Also, our vice principal donated plasma over the summer to help
others suffering from COVID-19.
LOOKING AHEAD: We were ahead of the game with distance learning
strategies before the pandemic came to Rhode Island. Saint
Raphael Academy instituted a 1:1 program in 2016, with laptops
being issued to all students for academic work in school and at
home. In 2018, the Academy began doing virtual days during
faculty professional development days and snow days so that students
would not have to extend their school year. The practice
has gone well, and we will continue to implement virtual days in
those types of situations post-COVID.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: saintrays.org
Providence Country Day School
in East Providence
Kevin Folan, Head of School
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge right now is managing
people’s anxiety. We’re all seeing what’s happening in other
parts of the country, and I think a lot of people are nervous. It’s
really important for us to be prepared for different contingencies,
and we need to manage people’s expectations and anxiety.
However, what I see across the board with our students, our faculty
and staff and even our parents, is that we are more resilient
than we give ourselves credit for. We had a significant challenge
transitioning to remote learning this spring, but everyone rose
to the occasion.
THE WORKAROUNDS: This past spring, our team was masterful at
making sure we kept a lot of our tried and true traditions, such as
Field Day, Middle School Grandparent’s Day or our year-end celebrations.
We did a wonderful job shifting a lot of those events
into a virtual space, or for our commencement and “Stepping
Up” ceremonies, holding them on-site but in a reimagined format.
I was really proud of the creativity and ingenuity of our
team as we examined how to have these events in new ways. I
think it’s put us at an advantage for this upcoming fall, which is
going to look different.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: The Lemonade Stand series was something
we came up with to find inspiration in those dark days back in
April and May when things were so difficult. We asked folks in
our community to share their stories of resilience and overcoming
adversity, and we reaffirmed that we’ve got some amazing
people right here in the PCD community. I get the sense from students
and teachers that many of us have developed a greater
appreciation for that community. I think sometimes we take for
granted what we have on a day-to-day basis, but when we can’t
see our friends or students every day in-person, it makes us
appreciate those relationships more. I’m looking forward to taking
that sense of gratitude with us into the future.
LOOKING AHEAD: There are two things that stand out. First, we
started an alumnus panel this winter that was very well received.
Historically, when we’ve brought speakers to campus, we’ve been
restricted by geography. When everything went virtual, however,
we started connecting with people from Florida, California and
even Egypt. This has really broadened our perspective that we
For more information, contact Admissions Director Sharon DeLuca at
(401) 789-9262, ext 514, sdeluca@theproutschool.org or go to www.theproutschool.org.
The Prout School
Wakefield | Rhode Island
Join us at
TOUR THE SCHOOL
Admissions
We make it easy
Open
to tour
House
the school and its grounds
October 20, 1-4pm
via an online virtual tour.
A Catholic, Diocesan, Coeducational,
College-preparatory High School.
www.theproutschool.org
108 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2020