By NATASHA MAZEROLLE
Correspondent The New Freeman, September 25, 2020
NEW MARYLAND — After six long months, students of Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in New Maryland, were finally able to return to classes on September 8, and it was an occasion of joyous reunion. “[the students] are just so excited, they can’t stop talking to each other,” Dr. Carolyn Barry, principal, said. “We’re thrilled to be back, the kids are easy and great, and it’s wonderful.”
When asked how they feel being back to school, the students were joyful in their responses. “The school is a family, I love it!” one said. Another said, “I love doing lots of work again,” while a third responded, “the teachers are the best in the world.”
“Students love being back in the classroom praying and working together,” Ms. Barry said. “ And they are eager to play — recess and noon hour have never been more fun!”
For their part, teachers are happy to return to school as well. “I think our teachers realize anew, because we were distanced from students for so long, what a privilege it is to be part of a child’s life and that learning is a precious thing both from the student and the teacher’s point of view,” Ms. Barry said. “We see the courage and the labour parents expend in building up each individual family, and their generosity to each other and the school is overwhelming.”
Ms. Barry shares that adapting to the new government protocols has not been as difficult as she anticipated. “We thought there were going to be a lot, but the government kind of simplified things, and it’s really very doable,” she said. “You just have to get your mind in the right direction.”
Our Lady of Grace School prioritizes smaller class sizes in order to give individualized attention to each child, and these small numbers have worked in their favour: the whole school is able to function with only two bubbles, one for the younger children and one for the older ones. Ms. Barry shares that while this inconvenience is minimal, the children still feel the separation. “The older kids really miss the younger ones. They’re asking everyday, ‘can we go see them? Can we play with them?’ They love each other,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Ms. Barry remains positive. “It’s what works and it allows us to be open, so it’s good,” she said. “K-1 was hard in the beginning, it was disruptive for them. But it really worked well for the older children. They were very lonely [during the lockdown], and they’re very happy to be back.”
This year the school saw an increase of 60% in enrollment, which Ms. Barry insists is not only because of the pandemic, but also the Christian values that are fostered at the school. “It’s a nice positive thing,” she said. “Some have said that it’s because of Covid and it’s partly that. But I think it’s also because we do give kids such individual attention. And I think people are looking for a little bit of God in their lives, and that’s who we are.”
The school’s motto, Our Best for God, is a constant reminder to the children and the teachers that Jesus is in control, and everything is for his glory. “We put [our motto] at the top of our page, and if we forget the kids remind us,” Ms. Barry said. “That’s who they’re working for, and just to have them build virtuous lives one day at a time, just like the rest of us.”
Ms. Barry is passionate about the role of schools in society, and is hopeful they will be able to remain open for the entire school year. “We’re hoping and praying that we can continue,” she said. “I think it’s healthy for our teachers, our students, and their parents, our community and our province to have schools open. We’re just praying that we’ll be safe and that the province will continue even if we do have some cases to keep schools open.”
Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent for The New Freeman. She can be reached at natasha @ maz-family.com.§
Original article can be found here
