St. Raphael Catholic School in Crystal Prepares for In-Person Classes

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gave the go-ahead for Catholic students to return to the classroom in the fall. Staff and teachers at St. Raphael Catholic School in Crystal are very busy preparing for students.

“We’ve had a team preparing since early May to have students back in our building,” said Principal Paul Dull. “The Archdiocese does live webinars weekly, and we have a task force.”

St. Raphael Catholic School preparing for students to return this fall.

Principal Dull says it’s a delicate balancing act and relies on data from the experts to determine if it’s safe for students to do in-person learning.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics, they have come out very strongly and said it’s going to be better for children and families to do all the efforts you can possibly do to get children back here in the building.”

St. Raphael Catholic School is working on protocols to keep students safe.

School officials say they will sanitize the building and are practicing social distancing in the classrooms, cafeteria and hallways.

“We have to adjust the schedule so that two sets of classes aren’t passing at the same time,” explained Dull.

Principal Dull says it’s a judgment call as to whether students will be required to wear masks.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics says especially for the younger children it’s not realistic,” he said.

School leaders say they have to be flexible and adaptable. Distance learning options will still be available if a student wants to do online learning. They are still trying to determine how best to have a hybrid or blended learning experience for students.

Crystal | New Hope