Distance learning a new reality for diocese’s Catholic schools

Focus remains on ensuring healthy formation of students’ body mind and soul, helping them encounter Christ with their families

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School buildings are mostly empty and quiet.

But with God’s inspiration and the dedication and flexibility of parents and educators throughout the Jefferson City diocese, learning and faith-formation continues unabated.

“It’s been a great learning process for all of us,” said Tony Arnold, principal of St. Patrick School in Rolla. “We have incredible parents and our teachers are so devoted and they’re making it work.”

All 37 Catholic grade schools and three Catholic high schools in the diocese will remain in distance-learning mode through the end of the current school year.

Bishop W. Shawn Mc­Knight made the decision April 9, in light of Missouri Gov. Michael Parson’s statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the dangerous COVID-19.

The bishop directed the diocese’s Catholic elementary and high schools to continue providing lessons remotely until May 15.

All parishes and schools are abiding by Bishop Mc­Knight’s March 31 decree, which restricts the type of public gatherings in the 95 parishes of the diocese through April 30.

When the learn-from-home mandate first went into effect, Kenya Fuemmeler, interim diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, emphasized that the duty remains for every Catholic school “to ensure the healthy formation — body, mind and soul — of all students.”

This must be done in compliance with federal, state, local and diocesan directives for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Live your faith”

Michael Aulbur, principal of St. Pius X School in Moberly, said distance learning has gone remarkably smoothly at the school, which has 135 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The teachers started by sending packets of papers home on the students’ last day of in-school instruction back in March.

Since then, all of the teachers have switched over to some degree of online instruction.

Students in the upper grades receive regular instruction over their computer screens through Google Classroom.

Younger students are using what’s called Zoom calls, allowing time for face-to-face online instruction for the students as they continue working through the learning material in their packet.

Deacon John Hill, who assists the pastor of the Moberly parish, oversees the production of a three-day-a-week, 30-minute online wake-up video for students.

The focus is on faith and religion. 

“We film it here at school or in the church,” said Mr. Aulbur. “We have singing. We have special guests.”

The school allowed students who don’t have access to a computer at home to borrow a Google Chromebook.

Some families have internet access but have struggled with the bandwidth.

“But we sent packets home, so that offers them some flexibility,” said Mr. Aulbur. “And I think that during this time, we’ve all got to be flexible.”

He said one of the biggest challenges is how often and quickly circumstances change during the COVID-19 crisis.

But he believes necessity is giving birth to things that will make the school better down the road.

“We now have some new avenues for learning and new ideas for instruction in the future,” he said. “So if, heaven forbid, we have something like this happen again, we’ll have been here already.”

This experience will also open up more learning opportunities for students who are home with extended illness.

“I think it’s going to enhance learning as we move forward,” he said.

He asked for prayers, first and foremost, for the people on the front lines of fighting this pandemic, including first-responders and medical personnel.

He also requested prayers for teachers and parents of schoolchildren.

“They’re doing things they never could have imagined they’d be expected to do,” he said, “and they’re doing it well.”

He noted that St. Pius X School’s motto is: “Be respectful, be responsible, be safe and live your faith.”

“That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” he said. “Living your faith is something we continue to emphasize with our students during this time.”

That means spending time with God each day, either through Deacon Hill’s videos or participating in Mass with Father Phil Niekamp, the pastor, livestreaming on social media.

“Being Christ to Others”

Mr. Arnold, principal at St. Patrick School in Rolla, said the school, which has 190 students in pre-school through eighth grade, started upgrading its technology about four years ago.

“We expanded our internet and also expanded our Chromebook capacity,” he said. “We’ve been adding Chromebooks each year as we go.”

“So we had a really good head start when this thing hit,” said Mr. Arnold.

He referred to the school’s computer teacher and information technology coordinator as “magnificent,” “fantastic” and “genius.”

Right before the stay-at-home order kicked in, school staff did an assessment of what students would need in order to start learning at home right away.

“We checked out all of our Chromebooks and chargers to students who don’t have a computer,” he said.

The Google online platform means that anyone with a Chromebook and internet access can receive instruction “like they’re sitting in the classroom with their teacher.”

It allows students and teachers to have online video chats, and for students to turn in their work online and have their teacher grade it in real time.

It also allows teachers, parents and students to communicate over an internal email domain.

Teachers are making instructional videos, which students can watch as many times as they need to.

Even the pre-school and kindergarten teachers are reading books to their students online.

Religion instruction continues online.

The art and music teachers are working on a music video and photo collage, both with input from each student.

Protocols for online safety are built into the all the programs.

And God remains at the center of it all.

“Our school’s charism is ‘Being Christ to Others,’” said Mr. Arnold.

“That’s what we’re trying to emphasize here,” he said. “Even remotely, we can still be Christ to others.”

Reshaping the future

Alan Lammers, principal of Ss. Peter & Paul School in Boonville, said the schools educators and families are doing a “tremendous job.”

“They are planning lessons, delivering instructions and finding ways to interact with their students,” he said.

They set this up in a manner of days and -are continuing to evolve and innovate.

“Our teachers are reshaping what Catholic education will look like when we can all finally be back together as a faith community,” he said.

The school has 182 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Mr. Lammers noted that nothing can replace the Eucharist “as the center of our faith and learning community.”

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