Goal of five-day, eight-hour normal schedule has yet to be approved
By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
Officials at Catholic Central High School in Burlington are planning a return to in-person learning this fall, which will include five days a week, eight hours a day with safety precautions.
The school’s fourth-year Principal Bonnie Scholz said Tuesday she understands the concerns of those worried about coronavirus and how it will affect schools.
The parents of the school’s 140 students, including the largest freshman class in seven years, were surveyed and an “overwhelming majority” agreed learning in the classroom with teachers and classmates is the best approach.
Scholz said final approval must be made by the Board of Directors, and a plan will be presented in the “very near future.”
“While the ideal (situation) is to be back to school full time, we also realize that circumstances surrounding the pandemic can change at any moment, so we are also planning for blended and fully virtual delivery models should the need arise,” Scholz said.
CCHS is part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that governs more than 90 K-8 grade schools and 16 high schools in 10 counties in Wisconsin. Catholic Central is the parochial high school that serves the Union Grove area.
Working together
Scholz said the school’s task force has sought recommendations from the American Association of Pediatrics, the Department of Public Instruction, the Centers for Disease Control and the Central Racine County Health Department in formulating the return to school.
Also, they’ve received some assistance from their public school friends only a few tenths of a mile away at 100 N. Kane St.
“The administration of the Burlington Area School District has been a great partner with CCHS during this time,” Scholz said. “They have been generous with their materials and information from the public sector that has been a valuable resource in our decision-making efforts. It is wonderful to belong to a community that focuses on what is best for all of the students and families in a community, regardless of where they attend school.”
For Scholz, the physical, mental and spiritual well being of families and staff are her biggest concern this fall.
“So many people have suffered from fear, anxiety, illness, loss of income, loss of activities that were important to them, and even the loss of life and the inability to grieve with family members,” Scholz said. “It is our goal to be a place of refuge and calm, as much as possible, not only so that students can learn, but also, so that they may heal.”
To read the entire story see the July 16 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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