Students at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy can return to the classroom five days a week, if families choose.
The school along Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall is giving families the option of full-time in-person instruction or online learning from home, director of marketing Katie Lovett said.
Either way, students will have an extra week to prepare for school.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh has pushed the opening day from Aug. 27 to Sept. 8 for elementary schools; high school plans remain on schedule.
The move is meant to give teachers more time to plan for covid-19 protocols, director of Catholic schools Michelle Peduto said.
“We’ve been planning for something that nobody has all the answers for at the moment,” she said.
Lovett said school administration and staff have spent the summer trying to keep up with ever-changing guidelines.
Enrollment at the school along Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall is at 180 students.
Lovett said about 20% have opted for remote learning, and the majority of families have said they plan to return to the building five days a week.
Enrollment is about steady with 2019-20 numbers, she said.
Peduto said the first-day postponement will give teachers time to prepare classrooms, practice safety protocols and test systems for distance-learning.
“We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable, confident and supported as we welcome our students back to school,” she said.
Daily temperature readings will be required for students, teachers and staff; school buildings will be disinfected regularly and a mask policy will be in place.
There will be a limited number of visitors and volunteers permitted.
