BACK TO SCHOOL

Mount St. Charles returns to in-person classes

WOONSOCKET – The ringing of a tradition-steeped bell above the Logee Street campus of Mount St. Charles Academy signaled the start of a new school year Monday and one like no other for the Brothers of the Sacred Heart operated private school.

The bell in the tower of the old Mount gymnasium, now the school’s theater and performing arts center, is rung to welcome an incoming class of Mounties and also to signal the school’s farewell when they arrive at graduation after their senior year.

As Mount President Alan Tenreiro also pointed out on Monday, it has also been rung to mark important moments in history such as the end of World War II.

“We are welcoming all our new students in grades 6 to 12, and today they will being hearing the bell for the first time,” Tenreiro said while explaining the school’s traditional opening of school ceremony – this year held outside the school new gym with everyone wearing protective face masks as required under the school’s COVID-19 pandemic safety policies.

Mount is one of the first schools to start up with in person classes after all the state’s schools ended the past school year in distance learning online as a preventative measure aimed at stopping the spread of COVID -19.

R.I. public schools are gearing up for their own reopening on Sept. 14 but what that will look like is still being finalized.

Mount, however, opted to pursue a partial in-person and distance learning set-up as it prepared for the new school year this summer, and the results of that planning will be seen this week as half of the school’s student body start their in-person classes under the blue cohort

Photos by Joseph B. Nadeau A group of Mount Saint Charles Academy students were wearing their protective masks as they arrived to help out with Monday’s new student orientation program. From left are Sophie Staelen of North Smithfield, Tailia Fernandez of Cumberland, Lauren Vito of Grafton, Kelsey Alves of North Smithfield, Sydney Senerchia of Smithfield and Binta Marong of Pawtucket.

Mount science teacher and middle school director Paulette Metivier was happy to have students back at school.