As the Principal at St. Mary’s High School, I would never have thought that we would have to face the extended closure of school due to a pandemic like the Coronavirus. But the reality is that our building has been closed since March 13th. Even though our building is closed, the show must go on. Through digital platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and Discord, the students of St. Mary’s have been attending class from their homes ever since.
The teachers at St. Mary’s have maintained contact with their students since they first found out about the closure of school on March 8th. At the end of the school day on Friday, March 8th, the students were instructed to bring home their Chromebooks, textbooks, and any other materials they felt they would need as a precaution. We felt it would be important to make sure the kids were prepared for the closure, just in case it happened. Well, it did happen, and we are proud to say that our students and teachers were prepared and ready to learn from home.
Although our students and teachers are practicing social distancing, the online platforms that have been used allows for the students to be in class through a video connection. The teachers continue to create a safe classroom environment where students can learn and prosper. During this difficult time, it is important to us that we are able to help the students be successful in school by continuing the learning process, providing the appropriate support when necessary, and giving them some sense of normal when everything around them is so different.
