Remote Learning 2020

St. Pius X administration and teachers jumped into action mid-March to shift from in person to remote learning. Principal Joe Monachino explained, “As soon as we realized that we would need to shift from in person to remote learning, we immediately began to make a plan that would not only change our classroom learning, but also maintain our high academic integrity and Catholic identity.” That transition entailed teachers learning how to effectively use Google Classroom, ZOOM, Google Meet, and Screenomatic; in addition, kids had to learn to check into Google Classroom every day as well as understand attaching, submitting, editing, resubmitting, and checking assignments.

The teachers met on March 16th, some in person and some via Zoom, to discuss concerns and brainstorm this new style of teaching. They discussed their initial worries and  ideas of how to address them. Some teachers were already demonstrating how they would present lessons via a video or online meeting. 

In recent years, St. Pius X teachers and administration developed a “many-to-one” rather than a “one-to-one” approach in relation to technology and the student. That “many” represents multiple portals to learning rather than a single electronic device, ensuring not to replace what is proven to be effective and to maximize the advantages of multiple approaches to learning. As computers are not a requirement in the traditional classroom, St. Pius X immediately sent a survey to families to determine who needed a computer and/or assistance with internet access for remote learning. The school had enough Chromebooks on hand to meet immediate needs and they were able to troubleshoot technology concerns of school families fairly quickly. 

“We were down to just a few Chromebooks left within a week of beginning remote learning; thanks to the generosity of our donors, we quickly secured donations to purchase additional Chromebooks to loan students as future needs were realized,” commented President Joe Ross.

The day after the initial meeting, St. Pius X teachers had plans in place and began remote learning, hoping they would have their students back in the classroom by the end of the school year. There were many challenges to this process, given it’s not the preferred learning environment of students or teachers; however, students and teachers quickly adapted. 

“Our community wanted our teachers to have the ability to see and interact with their students on a regular basis, which was accomplished through online meetings. The benefit to having a smaller school in a crisis such as this is that we were able to personally check in with all of our students and families. We were able to have the school partially staffed and open, which made response time to issues and troubleshooting problems more effective. This also allowed our students to still see familiar backgrounds and environments during their meetings,” Monachino explained.

Immediately after the Governor announced school closings for the remainder of the year, staff members put a plan in place to call every family personally to check in and see how online learning was progressing, how the family was doing, and to provide an avenue of further questions or concerns. 

As a result of  those conversations, we found adjusting to remote learning was difficult for some students and families and seamless for others.  It was evident that just as in the classroom, remote learning is not a one method fits all. Throughout the nine weeks of remote learning, St. Pius X teachers concentrated on communicating "essential information" and "enhancing particular skills" in pursuit of some degree of mastery.

Through remote learning, St. Pius X maintained a high level of educational integrity. School parent, Angela Wendel commented, “We are so very impressed and proud of how well St. Pius X handled online learning. Our girls have continued to receive the same high quality education with the support of our wonderful teachers and staff at SPX.  Our family is blessed and proud to be part of the St Pius X Community!”

Wrapping up the 2020 school year with online finals was unimaginable just a few months ago, but it is how this year finished. With a task force in place, we are creating a well-rounded plan for our students to return in person in the fall, with all safety precautions considered and implemented. As a school with small class sizes, we will be able to create a physical distance among students by creatively utilizing current spaces we have on our campus, as well as our traditional classrooms. We know many things will look different next year, but we are excited to welcome our students back and teach them face-to-face as we have for the past 65 years.