Richmond Waldorf School, which emphasizes time spent outdoors, conducts classes outside under tents. (Photo by Graham Copeland)
Across the region, most public schools have gone entirely online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in those same areas, private schools are still meeting on campus five days a week, and staff and students have dealt with unprecedented changes in procedure, as well as increased interest from parents.
Valerie Hogan, enrollment coordinator at Richmond Waldorf School in the North Side, says the Waldorf curriculum is well-suited for the pandemic, because it includes a large amount of time spent outdoors. Staff and students accustomed to attending class outside have grown even more used to it this year — in fact, tents have been set up outdoors where classes are conducted even in the wettest winter weather. “Our policy is, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing,” Hogan says. Rain gear is provided to students who forget to wear it. “We think that’s appropriate for COVID, and the kids get fresh air, too.”
Besides an emphasis on nature and the outdoors, Waldorf emphasizes “classical” education, writing and drawing, and makes less use of technology. “It’s a totally different learning environment for a lot of the new kids,” Hogan adds.
Like other private schools in the area, Waldorf takes students’ temperatures before they enter the building, and students and staff wear masks at all times. “There’s also been an increase in cleaning, sanitizing and handwashing,” Hogan says. “The community here has been really proactive.”
St. Mary’s Catholic School saw a 300% increase in inquiries last spring as the pandemic began. (Photo courtesy St. Mary’s Catholic School)
Despite an increase in inquiries and registration, Waldorf has not expanded class sizes, although resources have been provided to help families make the transition, including a new preschool classroom and increased financial aid. This reflects a regional trend. Part of a diocese-wide phenomenon, St. Mary’s Catholic School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School saw increases in registration and inquiries of 300% and 400%, respectively. But St. Mary’s, which serves 413 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, increased enrollment by only 6%.
“Many of our new families considered us for some time,” says Brandon Hess, principal at St. Mary’s. “For them, the pandemic was a tipping point, not the primary reason to join the St. Mary’s Catholic School family.”
Besides requiring masks and social distancing, St. Mary’s has installed a needlepoint bipolar ionization HVAC system, which filters and cleans the air by binding charged particles to unwelcome molecules and neutralizing them. Hess also cites outdoor instruction, frequent handwashing, small class sizes and a compliant community as reasons that St. Mary’s has seen zero COVID-19 cases traced to the school.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, limited positive cases have appeared. In the case of both positive tests and those who have been exposed to someone with a positive test, students and teachers alike must quarantine for 14 days. Like other private schools, Lourdes offers a virtual option, and quarantined students and teachers can continue education online.
“Lots of people were looking for something different last spring.” —Brandon Hess, principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School
Asked about the prospect of students returning to public education after the pandemic, Hess says he isn’t at all worried about enrollment numbers at St. Mary’s. “Lots of people were looking for something different last spring, and when they came and toured, they applied,” he explains. “But since we didn’t increase enrollment, we couldn’t accept many of them. If we were to lose some students, we’ll be able to recover those numbers because of the exposure and interest that we’ve had.” In an average year, the retention rate at St. Mary’s is 91%.
The waiting list for the 2021-22 school year remains at an all-time high, but Hess isn’t sure the school will expand. “Right now, we’re looking at keeping class sizes the same,” he says. “We’ll have a better idea in April or May of what we’re going to do. It’s going to be a situation [where] I need to listen to the community and see where everybody stands. It’s not just about filling the seats, but also about keeping teachers and parents happy.”
At Waldorf, Hogan says she hopes new arrivals enjoy the different style of education the school offers and decide to stick around. “A lot of people came here not having thought they’d ever be entering private school, and it will be interesting [to see] what enrollment looks like when things get back to normal,” she says. “It’s such a personal decision — what’s best for your kids and your family? A lot of people have been impressed with what they’ve gotten.”
