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Catholic schools ‘joyous’ to return by Katherine Donlevy
missed it.. We’re looking forward to them to bring life back into the Everyone at Catholic schools is building.” The Centers for Disease Control returning to in-person learning this year and it’s hard to tell who is more and Prevention reduced social disexcited: the students, the parents or tancing guidelines from 6 feet to 3 feet last March, which allows Cathothe teachers. “I think that everyone’s looking lic schools like Christ the King to forward to it. I didn’t have anyone pack more students into classrooms, ask otherwise,” said Veronica Arbi- cafeterias and gymnasiums again. When the rules changed, Holy tello, the assistant principal at Christ Cross High School in Flushing the King High School. The Middle Village school had seized the opportunity to bring its offered students the chance to students back to finish out the choose whether they wanted to come school year with one another. The into class some days of the week or exiting class even was able to have a to stay at home for the last academic graduation on the school’s football year. Many students and teachers field, though it was split into two chose the latter option out of an sessions. Mike Truesdell, the school’s presabundance of caution, but with many vaccinated and Covid regula- ident, sees the approaching school tions loosening, just about everyone year as a continuation of last year. “It’s so much better for the stuis eager to return to the school. Arbitello said Christ the King dents. When they’re not with their fr iends, they a d m i n ist r a t or s could continue to had planned to do their work, but return to in-pert h ey lo s e t h e son learning even social aspect,” b efore a l l t he said Truesdell. “I Catholic schools think the families th roughout the appreciate that borough collecthere’s a routine.” tively decided to D e s p it e t h e forgo the hybrid More students in changing nature and remote a welcome routine of the pandemic, options. If Covid the Holy Cross takes a turn in the s t u d e n t s p e rwrong direction, formed strongly, however, t he schools can lean back on the at- Truesdell said: Their Regents scores home practices they perfected last reflected those of “normal” years, and the teachers made extra efforts year. “We have always operated under to be available, whether remote or the idea that this would be the best in-person. In what Truesdell said was a testithing for the students,” Arbitello said of returning to fully in-person monial to Holy Cross’ success last learning. The classroom not only year, the school will be welcoming offers direct access to teachers, but its largest freshmen class ever. provides the teenagers a much-need- About 207 young students will be ed chance to socialize. “Last year joining the Holy Cross family next [was] kind of sad because the build- month. Increasing enrollment rates is a ing was super quiet ... We’ll welcome the noise in the hallway. We common theme among Catholic Associate Editor
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 ST. FRANCIS PREP PHOTO / FLICKR before them. 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.
Holy Cross High School, left, and Christ the King High School students will be returning to the classrooms full time this September, though mask and 3-feet HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL, LEFT / INSTAGRAM; CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL / INSTAGRAM social distancing guidelines will be in effect.
This year, the principal is elated to offer 3K and 4K classes in addition to K-8. Not every Catholic school, whether primary or secondary, is offering clubs, sports and other afterschool programs just yet, but others are making them a priority. Such activities are included in St. Fra ncis P repa rator y School’s reopening plan, Principal Patrick McLaughlin said. “It was difficult last year trying to get sports off the ground because of t he m a ny r ig id g u idel i nes,” 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 Q this year.”
