April 6, 2020
My Dear Providence Family,
I was in the process of writing a letter to our various Board members to inform them of Providence Catholic’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. In doing so, I was quite impressed with the number and quality of things we are doing, many behind the scenes, to navigate our Providence Family through rough waters. And so, I decided to provide this report to all of the Providence Families to let you know how we are facing such a challenging situation.
On March 12th the leadership of the Catholic High Schools in the Diocese of Joliet shared a teleconference with the Superintendent of Schools. Given the nature of the events as they were unfolding, we came up with a tentative plan as to how to proceed (this was prior to the Governor’s order to close the schools). In less than 18 hours the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that they were closing all Catholic schools in their jurisdiction, at least one high school in the Diocese of Joliet announced that it was closing, and by late afternoon the Governor closed ALL schools in the state of Illinois beginning Tuesday, March 17th.
The Administration met on the weekend and created a plan for Monday, March 16th. The day would be a late start for students. Faculty and staff arrived before the start of school; during that time
- Harper and I gave an overview of our plan of action
- Rosanne Grigoletti (Technology Director) explained the various workshops for E-Learning tools that would be presented at the conclusion of classes and after a lunch for the faculty and staff
- The teachers met by department to discuss their plan for E-Learning
- Classes met for 20-minute periods to enable teachers to explain to students what to expect from E-Learning in each of their classes.
- After lunch, teachers could select two of the four workshops to attend
We implemented an E-Learning schedule wherein classes meet as follows: periods 1-4 meet on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning at 9:00 a.m. (period 1 at 9:00 a.m., period 2 at 10:00, etc.). Periods 5-0 hour meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 9:00 a.m. (period 5 at 9:00 a.m., period 6 at 10:00, etc.). Fridays will be free for review, contacting the teacher, catching up on assigned work, etc.
Our initial feedback was that E-Learning is successful, given the circumstances under which it was initiated. A special “thanks” to Mrs. Grigoletti and her “tech team” who have provided staff development over the past years since implementing BYOD. In particular, I thank the Tech Office and several teachers who volunteered to lead the workshops on E-Learning tools. The Tech Office Staff has been available to address any technical difficulties that occur. Mrs. Grigoletti recently developed and sent a survey to our faculty, seeking their input on E-Learning. Surveys have also been emailed for the parents and students to give their feedback.
Prior to the Governor of Illinois’ Stay at Home directive, the Maintenance and Kitchen staffs were invited to work during the week of March 17th to 20th. Only those hourly employees who wanted to work were invited to clean and disinfect the classrooms, the kitchen and the cafeteria/commons. They accomplished a great deal during those four days!
Other departments responded as well:
The Advancement Office continues to respond to questions from the Providence Family and to donations that we receive while school is out. Mrs. Allie Rios, Communications Director, was involved in leading a Virtual Spring Fling Week, posting photos from PCHS Families, putting together a faculty playlist of “Music to Study By,” as well as other projects to keep our families connected to PCHS.
The Athletic Department is monitoring the IHSA rulings, especially as to whether the spring sports season will be played. Athletic Director Doug Ternik reports that several coaches are maintaining contact with players, some by developing workout routines that athletes do together online.
The Counseling Department remains available for all student and parent questions and concerns via email and Microsoft Teams. Mr. Luke Senffner, Director of Counseling, reports his department continues to send out information for seniors on end-of-the-year matters; they have developed a live document for information on college decision dates, visits, scholarships, etc. They are assisting teachers in reaching out to parents whose students are not regularly engaging in E-Learning. They continue to work with students on next year’s schedules.
The Pastoral Office: Mrs. Annie Persicketti, Assistant Pastoral Director, continues to record and post the daily All-School prayers for our families. The Augustinians began taping Masses on the Lenten weekends (thru the kindness and expertise of one of our parents and alum, Mr. Dave Ripp). The Advancement Office and webmasters coordinated the posting of the Mass on our website. A special project was developed by Mrs. Rios, Mrs. Persicketti, Mr. Kevin Oliver, Mrs. Lisa Savage and Mrs. Laurie Ford: Junior NHS students wrote letters to people living in local nursing care facilities.
Tuition and Finance: We have had a few families ask for help in paying tuition. Currently, we are extending our deadlines to be flexible in working with these families. The Finance Committee is meeting regularly, most recently by teleconference. I thank Ms. MaryBeth Carroll for her help.
The Children’s Academy continues to be in contact with its students and parents. The students have been given learning packets with work thru Easter break. The teachers are communicating through email, Zoom, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. They are in the process of getting packets ready to cover material for the last 2 weeks in April.
Dr. Harper is in regular contact with the Department Chairs, and he has provided updates to the Providence Family through Notify, our automated calling and messaging system. The Administration continues to meet remotely via Microsoft Teams. We have updated our website and portal calendars for all events through April 30th and beyond.
The faculty and staff have been exemplary in their work, and the teachers are to be commended for making such a “remote” experience of learning a “personal” experience. I am very proud of the way we have worked together to provide continued instruction under such challenging conditions.
Our plan for return remains fluid and can change at any time depending on updated information from the President, the Governor and/or the Bishop. Please visit our website for updates, specifically the page entitled “PCHS Response to the Coronavirus.” We will keep your family informed as the situation unfolds.
As I typed this letter, I realized how much we have been doing! I am proud of our families, our alums, our administration, faculty and staff, our students—the entire Providence Family! Most of all, I thank you for your prayers! Believe me, I have felt them! We, the Augustinians at Providence, are celebrating Mass every day for your intentions, the intentions of the world, and the intentions of the entire Providence Family. I am grateful for your continued assistance; be assured of our prayers for you!
My prayers for you and your family in these extraordinary times!
Fr. Merk