Catholic school education continues as families stay home

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

Back in late February and early March, when national attention was just beginning to focus on the COVID-19 virus, diocesan Catholic schools began to plan for what was then unthinkable — an extended period of school closure. Although there have been challenges in implementing these plans, feedback from teachers, students, parents and school administrators has been both positive and enthusiastic.
Misty Poe, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin, explained that schools created plans for students to continue their academic course work and faith formation. Technology and the know-how to use it were necessary for classes to move outside of the buildings and into a virtual environment.
To make sure all students would have access, the schools took a family-by-family inventory, said Erika Sammon principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School in West.
“We were able to consolidate that information, help the families, and make sure each student had a way to enter into the classes from home,” she said. Families that did not have the needed equipment were issued tablets or other technology so they could participate, she said.
Although there was not much time to prepare, spring break gave schools a short window to adjust, train the teachers on the technology, and equip parents for their expanded role in the education process. Everyone realized this was an imperfect process and that some education experiences cannot be duplicated outside of the classroom. However, all were committed to doing the best they could, Poe said.
St. Joseph School in Bryan serves 330 students in pre-K through 12th grades. During the week of spring break (March 9-13), the school administration met to implement their plan. School president Jim Rike said the team recognized they were in an unprecedented situation. They decided on four core values moving forward: patience, kindness, flexibility and forgiveness.
“We are going to get the end result we want by keeping up with these values,” Rike said.
Some teachers were already using an online tool for creating, distributing and grading assignments. They worked together to bring this knowledge to other teachers. The Monday after spring break, teachers had an in-service day to plan and train. School then moved to a virtual environment and is progressing well. The administration team and teachers meet online frequently to address issues, solve problems and share what works.
Sammon said communication among the school, parents, teachers and students is key.
“We are all in it together. We are all going to have to work together and communicate with each other,” she said.
During the time of social distancing, when students and their families are not able to attend Mass or receive the sacraments, faith formation is even more crucial. Religious education classes are continuing, and schools are creatively bringing the community of faith together online.
At St. Mary’s Catholic School in Temple, students pray along with a video of daily Mass celebrated by their pastor, Father Kurtis Wiedenfeld. They are assigned a reflection project on the homily.
At St. Mary’s in West, the eighth graders created a recorded version of the Stations of the Cross, and families were challenged to pray them together during Lent.
Although everybody is looking forward to the day when school is back in session on campus, school personnel, teachers and parents report that adapting to distance learning has brought some blessings, too.
“Teachers come to the job with different levels of comfort and enthusiasm for using technology in the classroom. Their skill level has now grown,” said Theresa Wyles, principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Temple. These skills and teaching techniques will continue to benefit students after the crisis is over, she said.  
School principals expressed their appreciation to the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools for its foresight, leadership and support during these challenges. Another benefit has been a growing collaborative relationship among the principals, sharing ideas and helping each other. In addition, principals have observed a tremendous amount of creativity and enthusiasm from the teachers. Parents report they have a greater appreciation for the hard work of teachers and are finding ways to enjoy working with their children in the virtual school setting, Poe said.
She believes the sharing of resources and expertise, as well as parental involvement, will foster even more creativity.
“This challenging time has given us an opportunity to think outside the box,” she said. “We have seen many opportunities come out of the challenges COVID-19 has posed. We look forward to what lies ahead for our Catholic schools.”
Catholic schools are still open online and enrolling students for the next school year.
Visit www. csdatx.org for more information on the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin.