Students will return to school in person at St. Mary’s School in Bloomington on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Principal Kelly Copsey told the Wisconsin Catholic Tribune.

The school will take advantage of its small student body to safeguard students and staff from COVID-19.

“We are a very small school with eight kids max in a classroom,” Copsey told the Wisconsin Catholic Tribune. “Staff and students over 5 will be wearing face coverings. We will be practicing social distancing.”

All high-touch areas will be disinfected regularly and the facility cleaned nightly. Emphasis will be put on proper hygiene, with hand-washing and sanitizing stations being set up.

“Most of our families are ready to be back to school in person with the recommended precautions,” Copsey said.

The St. Mary's 3K Learning Program will also begin on Sept. 1. It’s a non-faith-based program open to all children in local communities, designed to help with language development, social skills and academic awareness, the school’s Facebook page reported.

The school uses standards-based instruction so that students will learn and demonstrate their proficiency with concepts, skills and standards in the curriculum, the St. Mary’s website said. That includes art, language arts, math, music, physical education, reading, religion, science and social studies. Grades are achievement-based, with a separate report made to explain a child’s behavior.

The small class sizes enable teachers to give each child more time in practicing a skill.

St. Mary’s supplies parents with information quarterly with details to help their children progress and grow.

The school for children starting in 4-year-old kindergarten through eighth grade is taught in combined classes. The 4-year-olds are in one class, with 5K and first grade in another class. Third and fourth graders are taught in the same class, with two teachers instructing grades five to eight.

Registration/picture day will be held Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 3 p.m.

Supplies listed on the school’s website can be dropped off at St. Mary’s at 531 Congress St. in Bloomington, during the last week of August from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Most students will be required to bring sanitizing wipes to school.

The school is accredited by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Association.