THE WORKAROUNDS: We continued to provide our amazing arts
classes via virtual learning. Our teachers are incredibly creative
and found ways to do innovative projects with sculpture, improv
theater, ceramics, music and, of course, digital art.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: To help foster connection and community,
we offered many virtual enrichment opportunities, including film
club, Dungeons and Dragons, meditation and a crochet class. We
also instituted a “Baker of the Week” award. Our students and
staff worked really hard and we’re very proud.
LOOKING AHEAD: We plan to open for fully in-person school. We’re
a very small high school with small classes and that will create a
safer environment. We’re also replacing our windows and air
exchange system this summer. The pandemic reminded us of the
importance of our longstanding commitments to creativity, community
and collaboration.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW: Our intergenerational arts program will be on
hiatus during the pandemic, but we plan to grow it further once it’s
safe. We’ve been launching all kinds of
creative writing classes for teens from around
the state as part of our flagship program
Write Rhode Island. We’ll continue to
develop our stellar arts program and creative
academic curriculum. Full speed ahead.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: school-one.org
being. As Judy Baxter, our vice principal of academics, says, “Communication
has been the key to our success. The more informed
we all are, the more we feel connected.”
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: Our community lives and learns by the
Lasallian core values of faith, service and community, and so many
community service projects came out of the pandemic. Students
created a “Sweets from Saints” project, where they made and
delivered desserts to first responders. Another student organized
a mask drive and collected more than 100 masks. Another student,
along with his sister who is an incoming freshman, started a very
successful food drive for the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen, collecting
more than 4,000 pounds of food and water. Additionally, our faculty
and staff made a great effort to make sure our students knew
they were missed. They created visual messages, recorded virtual
morning announcements, took time in Zoom meetings to ask
students how they were feeling and brought lawn signs to seniors
who live all over Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. >>
Saint Raphael Academy
in Pawtucket
Nancy Cifune,
Director of Communications
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge
has been dealing with misinformation
and fear that circulated outside the
Saints community after the initial case in
Rhode Island. Another challenge was helping
people understand requirements to
maintain confidentiality of individuals
involved.
THE WORKAROUNDS: In the absence of the
traditional classroom setting, many teachers
have held class with Zoom or Skype at
their regularly scheduled class time, with
all students signing in to participate in the
lesson. Many teachers even took time to
check in on a more personal level with
students, allowing time for them to talk
about their feelings and worries. Many
also encouraged student feedback about
their teaching methods and adjusted
accordingly. As we are the first STEAMcertified
high school in the state, many
lessons incorporated a STEAM project that
allowed students outlets for creativity and
deeper exploration of subject matter.
Music classes have been using more unique
programs like SmartMusic to assess
instrumental and chorus classes, and physical
education classes generated a yoga
challenge for physical and mental well-
Many schools across
the state have
embraced virtual
learning in the wake
of COVID-19.
106 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2020