Bishop Stang to return full time April 12

Apr 1, 2021

Bishop Stang High School students will return to full in person learning on April 12.

“It’s going to be different having everybody back,” Bishop Stang President and Principal Peter Shaughnessy said. “But we’re pretty confident that we can do it — and do it well.” 

A big reason for the April return, the principal said, is due to the rise in vaccinations, along with low Covid numbers in the community — especially compared to the record high surges the town saw following the holidays earlier in the year.

Shaughnessy added that nearly all of the staff have been able to get a first dose or book an appointment at a vaccination clinic — which he noted has brought more comfort to the instructors at the Catholic school.

“You could really sense the relief once they were prioritized by the state,” he said.

Since September, Bishop Stang has operated on a hybrid schedule with classes divided alphabetically to attend school on alternate days, with those not in the building learning virtually from home. 

An all-remote option will remain available for those who would prefer to learn from home for the remainder of the school year. Online learning will also remain an option for any students in quarantine.

To accommodate the population increase, more desks were added to the school’s classrooms. For rooms that cannot fully accommodate the larger sizes, Shaughnessy said some students will likely learn remotely from the school’s library. 

In order to avoid any congestion throughout the day, students will be able to visit their lockers only before school, before their fourth period class, and after school.

With lunches, the school added an additional lunch period to its daily schedule. Much like under the hybrid model, meals have to be ordered the night before so they can be prepared for dropoff the following day.

Students also have the option to eat outdoors (weather permitting).

“We’re at a point where we can be back and focus for the last quarter of the year,” Shaugnessy said. “Now we just need to remain vigilant.”