One neighborhood school has been able to keep kids in school all year during the pandemic. Read more about St. Ursula Villa’s strategies and tactics that have helped keep students in safe and healthy!
Want to learn more about St. Ursula Villa? Check out their Open House Sundaay, February 7th, 2021.
Tell us how you have been able to keep students safe this year!
St. Ursula Villa’s successful COVID protocols have allowed us to safely deliver in-person learning since August 19th. We have modified student traffic flow into and within the buildings, and check temperatures at entry points. Classroom desks are safely spaced at 6 feet apart and students are kept in cohorts with minimal contact with other students. Our students wear masks, as do all faculty and staff. Student schedules have been modified to minimize traveling to other areas, for example, the Art teacher brings his “Art Cart” to the classrooms instead of students traveling to the Art Room. Intermediate and Junior High student schedules have been changed to a “modified block schedule” to reduce frequency of switching classrooms. Desks and materials are sanitized between each use. The Villa’s 22-acre campus provides outdoor instruction areas which are fully utilized in good weather.
How are you keeping kids motivated in such a tough environment?
Our students are very eager and happy to be back in school. They missed their friends and teachers last spring and have adapted beautifully to new routines and changes. Parents are highly motivated to keep school in session with the children benefiting from in-person learning and are actively partnering with us to reduce possible exposure.
Have you had to go remote this year?
No, we have not. Villa students have benefited from in-person instruction with their teachers in our classroom setting since we started the school year on August 19.
What have you been doing when students have to Quarantine?
Needed materials (textbooks, etc.) are sent home. During their quarantine period, students have access to classroom instruction and participate via Zoom, and use Google Classroom to get handouts and do assignments. Parents and teachers communicate throughout the quarantine period.
