Opening School in a Pandemic
With equal measures of planning and can-do spirit , Sacred Heart opened its doors to students in the fall of 2020 at both the SK-8 and preschool campuses . Those measures , combined with hours of hard work , creativity and teamwork , paid off — all parents were given the option of remote learning and returning students had to learn new safety procedures , but they were game . Sacred Heart had to institute at-home learning just once , however , when it became necessary to close the SK-8 campus for two weeks due to the pandemic . The preschool campus has remained open since the first day of school .
Some of Sacred Heart ’ s many extraordinary efforts were undertaken by faculty . Led by the Leadership Team , which includes the heads of the Primary , Lower and Middle Schools , teachers participated in professional development over the summer by continuing to develop their remote teaching skills . It wasn ’ t known until late in the summer whether schools would be allowed to open in the fall , and Sacred Heart also knew it had to be prepared to pivot quickly if , after opening , a class or campus shutdown would be necessary in response to an outbreak . Division Heads Dan Gargano ( Middle ), Karen Uselmann ( Lower ) and Elizabeth Coleman ( Primary ) collaborated throughout the summer before school opened , and they continued to lend one another support into the fall / winter of 2020 and spring of 2021 . They shared information and each of them kept parents informed of progress and new procedures through newsletters and other updates .
Weekly eblasts from the Head of Schools , in addition to other regular communications , kept the whole Sacred Heart community apprised of various important issues . All students on campus , including the preschoolers , wore masks , had plexiglass shields affixed to their desks , were shown how to wash their hands to maximize safety , and practiced other health precautions . The preschool ’ s junior kindergarten class as well as senior kindergarten through 8th grade classes were divided up into A and B cohorts , and the Middle School adopted a hybrid model of two days on campus and three days at home .
At arrival and dismissal on the SK-8 campus each day , faculty and staff had assigned posts — jobs like directing the traffic flow in the building and confirming that the required daily health attestation had been filled out ; staff also provided coverage in classes during lunch . Teachers worked , sometimes into the wee hours , to prepare for class . After the school day ended , the cleaning crew would take over and sanitize everything , even those things that had been addressed throughout the day .
The challenge was , on both campuses , to keep the fun and interest of learning and other activities alive while navigating a “ new normal .”
The challenge was , on both campuses , to keep the fun and interest of learning and other activities alive while navigating a “ new normal .” Traditions were carried on , albeit in a revised way ( see page 13 ). For example , the Red and White Induction , whereby newcomers to the school are assigned to either the Red or White Team , still took place in individual classrooms . The preschool was able to host a Halloween parade . The annual prayer services that bestow the St . Madeleine Sophie Barat medal to Academy 8 and the Hardey tie to Hardey 8 took place virtually in 2020 . A virtual Gaudete prayer service was still held followed by the Hot Dog Lunch in separate classrooms , with an SHS-produced video shown that included the traditional telling of Christmas jokes . Service drives with extra safety precautions continued on both campuses , chapels were held , and invited speakers helped to keep things engaging for students , both for classroom and remote learners . Even radio plays were produced and modified sports were played !
Ultimately , the spring of 2020 and academic year 2020-21 won ’ t be easy to forget . Much was learned in books — but also in the heart . Frustration and losses were surely felt , with gratitude , compassion , perspective and resilience being explored by the entire community . As a result , there has been new growth in wisdom and kindness , which is always worth putting into action .