GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — St. Anthony of Padua School in Grand Rapids is working on implementing new school guidelines and practices for the 2020-2021 school year. It is an elementary and middle school.
The school is part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids schools, which announced it is planning on reopening on August 19.
Principal of St. Anthony of Padua, Jenny Pudelko, showed 13 ON YOUR SIDE inside their building as they prepare to open.
Some of their new measures include:
- Distanced desks and chairs, 6 feet apart.
- Two entrances into the building.
- Students will go directly to classrooms.
- Students will be released to go to lockers in shifts, not with those with lockers near theirs.
- Hallways have new one-way lanes.
- Water fountains are off limits.
- Lunch will be eaten in classrooms.
- Middle school students won't move classrooms for subjects, rather the teachers will rotate.
- Masks will be worn at all times by 6th-8th graders.
- Younger students will wear them in common spaces.
- Guests and parents must take temperature and health screening prior to entering.
- Kids will be in classroom groups on playground.
"We looked at a student's full day," said Pudelko, "What interactions would they have, and what places were potential for germs to spread. Then ask, how do we modify?"
Middle school students not rotating classrooms is a new procedure this year, but Pudelko said the goal is to keep the same group and their germs together.
"We figured moving one teacher was easier than moving 15 kids or 20 kids out of each classroom," said Pudelko, "We were concerned with what our hallways look like if we had our full middle school in the hallway at the same time."
The school is preparing Chromebooks for each student. That's to prepare for a situation where a student or class needs to switch to remote learning due to illness, or the state guidelines change.
The school will be hosting a student-teacher meet night outdoors. Teachers will be able to explain the new procedures to their class before the first day of school.
"A lot of these practices we’ve been asked to put in place go against what we know to be best practices for education," said Pudelko, "We are learning collaborative learning is best. And kids need to interact on a regular basis. So we are trying to balance the risk versus reward with safety and learning to make sure it's the best environment."
The diocese sent a survey to all parents, which Pudelko said was overwhelmingly responsive that parents wanted their kids back in class.
As for masks, the school is following current state guidelines. The younger students will be able to take them off at their desk, as long as they stay put.
"Our slogan is 'masks when you’re moving,'" said Pudelko, "So, if you’re getting out of your desk and outside your 6 feet space, you’ll have to have your mask on.
To see the complete school plan for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, click here.
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