Business Connections for Spring 2021

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 4 Spring 2021 In addition, Saints Peter and Paul School operates under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocesan School Offices in Kansas City, Kansas, and is a member of the National Catholic Education Association. Both academic and spiritual goals are reflected in the school’s mission statement, which reads, “We, the students, families, and staff of Saints Peter and Paul School, unite in the pursuit of a personal relationship with Christ. With a positive attitude, successful learning experiences, and respect for all persons and their cultures, we accept the responsibility and challenge of life-long learning. Together we will work to enable one another to become literate, independent, communicative, responsible, problem-solving adults with Christian attitudes and beliefs to guide us in our decisions through life, so that we can become healthy, active, successful citizens of our commu- nities and churches.” Adapting to the Pandemic Meeting these goals became more challenging when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Like schools across the nation, Saints Peter and Paul School had to quickly adapt to virtual learning. Principal Todd Leonard said, “The State of Kansas mandated the closing of the school from mid-March through May, so the fourth quarter of last school year was all done remotely by our students. Our teachers, however, would come to school to prepare lessons and send them out to our families. Initially, there were a number of challenges, so we made adjustments where needed. We’re real fortunate to have staff, parents, and students who have been flexible and open to change.” The 2020-2021 school year has been an entirely in-person learning environment, but precautions are being taken. “We Saints Peter and Paul School is a private, Catholic school located at 409 Elk Street in Seneca. It has about 230 students in grades PK and K-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. The school is accredited by the State of Kansas as well as by Cognia (formerly known as AdvancEd), a nonprofit focused on improving educational opportunities for all learners. Teachers, students, and parents rose to the challenge of the pandemic Saints Peter and Paul School