Seeds of hope, an  oasis of opportunities

Their world has been rocked. Their lives have been turned upside down. Their connections and encounters, with others, have been robbed by debilitating isolation. Their feelings of community have been shattered. Their sense of time distorted. Their minds and hearts are fraught with the unknown and frequent despair. This is the immediate world our youth struggle and attempt to navigate through during the ever-looming pandemic crisis. Still, they yearn for a different reality. Though the anxiety and loneliness rages on, they embrace that tiny but ever-critical glimmer of hope. Perhaps it is the hope that Pope Francis speaks of: “Let us never set conditions for God; let us instead allow hope to conquer our fears.” 

Social and Emotional Learning 
Spurred by the love for our students and our mission to nurture the whole child, our Catholic schools have adopted the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Program entitled “Friendzy.” This comprehensive program, predicated on educational research and a biblical base, rich in scripture, helps us form each child. Students in Pre-K-3 to grade 8 will develop core competencies, including: 

• Developing social awareness 
• Forming healthy and rewarding relationships
• Respecting all humanity and perceiving others as gifts  from God
• Making critical and responsible decisions 
• Managing personal emotions and behaviors
• Demonstrating empathy for others

This program offers a guide to achieving supportive classrooms and improving outcomes for youth. While the program offers strategies, it is our loving teachers who face the daunting challenge to make a difference in the lives of each child. School staff, working in partnership with parents, help our youth to cope, overcome and thrive in an uncertain world. Students with reduced stress levels and improved academic performance emerge. Thus, we see resilient and supported students, eager to take their place in our vast and global society. 

Safe Schools Alert
Our Catholic schools are valued for their safe and secure Christ-centered environments and robust academic programs. As part of this ongoing commitment to safety, we strive to maintain clear and frequent lines of communication and to respond, in a timely manner, to any presenting issue. The SafeSchools Alert platform enables safety tip reporting by students, staff and parents. School communities may report tips on bullying, drugs, harassment, vandalism, threat of violence or any safety issue to school administrators to prevent escalating issues. Our goal is to provide timely assistance, help and support to all those in need. 

Emergency Management Plan
Based on a strategic framework, each school developed an Emergency Management Plan for the school community. Hazard-specific information prescribed in the plan is intended to reduce the effects of natural, accidental or malicious incidents affecting infrastructure, safety, security and health. Such a plan provides direction during emergencies such as a bomb threat, fire explosion, suicide danger, serious injury, threats of violence, hurricane watch, emergency drills, hostage situations, etc. Planning of this nature requires a focus on mitigating hazards and vulnerabilities matched by a love for students.

Standard Response Protocol 
 Safe and secure communities require a well-planned and regularly practiced school response to a potential incident. A well-communicated procedure and common vocabulary provide a uniform classroom response regarding weather events, fires, accidents, intruders, and other threats to student safety. This system helps to fortify our readiness to navigate through crises with knowledge and confidence. All this, and more, are essential to maintain a caring school culture for those entrusted to our safe-keeping. 

Charting our Future Through COVID-19
Although the global pandemic explodes with a toll of epic proportions, health and safety issues must be met with rigorous, comprehensive planning and the implementation of safety best practices. Thus, the Office of Catholic Schools crafted a comprehensive guide for all COVID-19 related topics to safeguard the safety, health and well-being for our students. The framework provides guidance in Catholic identity, student health/safety, educational models, school operations, communication and technology. This resource is supported by our myriad of partnerships with national, state and regional medical, health, educational and governmental agencies. Creating a landscape of safety for our students and staff is our highest priority. 

Mental Health Counseling
Our youth wrestle with anxiety, confusion, depression and fear during uncertain times. Individual and group counseling sessions help our youth cope with stress related issues and build a bridge of self-awareness, confidence and new ways of expression. The Office of Catholic Schools has coordinated a mental health and wellness program. The services are provided by licensed and experienced counselors and therapists. Services are available to students in need and to parents choosing this optional program for their children. Working together with parents, teachers and administrators, we help our students transition from feelings of overwhelmingness and hopelessness to peaceful contentment and emotional comfort. Students’ mental health and wellness are key factors in achievement and success in school and in life. 

An Education for a Lifetime
The schools that succeed post-pandemic and beyond are likely the ones that pledge a high priority to safety practices, mental and psychological health and well-being, while ensuring accountability with policy and practice. Effective and life-changing educational programs will provide an environment illumined with the light of faith and foster a deep love for wisdom and truth. Our students deserve nothing less. 

While planning and engagement are vital, we must never lose sight that our greatest successes come from relying on our faith to find firm and sure footing. Let us recall Romans 8:28, where we are reminded that “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” In our world, menaced with erratic and shifting terrain, we must be ever aware that God is in control.

Ultimately, these important health and safety programs support a caring, loving safe school culture where every child is nurtured and celebrated for his/her unique gifts. Our students are formed in mind, body and spirit. Their minds and hearts are ready to explore the great oasis of opportunities. A Catholic school experience impacts the trajectory of one’s life in a positive, powerful way. Catholic education inspires our students to believe that hope opens new horizons, making each of them capable of dreaming what is not even imaginable. These seeds of hope light their fire to learn, lead, love, pray, serve, and succeed.