. Mary Academy in Longmeadow was Wednesday, Aug. 27. Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield, which is an independently operated Catholic school, began class, Thursday, Aug. 27. Other diocesan schools will have staggered starts.

“I feel really good. I feel the kids will do really well. They are doing everything they can here to keep our kids safe,” said Toni Corridan, who has daughters in grades four and six at St. Stanislaus School. Her older daughter attends Pope Francis Preparatory School.

“I feel like in-class learning is best for the kids if it can be done in a safe way,” Corridan said.

Diocesan schools superintendent Daniel Baillargeon said each school is following recommendations provided by DESE, which requires spacing students a minimum of three feet apart, but he said most schools are able to place desks six feet apart. Students and staff are wearing masks, and personal hygiene is emphasized with hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the buildings. Spacing is also marked by tape in classrooms and hallways, similar to the way churches have marked off pews and aisles since reopening.

A father helps his daughter adjust her mask at morning drop-off at St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee, Friday, Sept. 4.

“Each of the schools has done a fantastic job. They have spent a lot of time making sure schools are safe and they’re making sure their reopening plans really account for what we need to do at this time,” Baillargeon said.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who closed down schools last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has recently been encouraging communities in much of the state, based on health data, to offer in-person learning once again for students. As surrounding communities have offered different plans from fully remote learning to a hybrid model, there has been an increased interest in Catholic schools locally and across the state. Many of the schools have waiting lists.

“The new family ratio is quite high,” said Joshua Agnew, the assistant superintendent of Catholic schools in the Springfield Diocese.

“We have seen an uptick because we are opening our doors while following everything we received from DESE and the department of public health and working with our local health departments. We’re following all of these rules because we can do it because we have large classrooms, so we can have students spaced out, socially distanced, and still have that relationship in-person with their teacher,” Agnew said.

For parents who have concerns about sending children back to the classroom, a remote option is offered at each school. The Diocese of Springfield provided each school the option to use Catholic Virtual for remote learning if that would best suit their needs. For the schools using Catholic Virtual, the curriculum has been aligned to that of the diocese.

Baillargeon and Agnew have been visiting each school in the diocese and working closely with administrators to ensure they are supported as they open up. They are also praying the rosary at each school in the diocese.

“We pray the rosary for the needs of the school, the protection of the school, and the needs of the families. We trust in Our Lady’s care, so we are asking for her mantle of protection in everything we’re doing,” Baillargeon said. But he added the prayer is combined with works and they will not let their guard down.

“We need to continue to be diligent. We need to follow protocols. We need to do all of these things, that’s really important. But the other thing is we can’t forget that the Lord is over all of these things as well. By bringing him in as well, he can bless the work of our hands,” said Baillargeon.