Camden Diocesan high school principals recently reflected on remote, or distance, learning, which began in mid-March, when New Jersey schools were closed due to the COVID-19 virus. Their experiences are similar in many ways: Teachers have done an outstanding job of redefining their roles and reaching students with new tools. Students are engaged and learning; they are showing up for school. Parent feedback is consistently positive. Principals remain committed to effective and constant communication, a crucial factor for success.
All of the principals are grappling with uncertainty, as no one can say for sure when school buildings will open, or which postponed events can be rescheduled. They feel for students who are missing proms, plays and concerts, sporting events and banquets, senior class trips, National Honor Society induction, noisy hallways and lunch with friends. They plan the things they can — college counseling services, creating schedules for the next school year, and assuring parents they will continue to communicate as information becomes available.
Following is a snapshot of conversations with Diocese of Camden high school principals.
Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill: Heather Crisci
“We feel guilty because we feel sorry for ourselves. We know we shouldn’t,” a student told Principal Heather Crisci at Camden Catholic. Crisci said it was a powerful moment, and she is doing whatever she can to help students battle isolation. The school is videoconferencing not just for classes, but to facilitate daily Mass, a weekly rosary, virtual study hall with tutoring, and even school clubs. College counseling services are bustling, and the school’s athletic director is staying connected with spring athletes.
Crisci said transparency has been crucial to the school’s success with remote learning. She provides the same information to students and parents. “I’ve received wonderfully positive feedback from parents. They are thankful for what we are doing and for how fast we did it,” she said.
What does she think will be different when school reopens? “We will have an even greater appreciation for community and being together, especially a community grounded in our faith. … And the integration of technology for everyone will continue to grow leaps and bounds,” she said.
Gloucester Catholic High School, Gloucester: Ed Beckett
Principal Ed Beckett said the Gloucester Catholic community is filled with parents who have essential jobs — nurses, aides, other health care providers, police, EMTs, utility workers. “They are the salt of the earth that keep our community going,” he said, adding that all parents have been “uniformly positive and supportive” of the school’s quick transition to online learning.
“It’s been better than I could have ever imagined,” he said. Beckett also acknowledged the challenge in households where parents and students are all trying to work from home. And he believes students would rather be in school. “I know it. Faculty know it. Kids thrive on being in school together.”
While Beckett values the way teachers have embraced technology, he predicts the most significant long-term growth will come in the way people interact.
“Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God is a face to face encounter. It will be a great celebration when we can encounter one another again. … I hope the hunger for personal, face to face connections will be a source of renewal for schools, parishes, the nation and the world.”
Holy Spirit High School, Absecon: Dr. Tom Farren
Holy Spirit Principal Dr. Tom Farren posts a brief video message on Instagram every day. He is often joined by one or more of his own school-aged children.
Farren said he believes students can’t always verbalize what is happening in their world and he wants to stay connected with them, to engage them so they have emotional and creative outlets. “We’re here for students,” he said. “We’re concerned about what the students are missing, especially seniors.”
New to Holy Spirit this school year, Farren said he is grateful for support from school president Father Perry Cherubini, Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Watson and collaboration with other diocesan high school principals. “We’re not cookie cutters, but we’re all on the same page,” he said.
Farren believes a positive outcome will be more dynamic classrooms. “Now that we’ve been forced to use technology in a different way, things that seemed hard … now we can do it,” he said. “More teachers will have more skills. We’ve had time to practice technology. We know it works. We know we can do it.”
Paul VI High School, Haddonfield: Sister Marianne McCann
PVI Principal Sister Marianne McCann thrives on contingency plans. ”It’s disappointing when things have to be canceled. We keep renegotiating for future dates,” she said, determined to make sure she has plans in place if graduation is postponed.
Sister Marianne’s penchant for planning led to a distance learning schedule where classes alternate on odd and even days, rather than having every class meet every day. Teachers interact with students via videoconference and have time for students to work on review and assessments.
The hardest part of distance learning, she believes, is students not seeing their friends or being social. “Everyone says students hide behind their screens, but mostly they are missing social contact,” she said.
She predicts that in the future teachers will place a higher value on the technology tools that are available, which could lead to more homeschooling. At the same time, she said, “It opens your eyes to what’s possible online, but we can never replace the human interaction. Socialization is so important for growth.”
Saint Joseph High School, Hammonton: Father Allain Caparas
The show will go on at Saint Joseph High School, where students are rehearsing for “Beauty and the Beast,” via Zoom. “We will still have some sort of performance. Students are so excited about it,” said president and principal Father Allain Caparas.
Father Caparas describes Saint Joseph as a small, closely connected community. “Even though we’re connecting remotely we want to be there for everybody and each other,” he said.
Parents have expressed gratitude for distance learning and shared what’s been stressful for students. “If we have to adapt based on a student’s [needs] we do.” Said Father Caparas, “We are not just educators, we are a ministry.” The school records all classes in case students cannot get online when the class is live.
What does Father Caparas see in the future? “We’re all going to be more grateful for the people in our lives … and the things we [took] for granted that we do every day. We’ll have a greater appreciation for everything. It will shape [students] as people, as adults moving on.”
Wildwood Catholic High School, Wildwood: Joe Cray
“We were really ahead of the curve,” said Principal Joe Cray, contrasting Wildwood Catholic to other local schools.
“Teachers are working on every single class all day long. They might teach in the morning but not get feedback until night.” Cray said many students are helping to care for younger siblings and cannot access and complete their own assignments until later in the day. Teachers accommodate for different family situations. And many teachers, like Cray himself, are home with children as well.
Cray likes using Zoom for staff meetings. “Every staff member knows every student,” he said, adding the staff can decide who the best point of contact is for a student who is struggling or missing assignments.
Every kid I’ve talked to wants to be back in school,” said Cray, who believes when school resumes students will have “a deepening sense of importance of the social piece of school. The social and emotional piece is so important. You can’t get that the same way online.”
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