Meet the challenge. Adapt to the circumstances.
That is exactly what is happening at Xavier High School for the faculty, staff and students.
The Xavier Admissions office has not skipped a beat.
Virtual information session, self-guided tours: Recently there was a virtual information session and another is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Also, a self-guided tour with faculty or staff directing will be held Nov. 8 with start times between 1 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. Any prospective families interested can visit xavierhighschool.org, click on the “Admissions” tab and sign-up under the “Visiting Xavier” section.
In-person and virtual entrance exams: There are in-person entrance exams on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 at 8:30 a.m., but there also is another option: a virtual test on Nov. 4 at noon. Registration is done by going to xavierhighschool.org and clicking “Apply Now.” And if you still want to get a better look at the Xavier experience, a popular way for a prospective student to experience the school and the community is going on a “shadow day,” and these are still happening in a reduced time frame during the morning and afternoons every day.
Wrote one visitor to the school this past: “Thank you for allowing me to do a shadow day at the school to see what the classes and the community were like. Everyone was very nice and made me feel welcome. Hopefully I will be able to become part of the Xavier community next year.”
The school remains vibrant, creating new ways to do things if that is what it takes.
Teachers have both in-person and online students. Each classroom is set up with laptops up front, as teachers are able to accommodate those learning in school or from their home.
“Everyone has to be a lot more flexible,” English teacher Kelly Summa said.
Xavier still holds monthly Masses with a limited number of students in the gym as they are livestreamed into the classrooms. The National Honor Society inductions as well as inductions into all the other honor societies that exist at Xavier, honoring hundreds of students, were virtual, with a small group in the school in attendance.
There is no 11-on-11 football, but Xavier is playing the 7-on-7 game. The cross country and soccer seasons, while abbreviated, are going on. The Falcons just finished their regular season in cross country unbeaten for the fifth consecutive season. The crew and sailing teams could not compete this fall but have been practicing for the spring season.
Various clubs are meeting, some virtually. The robotics team is getting prepared for virtual competition. The ping pong club took its table outside; the band practiced in the back parking lot.
The Advancement Office just launched an online drive to raise $100,000 for financial aid, even more crucial now during these COVID-19 times. Anyone interested in helping to support the drive can also visit XavierHighSchool.org
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Where there is a need, there is a Xavier student.
The Ryken Service Society is conducting its yearly drive for cranberry sauce and gravy to help those less fortunate.
Some things cannot be virtual.