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An Update On Mary Of Lourdes School: Academic Year Begins With Openness And Diligence
No matter what curveballs are being thrown our way due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary of Lourdes School is still hard at work in the game, and our faculty and staff definitely won’t be giving up any time soon.
“We are not sure what to expect this school year, but we are doing our best to handle things day by day and stay on top of addressing people’s concerns,” says principal Jodi Vanderheiden. “We are available to respond to any questions that parents may have, such as if their child should come to school with a little sore throat, etc. My goal for this year is to help everyone stay healthy. It is new territory for all of us. It will take a lot of communication and openness to get through all of this, but we can do it.”
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With much patience, diligence, and flexibility, the school continues to help its staff, students, and families reach their “home base” of heaven. Despite ongoing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school is staying true to its mission to be “Christ-centered and dedicated to excellence in education by developing the whole person, integrating our Catholic faith with daily life.”
From daily religion class to all-school Masses, Our Lord is being honored within the walls of Mary of Lourdes School — even though it may look a little different this school year than it has in recent years.
“Although we are not certain which faithbased events we can offer this year, the Catholic faith is nonetheless woven into every aspect of our day,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says. “It is ingrained in everything we do as a school, and that isn’t going to change because of the pandemic.”
Furthermore, the school purchased a new social-emotional learning curriculum that should come in quite handy this upcoming school year.
“This new curriculum will help us get through this time,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says. “The effects of the closing of school, the anxiety that COVID-19 has caused, and the possibilities we are facing, are all new things people are dealing with. Hopefully, it will give us strategies to help us deal with these things in a way that is spiritual and faith-filled, not just medical.”
Mary of Lourdes School’s faculty and staff has also been trying out innovative ways to maintain a parish school family atmosphere despite the challenges they are facing.
“We had a virtual kindergarten picnic which was attended by about 21 of our 30 school families,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says. “The children shared what they like to do with their families, and the families all got to know each other better. It is very possible that we may have more of these virtual kinds of gatherings in the near future. We have to be creative.” Moving forward, Mrs. Vanderheiden expresses her gratitude for the works of Divine Providence ahead of time.
“We are so grateful that our school building is large enough to accommodate our students in case we have to transition to a hybrid model,” she says.
And she is also thankful for how strong our parish and school family is.
“Our theme is ‘together in spirit,’ and I can’t think of a better theme for us to have right now,” she says. “A big part of who we are is relationship and community.”
If you would like further information about the school, or in order to register your child, please contact Mrs. Jodi Vanderheiden at jvanderheiden@molschool.org or 320-632-6742. New enrollments can be accepted at any time throughout the school year.
