DFR Catholic Schools for You

Individually, our schools were able to identify students who did not have a device at home. Therefore, a Chromebook was immediately made available to any student who needed a device so they could continue with remote learning and not miss any class time.

While our schools provide students with faith and academic formation, they also serve as a family by providing a strong sense of community. With the “shelter in place” restrictions, our students and families quickly realized how much they missed their “family”. Our students remained engaged and looked forward to the structure their online classes provided. Thus, our students actively participated in their online classes, Zoom meetings, prayer services, and other fun activities. The schools who have reported their attendance indicate a 90 – 99% attendance rate since March 16, 2020.

The Diocese of Fall River Catholic schools are committed to providing students with the highest quality education at a reasonable price. We work diligently to meet the financial need of every qualified student and attempt to ensure that no qualified student is denied a Catholic education for lack of financial resources. The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) has been providing needs-based scholarships for our K – Grade 8 students for over 25 years. Over $1.2 million was awarded to more than 900 K – Grade 8 students for the 2019-20 school year. Each of our four high schools work with families to identify scholarships and grants that can assist with the cost of tuition. Families are encouraged to have a discussion with each principal who can assist with financial aid.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be Catholic to benefit from the higher academic standards available through Catholic schools. In fact, many of our students are not Catholic and, nationally, almost 20% of students are not Catholic (NCEA). No matter your area of interest, grade level, or economic background, at the Diocese of Fall River Catholic schools, We Have a Place for You.

Our schools have re-opened and students are so happy to be a part of the school community again! While this year's "Back to School" is completely new, students and teachers are acclimating to the protocols that will help keep everyone safe. The overall majority of students have returned to in-person learning; however, families with health concerns are able to enjoy the school community remotely via livestream technology.

Many parents grapple with the “summer slide” as their children return to school in the fall and require time to review concepts learned the prior academic year. With the unprecedented early closing of all school buildings in March, rather than June, researchers are trying to understand if three months of remote learning prior to the summer break will increase the learning gap when students return in the fall. A recent white paper by the Collaborative for Student Growth provides an introduction into the COVID-19 slide as well as some projections for what educators can expect. Preliminary COVID slide estimates suggest that students will return in the fall of 2020 with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical year. These gains drop to 50% in mathematics, and in some grades, close to a full year behind what would be observed in normal conditions (Kuhfeld, April 2020).