DeSales Helps Students Learn from Home

Lockport NY- In March, students at DeSales Catholic School and throughout the community had to adjust to learning from home. While DeSales Principal Karen Rahill is proud of how her teachers and students quickly adapted to distance learning, she also recognizes that this way of learning presented challenges to families as kitchens and living rooms became remote classrooms.  “With many parents having to work remotely, we recognized immediately the need to create a learning space for our students at home.”  The team at DeSales quickly sprang into action pulling old desks and chairs from storage to offer to families via social media. “The response has been great.  We are getting a lot of pictures of the desks set up in children’s homes. It is wonderful to see them used and helping children in our community.  I hope it has eased the burden on both parents and students.”   

Pictured:  DeSales Student, Harper Theil does her schoolwork at one of the desks from DeSales.

Year End Celebrations at DeSales

The Class of 2020 at DeSales Catholic School will commemorate the end of elementary school with a Graduation Ceremony on June 25^th.  While the ceremony will be rich in tradition it will look different amidst the ongoing pandemic.  This year’s graduation will be held in the side yard of DeSales with students and their immediate family in cars. This graduation will be filled with tradition, family and faith for the students and their families.   A production of the ceremony will be shown at a later date on LCTV.

Graduation gowns and gifts were delivered to each students by their teachers on Friday, June 12, 2020.  These gifts bags also contained custom face masks, hand clappers and a window marker for students to decorate their cars.   Graduation will kick off with a Zoom Award ceremony.  Breakfast will be delivered to each of the students homes for the morning time ceremony.  Class of 2020 Salutatorian Alexia Kilroy, the daughter of Brooke and the late Mark Kilroy, will address her classmates via Zoom at the virtual breakfast.  When asked what she would speak about, Alexia reflectively summed up her years at DeSales “I am so thankful for my time at DeSales.  With its warm, welcoming, family, and open atmosphere, I always felt at home and loved.  The teachers, administration, staff and community taught me how to be a young adult, and so many life lessons that I will always remember, and take on my journey in the future.” Alexia will attend Lockport High School in September. 

The top scholar in the Class of 2020 is Sydney Mosher the daughter Bernie and Heather Mosher of Lockport. While considering what she will touch on in her Valedictory Address, Sydney said “My speech will reflect on the journey that has brought us to this day.  We have shared so many memories together. “Sydney will attend the Academy of Sacred Heart in the fall.  

The Graduation Mass guest speaker will be DeSales Catholic School alumna, Ms. Caroline Woods, DeSales Catholic School Class of ’97. Caroline is NYC based and is a Business Reporter/Anchor for CNN.  

     Principal Karen Rahill reflected on the current class of DeSales’ eighth graders, “It has been a pleasure watching the academic and athletic accomplishments of our 8^th grade class this year.  They are ready, willing and more than able to continue their journey as high school students.  I am incredibly proud of everything that they have accomplished at DeSales and wish them happiness and success in all that they do.”

The twenty one members of the DeSales Class of 2020 will move on to success in public and private high schools across the region, including Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, Cardinal O’Hara, Lockport High School, Canisius High School, Newfane, Mount St. Mary Academy, , St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, and Niagara Wheatfield High School.  

DeSales is Eastern Niagara County’s only Catholic School, serving over 300 students in Early Childhood Education through Eighth grade.  For more information call (716) 433-6422 or visit www.desalescatholicschool.org.

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