Thoughts on Reopening Catholic Schools in the Fall By Sr. Carol Shively, OSU
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here do we begin predicting what our Catholic schools will look like in the fall? The CDC recently released a flowchart as referenced below which detailsthe protocols that need to be in place to reopen schools. This infographic serves as our first point of reference. Even after weeks of Zoom meetings with the state Department of Education, Louisiana Catholic School Superintendents and Administrative Teams in our schools, still none of us can pretend that we have any answers set in stone. I will briefly outline the multiple options for reopening our schools in the fall. These are the potential solutions that I see/hear/read about on a daily basis: 1) Schedule Class rotations 2) Synchronous Opt-In 3) Delay the start of the school year. 4) Create a hybrid model 5) Fully On-Line Schedule Class Rotations The first is scheduled rotations. Students would be assigned to groups and attend class on alternating times or days of the week. This would reduce class size and allow for greater social distancing. Meals would be served in the classrooms. Outside time will be limited. Synchronous Opt-In The second scenario is a synchronous opt-in. Parents would choose whether children attend in person or via online. This would require substantial use of technology. Schools would have to safeguard the same experience for all students which would include co-teaching between the classroom teachers and the parents. 16 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION
