The Finan Group at Morgan Stanley
(l to r): Robert Finan, CRPC,® Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor;
Carolyn Holliday, Client Service Associate;
Anthony Lafonte, CRPC,® Associate Vice President, Financial Advisor;
Beth Punzi, Wealth Management Associate
Unconventional Times call for
Unconventional Strategies.
advisor.morganstanley.com/the-finan-wealthmanagement
TheJournalNJ.com | MAY 2020 31
Mater Dei Prep
Reaches Students
Virtually by Working
Together
Are You Prepared
for Retirement?
Please visit our website for Robert Finan’s
article titled:
Retirement Savings Going to Last?
Five Things You Need to Know.
group
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CRC 3022438 04/20 CS 9827661 04/20
Any change is hard. But drastic, forced change – like the kind students
across the state and much of the nation experienced recently
Teamwork, quick thinking, cooperation and preparedness allowed
Mater Dei Prep (MDP) to implement online learning for students and faculty
with relative ease once Gov. Phil Murphy closed schools in the face of
a global pandemic.
The school’s online learning plan quickly came together with the
help of administrators and numerous faculty members.
“Our teachers spent four days putting together a process and plan to
ease the transition from in-school learning to virtual learning,” said MDP
Head of Advancement Jen DeBiase. “With the time constraint that was
thrown at them, they navigated beautifully through the process and did
not skip a beat.”
The school’s goal is to maintain as much normalcy as possible during
this time and promote open communication with its community regarding
the virtual learning process.
MDP utilizes its existing PowerSchool accounts to post materials,
communicate directly with students, administer exams and track attendance
and grades. A majority of the faculty uses Microsoft Teams and
Zoom video conferencing software to replicate the classroom structure,
allowing teachers and students to maintain the face-to-face learning experience.
The school also encourages student involvement through direct
emailing and continuous updating through numerous digital platforms,
including social media.
“There are a lot of positives about virtual learning,” said longtime
history teacher Michael Bonelli. “I think it’s fostering a new sense of responsibility
in some students who are now hyper-aware that they have to
be online at a certain time, as well as getting their work in on time.”
Religion teacher Bryan Scotton added, “I’m amazed at the resilience
of many students during this transition. Although face-to-face classroom
instruction can never be replaced, my students have been on top of their
work.”
Home isn’t the classroom, though, and some students may need the
occasional nudge to stay on track. Bonelli said the students are doing a
great job supporting one another.
“I’ve also seen kids in my classes making sure that classmates are
online once the meeting starts,” he said. “To see them picking each other
up is nice.”
abrupt switch to virtual classrooms. “Online learning has forced me to
better my time management skills,” said senior Peter Gorman, who plans
to use those improved skills in college this fall.
Student engagement and learning isn’t the only factor in the success
of online learning; teacher positivity is a crucial aspect of the process.
“My co-workers have all adapted so well and have been so helpful.
There is still a sense of community amidst our isolation,” said Scotton. “It
is interesting that so many students miss the interactive aspect of school.
Perhaps upon our return, we will appreciate our community even more!”
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