Cover Story

BACK TO SCHOOL FALL 2020

PRESERVING THE ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

When COVID-19 brought the world to a halt in early 2020, no one could imagine the series of events that would ensue. Families and businesses facing economic hardship. A summer of civil unrest. A contentious presidential election. Amid the turmoil, our Spartan community remained rich in faith, steadfast and committed to the students and families of St. Francis High School.

The St. Francis High School experience is unlike any other. Defined and shaped by human interaction with a longstanding commitment to educating the whole person. Reopening for the 2020-2021 school year was not merely a desire, it was critical to fulfilling the SFHS mission.

After spending much of the spring and summer seasons apart, students, staff and faculty joyfully reported to campus on August 24 to begin the 2020-2021 academic school year. While many local schools remained closed to in-person learning, St. Francis High School reopened in the Hybrid School Setting, allowing for the unique learning experience only found at St. Francis High School.

Spartans arrived for in-person instruction among a variety of health and safety procedures implemented into their daily routine. Applying both a traditional and non-traditional (E-Learning) school environment, the hybrid model supports a variety of configurations including different rates of occupancy along with synchronous and asynchronous learning. Students are divided into two cohorts. All attend a full day of in-person instruction twice a week.

...our kids truly missed being at the ...our kids truly missed being at the school every day and couldn’t wait school every day and couldn’t wait to get back to in-person classes... to get back to in-person classes..."

The out-of-school cohort follows instruction provided by their teachers for either synchronous or asynchronous learning. During a five-day week, each Wednesday the entire student body participates in full synchronous 8-period E-Learning known as Spartan Day. The Hybrid School Setting presents a stronger level of preparedness in the event of a school campus closure and an additional opportunity for campus cleaning.

“High school can be a tough time for kids...especially in today’s society and with all the things they are exposed to. The culture at St. Francis and the support the kids receive both from their friends and the staff make even the tougher times easier to handle,” said Mr. and Mrs. Hansen, St. Francis High School parents. “As an example, during the COVID pandemic, our kids truly missed being at the school every day and couldn’t wait to get back to in-person classes with their peers and teachers. We think this is the ultimate testament to what St. Francis has built.”

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Pictured opposite page:

‘Here We Go!! Spartans’ sign created by Mr. Page, Religion teacher and Pastoral Ministry Team member, welcomed students during the first week of school.

Pictured this page:

(Top) Mathematics teacher, Mrs. Lynch, instructs students sychronously during E-Learning Spartan Day using Microsoft® Teams.

(Bottom left) Freshman students at their lockers on the first day of school.

(Bottom right) Mrs. Anderson takes Mr. Lewis' temperature as part of enhanced safety measures in perparation of the first week of school.

Aside from the obvious adjustments made to the schoolday, faculty and staff – even students – developed creative ways to sustain some sense of normalcy.

When many fall sports were postponed, strength and conditioning opportunities and 'contact days' offered students an outlet to remain active.

As students yearned for connection with classmates in opposite cohorts, they created an online messaging system to engage in conversation and assisted in developing a social media campaign to celebrate Homecoming Week.

While additional restrictions were placed on group gatherings, the Performing and Visual Arts faculty opted for solutions that not only provided opportunities for students to perform but would enable audiences to enjoy their performances at a safe distance.

The baseball outfield was transformed into a woodsy backdrop illuminated by stunning lights for the fall production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Livestream broadcasts of the Christmas concert and A Christmas Carol allowed families to watch performances from home.

The annual production of A Christmas Carol was also projected on the outside wall of the Kuhn Cultural Arts Center creating a drive-thru movie experience for audience members.

Students deepened their relationship with God through annual retreats. Through a variety of restrictions, students continued their St. Francis path, engaging in Christian service by giving more of themselves despite difficult circumstances.

The first all-cohort outdoor mass upheld St. Francis High School tradition, bringing the school together in faithful celebration. “Our liturgies provide a great opportunity to gather together and celebrate the abundant gifts that God has given us,” says Mr. Michael Page, Religion teacher and Pastoral Ministry Team member. “All-school mass at St. Francis is beautiful because it is all about sharing and generosity—God has shared with us, Christ gives his body and blood, we give our talents and our energy through gathering, music, storytelling, and serving one another, then we are nourished and sent out to share ourselves with the world. Our liturgies are a joyful expression of God’s presence in who we are, all that we do, and all that we have yet to be and become.”

As the prayer of Saint Francis our patron says, where there is doubt, faith. It is in that faith that we continue forward.

Stay in touch with your classmates with the new SFHS Alumni Network

• Share events and photos • Discover alumni close to you • Post and apply for job/internship opportunities • Mentor current students or fellow alumni • Stay current with what's happening at SFHS • And much more!

Joining the SHFS Alumni Network is easy! VISIT: ALUMNI.SFHSCOLLEGEPREP.ORG

Create your profile via Facebook, LinkedIn or Email

Alumni Mentors Needed

We are looking for alumni mentors in Medicine, Law Entrepreneurship/Business, and Engineering who would welcome a student/young alum to shadow you at work for a day. For more information contact Director of Alumni Relations, Becky Fischesser at bfischesser@sfhscollegeprep.org.