Providing In-Person Education in a Pandemic

There’s no doubt about it: this is a strange year. We made the transition from in-person to online school last March. Finishing the year online was challenging, but rewarding in many ways. As a Catholic, Jesuit-endorsed school, we believe interpersonal relationships are integral to a well-rounded education. If it could be done safely, we wanted to be able to provide our families with the option of in-person education this fall. 
So far, so good. Monroe started back full-time on Monday, August 17. ICS students returned on Thursday, August 20. In consultation with local doctors and administrators, our Safety Liaison Lorna Illingworth has spent countless hours working our Covid-19 mitigation plan. In addition to requiring masks for all staff, faculty, and students, we implemented staggered departure times, a 4x4 class model for the junior/senior high whereby each student takes four classes per semester instead of the usual six, and vinyl barriers in classrooms where social distancing guidelines are challenging given space constraints. 
“So far, school is going well and is both wonderfully familiar and very new,” said Director of Schools Amanda Angaiak. 
With our current model, students can attend in-person, online or a mix of both. Students always have the option for online classes. If families travel and are satisfying the travel quarantine requirement or a family member becomes sick, students may participate in online classes. We recognize at any point during this year, we may need to move some classes or all classes online. The transition to online learning should be fairly seamless. 
“How we are able to operate (in-person, hybrid or online) will depend on our community circumstance and whether our consultants think it is safe to be in-person,” said Mrs. Angaiak.