Page 10 - The Paduan Summer 2021

School NEWS (Cont.)
Successfully Navigating Padua Through the Pandemic
Most people would agree that the COVID-19 pandemic had a greater and longer-lasting impact on our world than we ever could have predicted. Padua’s response beginning March 13, 2020 launched us on an uncharted, unforgettable journey.
It was a shocking moment when, on that day, Governor
Mike DeWine announced that school closures should begin immediately in Ohio. Within moments, students heard the announcement instructing them to empty their lockers. The next day, we gathered teachers for an in-service on how to teach remotely over the next few weeks. By that Monday, Padua was fully remote and moving forward with lessons.
Padua had all the technology in place to respond quickly to this closure. Through digital lessons, videos, phone calls, and emails, teachers delivered and students learned the content. “Initially, we all thought this was a temporary situation,” said then-Principal David Stec ’86. Unfortunately, numbers were quickly getting worse and more and more companies were closing their doors and working remotely as well. “We were making decisions day-by-day in response to what was happening in Ohio,” Stec continued. “We were on our computers from morning until night trying to work with teachers and students, while at the same time responding to the new directives of the Governor,” Stec said.
Eventually, the difficult decision was made to complete the remainder of the year remotely and to either cancel or postpone all events. “Ending the 2020 school year while fully remote was very difficult. It was hard on the teachers, the parents, and the students,” said Stec. “Most heartbreaking was the impact on
the class of 2020, dealing with the possibility of losing out on milestone moments in their high school careers, as musicals, seasons, trips, and end-of-year events were cancelled, postponed, and re-invented,” he continued.
However, “Our administration was very creative,” said Stec. “I am so proud of our administrative team who came up with great ways to celebrate our seniors in the midst of a pandemic.” Padua
posted digital senior highlights, printed personalized senior yard signs, streamed a live senior-only awards dinner, and graduated the seniors on July 16th in the parking lot of St. Anthony’s church.
As the summer of 2020 unfolded, it became apparent that the new school year would require a new response from Padua. Instead of the much needed summer time off, our staff found itself in meetings to reinvent Padua for this new challenge. Because of the uncertainty and inconsistencies of the pandemic guidelines, we had to create many different return plans, including fully remote, hybrid, and full in-person learning models. We also needed to create an option for those families who would prefer a fully remote model regardless of the mode of education the school implemented.
Based on health guidance, we determined that a hybrid learning model was the best solution. In order to accomplish this, classroom desks were removed, plexiglass shields were installed, additional quarantine areas were created, and new school entrance protocols were put in place. “I was on the internet everyday trying to purchase PPE, including masks, thermometers, and disinfectant,” said Stec.
Padua also had to comply with health board guidance for social distancing, close contact tracing, classroom arrangements, and the process of staggered movement throughout our building to avoid congregating. Messaging stickers were placed on the floors. Air scrubbers, webcams, and disinfectant stands were purchased and installed.
As the start of the year drew near, we spent a week with our teachers training them on synchronous and asynchronous learning. Our teachers worked incredibly hard to prepare for this new methodology. “Our teachers were heroic in their effort to learn new technology and quickly transition their normal classroom instruction from fully remote, to hybrid, and to full in-person as was needed to keep us safe,” said Principal Stec. “The complexity and difficulty of this response cannot be overestimated,” he continued.
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