As of Monday, March 30, Governor DeWine extended the closure of schools until May 1, due to a continued spread of the coronavirus. He plans to reassess the situation after that. As a result, McNick will be continuing the online classes that began March 18.
While the situation has been met with a rather grudging sense of acceptance from most students, many expressed disappointment regarding the loss of events or activities such as March Kairos, spring sports, theatre, and time spent with friends. Several students were also frustrated with the amount of schoolwork they had received as well as the transition from the classroom to online school.
“I have so much schoolwork – more than I do when I’m in school in person. I was supposed to go on Kairos which has been postponed and probably will be again…I was just really looking forward to the spring of my junior year and soaking it all up before I became a senior, but I don’t have that anymore,” junior Olivia Rohling said.
The March Kairos has been postponed again, and there is currently no rescheduled date, but the school is working with the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Milford to make sure it can still happen. In addition to Kairos, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding other events such as prom or graduation. Currently, the school is waiting to make definitive plans regarding rescheduling these events.
“We want these important celebrations to take place if at all possible! I feel especially concerned about the seniors, who have been looking forward to the original dates for these occasions to celebrate their four years together at McNick. “I’m waiting and watching for there to be enough certainty about when social distancing rules will be lifted before we do any serious planning,” Principal Dave Mueller said.
Should it be necessary for school to close for the rest of the year, this could also have an effect on end of the year exams.
“If school buildings are still closed during exam dates, then we’ll need to make alternative arrangements for students to take exams. The practice that we’re getting now with online tests will guide us to make appropriate arrangements,” Mueller said.
Despite students being physically apart from one another, they are doing their best to stay in contact and maintain the McNick community, whether it be by using Microsoft teams, FaceTime, phone calls, and texting.
“I hope that we continue to help each other keep our spirits up and our heads in the game. McNick is known for its close-knit community. We’re really benefiting from our strong community. Let’s be intentional about keeping it strong!” Mueller said.
The McNicholas Milestone 