Posted September 10, 2020

Schools across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia returned to classes fully this week, welcoming students to in-person instruction and, for those who wished it, virtual participation. Schools had on hand numerous sanitizer stations along with health and safety protocols crucial in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the opening days of the school year, teachers helped students get acclimated to the new norms of social distancing in rooms and common areas, and health awareness for themselves, their classmates, teachers and staff. Our photo gallery shows the enthusiasm at Holy Innocents School, Philadelphia; St. Lucy School for Children With Visual Impairment, Philadelphia; and St. Michael School, Levittown.

  • Zaira Adudez and her son Ryan get up to speed on preK procedures at Holy Innocents School, Philadelphia, with the help of instructor Christina Bardely. (Photo by Gina Christian)

  • Students at Holy Innocents School listen as I.H.M. Sister Jo-Ann Abate, technology director, reviews the classroom’s livestream setup. (Gina Christian)

  • Fourth-grade students at Holy Innocents get accustomed to the plexiglass shields that now surround their desks. (Gina Christian)

  • Holy Innocents school nurse Katherine Wong has plenty of hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies for her students. (Gina Christian)

  • In this Sept. 10, 2020 photo, I.H.M. Sister Lisa Lettiere, principal of St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments in Philadelphia, supervises students as they use adaptive technology in their lessons. The school will relocate to St. Jerome Parish in Philadelphia in time for the 2022-2023 academic year. (Gina Christian)

  • St. Lucy’s students listen to detailed instructions for on-site learning during the 2020-21 academic year. (Gina Christian)

  • Gallons of hand sanitizer are ready to refill dispensers located throughout St. Lucy’s building. (Gina Christian)

  • Small class sizes at St. Lucy’s enable social distancing while providing room for adaptive technology. (Gina Christian)

  • At St. Michael School in Levittown, third graders give a big thumbs up to show their excitement about returning to school in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit last March. (Matthew Gambino)

  • Third grade teacher Allison Raffin gets to know her students on the first day of school. (Matthew Gambino)

  • (Matthew Gambino)

  • First grade teacher Megan Bristol speaks to her 19 students, whose desks are positioned at a safe social distance, along with four more who are participating virtually from home. (Matthew Gambino)

  • St. Michael School’s fourth grade class under the direction of teacher Kathy Bowski, at rear, is ready to learn in her room and online. She teaches 21 pupils in person and four virtually from their home. (Matthew Gambino)

  • St. Michael’s fourth graders are ready to begin their new year. As at all Catholic schools, students bring their own water bottles since common drinking fountains are not in use as a health precaution. (Matthew Gambino)