Clockwise from top left, St. John Vianney kindergartener Stanley Edwards reads on the floor with a face shield and mask; first graders at Holy Family Catholic Academy Sophia Carlos, left, and Evelyn Boyle; on the playground, St. John Vianney preschoolers, from left, Maya DelGiorno, Kaonohiokala Cobb-Adams and Ava Joy Giraudy; Myra Cabuslay, a fourth grader at Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Pearl City, strengthens her typing skills on her Chromebook. (Photos courtesy of St. John Vianney School, Hoy Family Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Good Counsel School)
By Suzanne Carlos
Special to the Herald
All 33 Catholic schools in Hawaii fully opened in July and August for 6,723 students under three learning models: in-person, distance/virtual, and a hybrid of those two. In Hawaii, one in four private school students receives a Catholic school education.
Hawaii Catholic schools have taken innovative approaches to adjust their campuses, curriculums and instruction to the ever-evolving pandemic situation. They use evidence-based science and government recommendations to address the prevention and management of COVID exposure risk. The result is a comprehensive plan and sound protocols that have allowed students to begin this unprecedented school year safely and successfully.
Hawaii Catholic schools, both private and parish-based, employ 785 employees statewide. In his Aug. 15 letter to Hawaii Catholic School educators, Bishop Larry Silva wrote, “Now, more than ever, our Catholic schools are needed in these very trying times. Yes, of course, they are needed during the pandemic, because children still need their friends, socialization with others, and the spiritual and intellectual stimulation that our schools offer and that they may have missed during the lockdown … I am certain the Lord will use all of you to accomplish his will in fun, in joy, and in great love.”
Of Oahu’s 11 pre-K-8 schools, eight are offering primarily in-person, on-campus learning. Three offer distance learning. All Neighbor Island schools provide primarily in-person, on-campus learning supplemented by online curricula.
All Catholic preschools and early learning centers are offering in-person, on-campus instruction. Catholic high schools are using distance learning or hybrid models, with all planning a return to on-campus instruction soon.
Eight schools have seen a significant increase in enrollment this year. Topping this list are St. Ann, Kaneohe, with a 31% increase, Saint Louis, Honolulu, with a 16% increase, and Mary, Star of the Sea, Honolulu, with a 14% increase.
Several Neighbor Island schools, including Kauai’s St. Theresa, Kekaha, and St. Catherine, Kapaa, as well as Maui’s Sacred Hearts, Lahaina, have had surges in enrollment with most of their grades at full capacity with waitlists.
In spite of those gains, this year saw a 7% drop in overall enrollment. Many schools, preschools and early learning centers in particular, had to significantly reduce the number of students to comply with social distancing requirements. The financial impact of the pandemic also caused two schools to close at the end of last school year — St. John the Baptist, Kalihi, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ewa Beach — resulting in a loss of 217 students.
All schools have instituted health and safety measures to limit the risk of virus exposure on their campuses. These include daily home wellness checks, mandatory face masks and/or face shields, no-touch temperature checks on campus, sanitization and hand-washing stations, enhanced classroom ventilation, socially-distanced learning environments, staggered arrival and dismissal times, and limited exposure to other classroom cohorts or bubbles.
Further limiting risk
To further limit risk, many schools have closed their campuses to parents, visitors and guests. All faculty and staff have received extensive training in distance learning so that they are poised and ready to transition to virtual learning if required.
In addition, many schools have invested in online curricula and provided iPads, Chromebooks or other digital learning devices for their students for a seamless transition to distance learning, if necessary.
Hawaii Catholic Schools superintendent Llewellyn Young said, “I am so proud of our schools and what they’ve been able to accomplish during this difficult time. They really took to heart the notion of not simply surviving, but thriving through the pandemic.”
Each school has a customized COVID response plan that exceeds the standards and recommendations of the Hawaii Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). All have protocols in place to manage potential positive COVID cases that directly — or indirectly — affect their campus communities. The Hawaii Catholic Schools office works with the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools to provide schools and families with the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-related matters.
Margaret Rufo, principal of Mary, Star of the Sea School in Honolulu, said that her school and its back-to-school planning team have prioritized safety and health. “Our decision to offer a hybrid platform took into account both the physical and social and emotional needs of our students,” she said.
“Currently, 85% of our student population is in-person, and the remaining 15% have selected the virtual option. Our plan is designed to create a ‘normal’ learning environment and to minimize stress and anxiety for students, teachers, staff and parents,” she said.
Caryn DeMello, principal of St. John Vianney, Kailua, said, “Our teachers are with their students from the moment classrooms open until they close at the end of the day.”
“Disinfecting, hand-washing and sanitizing, and protecting the integrity of their bubble, have been vitally important,” she said.
Each year St. John Vianney School selects a Scripture passage to focus on for the year. This year’s is “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12.)
“It is very fitting,” said DeMello.
Mandy Thronas-Brown, principal of St. Ann School, Kaneohe, said that “COVID-19 keeps us rewriting our daily narrative.”
“We understand that there is more than one perspective when it comes to our families,” she said. “Providing a safe teaching environment has always been our school’s mission and we feel accomplished that we continue to provide this to our students in more than one way.”
All Catholic schools accept applications and enroll new students year-round, based on space availability. The Hawaii Catholic Schools office works to foster the Catholic identity, networking and collaboration, leadership development, academic excellence and operational vitality of the schools in the Diocese of Honolulu.
For more information, visit catholicschoolshawaii.org or call 203-6761.
Suzanne Carlos is secretary for the diocesan Board of Education.
