Parishes and schools this week are trying to figure how to recover from the abundance of snow the state has received over the past six weeks.
Schools are scrambling with how to get their required 178 days of classes in while parishes rescheduled events and fundraisers.
The biggest snow event occurred across the state on Feb. 9 when up to 24 inches of snow fell. All Catholic schools were cancelled two or three days between Feb. 9-11. For most parts of the state, the snowfall last week was on top of smaller accumulations of snow in January and early February.
In some cases Masses and religious education classes were cancelled and perpetual adoration chapels were closed.
With record snowfall and low temperatures (21 below zero) in northwest Arkansas, St. Raphael Church in Springdale cancelled all of its Masses, confession times and activities Feb. 9-11 and even closed its perpetual adoration chapel.
Lydia Worden, secretary at St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville, said, “We cancelled two Masses in January and six in February. Last Friday (Feb. 11), a snow day, we rescheduled the 8:30 a.m. Mass for 10 a.m., and a handful of people were able to make it in.”
In Tontitown, St. Joseph pastor Father Gregory Hart hasn”t had to cancel a weekend Mass, but he got snowed in the rectory last week.
“Father only cancelled the regular Masses (Feb. 9-11) because his car couldn”t clear the snow out of his driveway and street,” business manager Shannon Stowe said. “But he held them at alternate times when someone could get him to church, or he celebrated them at his home.”
In Benton, for the first time since it opened 11 years ago, the perpetual Eucharistic chapel at Our Lady of Fatima Church closed for more than three days between Feb. 9 to 12, coordinator Taffy Council said.
Vernell Bowen, superintendent of schools, said the six snow days that Little Rock and North Little Rock schools have had so far is the most she has seen since she began overseeing the schools nine years ago.
She is the person who makes the final decision on whether Catholic elementary and junior high schools in Pulaski County are closed. But she makes the decision only after consulting with three people in the local public school districts as well as Catholic High School principal Steve Straessle and Mount St. Mary Academy principal Diane Wolfe.
Bowen said she is talking with principals across the state on how they can make up the days. Because two snow days are built into the calendar, schools in Little Rock and North Little Rock and elsewhere will have four days to make up. Bowen is encouraging principals to keep schools open for Presidents Day Feb. 21 and make the parent-teacher conference day in March or April a school day. Most likely, the remaining days will be added after the scheduled last day of school May 27. High school graduations, however, will not be changed, she said.
At Mount St. Mary Academy Wolfe said students were still interacting with their teachers online Feb. 9-11.
“On Tuesday, (Feb. 8) we set-up online instruction for our students,” she said. “We have individual pages for each class where teachers posted assignments, blogs and things for the girls to work on. We piloted this online instruction for the first time, and it seemed to work extremely well, minus a few minor glitches. The girls really responded positively to it.”
The school hopes to garner approval for one-and-a-half days for the online instruction.
Some principals have inquired about having extended days, opening school on Saturday or taking away days from spring break. Going to school on Good Friday April 22 has also been discussed. Bowen said she has advised against any of these options.
Bowen said she is empathic to the principals and teachers who have had a hard time teaching lately because so many days have been missed.
“It interrupts the learning,” she said. “January and February are two good learning months. It is hard to get the kids back into sync.”
Outside of Pulaski County, principals have to make their own decisions based on local conditions.
Fort Smith
With only one snow day built in the calendar, students at Trinity Junior High School in Fort Smith will have to make up four full days of schools, principal Chandler Doss said.
“We have missed at least five full days and two partial days,” she said.
Northwest Arkansas
The three schools in northwest Arkansas — St. Joseph in Fayetteville, St. Vincent de Paul in Rogers and St. Raphael in Springdale — are contending with the most snow days they have ever had in one year.
St. Joseph School has had 10 snow days for the year, said principal Ann Finch.
“We had two snow days built into our calendar. We will be attending on Feb. 21 (Presidents Day) which was scheduled to be a day off. Pending approval, we will attend March 18, another scheduled day off.
St. Raphael School also had to close schools for 10 days in January and February.
Principal Karen La Mendola said, “It is very hard on the students and staff because they are out of their routine. Our first priority is always the safety of those traveling to the school. We don”t enjoy it, but would rather add days to the end of the year than endanger their lives.”
The school traditionally schedules five days for snow.
Going to school past Memorial Day is very likely for St. Vincent de Paul School, according to principal Joseph Sine.
“We plan on going into June if we can”t find other days in the calendar. We had three snow days built in and have a total of nine snow days already this year,” he said.
Many of the school”s Catholic Schools Week celebrations Jan. 30 to Feb. 4 have been rescheduled multiple times because weather cancellation.
“We feel like we”re celebrating a never-ending Catholic Schools Week,” he said.
Two of their re-scheduled events finally took place this week: Moms and Muffins and Dining with Dad.
Paragould
Students at St. Mary School in Paragould will not have to go to school into June, according to principal Sharon Warren.
“We had four snow days in our schedule,” she said. “We attended school on Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 17), which was to be a day out and plan to attend school on Presidents” Day to make up the sixth day.”
The snow days were, of course, enjoyable for the students, but in Pocahontas residents also enjoyed the time off. St. Paul Church and School are located on “Catholic Hill,” which makes for “great sledding,” said secretary Jennifer Nichols.
“On Wednesday evening, Feb. 9, there were over 100 sledders of all ages on the Hill,” she said. “The gym was opened for a place to warm up. Volunteers brought hot chocolate and snacks.”
Phyllis Hemann contributed to this story.
