Archdiocesan Catholic schools provided mostly in-person instruction last semester

With the pandemic still raging and a large swath of students across the country still receiving remote instruction, the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Newark took a different approach to educating students during a public health crisis. As a result, students enjoyed an average of 71 days of in-person learning or 83% of in-person school days during the last semester, September through December 2020.

Throughout the summer of 2020, it became clear that there would be no hope of stopping the spread of the coronavirus anytime soon. As such, principals at the 46 archdiocesan elementary schools were tasked with creating a local plan for addressing social distancing and masking requirements as outlined by the state government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Typically, local plans were developed with consultation from teachers and other school leaders at the local school level. This process and the resulting guidelines for reopening during a pandemic enabled archdiocesan Catholic schools not only to retain existing students but also to attract new families specifically seeking in-person instruction.

The reasons for families to seek out in-person learning during this crisis varied widely – from a lack of childcare during the workday, to experiencing a drop-off in their students’ engagement with remote instruction during last spring’s mandatory statewide shutdown of schools, and concerns about the long-term impact of decreased social interaction with other students. Most parents expressed that while keeping their students safe from possible exposure to the virus is paramount, so is their desire for maintaining a degree of normalcy in their children’s daily school experience.

Despite New Jersey’s governor repeatedly underscoring the importance of schools returning to in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year, many of the state’s 589 public school districts remain in a remote-only model. At the beginning of the school year, New Jersey saw 264 districts open remotely, a number that had since increased to 320 districts by the end of December. Another 362 public school districts offered hybrid instruction, while only 82 districts remained fully open at the end of December 2020.

Newark, home to the state’s largest public school district (serving over 40,000 students), has remained in a remote-only model since March of last year. In a state that serves 1.3 million students, available options for parents seeking a fully or mostly in-person model for their children remain few and far between.

Catholic schools across the archdiocese have experienced a boost in their enrollments as parents seek schools that accommodate their students’ desire to remain in school. Notre Dame Academy in Palisades Park, a school whose enrollment was already healthy before the coronavirus outbreak, now has waiting lists for most of their Pre-K through 8 classrooms. “I credit this to the hard work of our teachers who have gone above and beyond to ensure that students are comfortable, safe, and achieving at high academic levels,” says Principal Mark Valvano.

“The fact that we’ve been able to develop such an outstanding academic program in the midst of a pandemic is a direct reflection on our dedicated team of highly qualified teachers and support staff.”

St. Thomas the Apostle School in Bloomfield, led by Principal Michael Petrillo, has also seen an uptick in interest and enrollment from parents seeking in-person learning. Mr. Petrillo oversaw considerable investments to the school’s facilities in advance of the current school year, including upgrades to the HVAC system to improve air circulation, installations of touchless water bottle filling stations throughout the building, the purchase of a 360-electronic sanitizer, and contracting with a third-party cleaning service to sanitize classrooms and common areas nightly. 

Recognizing the many considerations of maintaining in-person learning during a pandemic, Mr. Petrillo notes, “We at St. Thomas understand the need both academically and socially for the students to be in the classroom with their peers. Students learn better while in the physical classroom setting.”

St. Thomas the Apostle School’s enrollment has grown not just for the current year, but the school has already seen an increase in registrations for the 2021-2022 school year. Principal Petrillo credits the success of in-person instruction and the flexibility of a remote option for those who are interested, saying, “If you keep [students] safe and allow them to learn and focus on their well-being, amazing things can and will happen.”

New to St. Thomas this year, the Knapp Family specifically chose the school for its educational excellence and welcoming community in addition to its in-person teaching model. “Knowing that in-person learning was the best option for our children, we immediately contacted Mr. Petrillo and signed them up for the learning experience we felt they deserved,” said husband and wife,  Thomas and Nadine Knapp.

At Aquinas Academy in Livingston, in-person teaching has been the norm with other non-instructional activities and large gatherings moving to a virtual model. By prioritizing instruction and limiting gatherings to curb transmission, the school has been able to remain open for all 91 instructional days this year, an important factor for the nearly 85% of students who are participating in in-person learning, says Principal Eileen O’Neil.

As archdiocesan schools round out their first 100 days, the measures devised and implemented by the leadership at Notre Dame, St. Thomas the Apostle, Aquinas, and many others have enabled those school communities to avoid virus-related closures in the current year.

In instances where virus cases have been detected, measured and temporary switches to remote instruction have been implemented to stop the spread without causing a major disruption to student learning. Visitation Academy of Paramus closed just one day early ahead of its Christmas break “out of an abundance of caution” when a staff member received a positive test result, according to Principal Karen Mirro-Drew. Mrs. Drew reports that her school has also seen a boost in enrollment caused by the pandemic, noting that the steady stream of inquiries and new registrations has led her to have waiting lists for multiple grades.

“Parents have been very positive and feel safe at Visitation Academy. They appreciate the way Visitation handles Centers for Disease Control and local Board of Health protocols to ensure that staff and student safety are paramount. New parents are incredibly thankful for the family atmosphere, the caring faculty and staff, and the Christ-centered teaching.”

As the pandemic continues across the country, Catholic school leaders in the Archdiocese of Newark have risen to the challenge of providing safe, reliable, and consistent access to high-quality, faith-centered education for all of its families. 

Composed of 51 elementary schools and 23 secondary schools, the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Newark serve over 23,000 students across Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties. Acting in the spirit of the Gospels and in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church, our schools have successfully prepared a diverse population of students, shaping futures and cultivating leadership for over a century. To learn more about the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark, visit www.CatholicSchoolsNJ.org.