Dear Families,

During the 2020-2021 school year many members of our school community faced high levels of stress and personal and professional loss, as a result Covid-19.  The Office of the Superintendent ~ Catholic Support Services is providing a summer support initiative, which will look at the issues associated with the impact of Covid-19 throughout the Diocese, geared towards each member of our Diocesan school community.

The social-emotional learning team at Generation Ready has developed a series of interactive webinars, to support families in making the transition from the Covid-19 pandemic to the world’s new normal.

Two offerings will be provided over the summer.  The first interactive webinar, Personal Wellness—Your Healthiest Self will identify and discuss the general challenges that many of us have had to face this year such as the potential for stress and burnout, and possibly a sense of loss or family difficulties this year.

This session will be confidential, anonymous and allow you time to talk about your experiences, or to simply listen.

This group will be aimed at assisting you to identify and be aware of your own personal vulnerabilities, and compassion fatigue (which you can develop from a combination of burnout and trauma). 

As a result of the very stressful year we have just been through we will examine how we can rebuild our own emotional fitness:

The group will provide you with strategies to achieve more balance, by maintaining and enhancing the attention you pay to the different areas of your own life in a way that makes sense to you.

This single virtual session will be offered in English on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 9am—10:45am; and repeated in Spanish on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, from 3pm—4:45pm.

The second webinar, Supporting your Child Post Covid 19 will be a small welcoming environment that will be confidential, anonymous, and interactive, to allow for you to talk about your experiences, or to simply listen to different scenarios and strategies that could support you. During this virtual session we will focus on ways that you can support your child as a result of the trauma that they have encountered this year as a result of Covid 19.

We have all been forced to adapt this year to the evolving changes in daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our home and schools have had to change their practices which has caused a lot of disruption to our children’s daily routines and lives. As parents and caregivers, we are faced with helping to our children to adjust to the new normal.

This session will focus on the signs to look for in our children and strategies to keep our children feeling safe, and secure. This year has been a challenge for many of them to retain a sense of control and it is important for us to reassure them that they are okay, and that the situation will get better. Children look to us for guidance on how to react to stressful events. This session will provide you with strategies to talk to your child about their fears, and strategies to help them reduce their anxiety. It will discuss problem-solving, flexibility, and compassion as we all work through adjusting daily schedules, and other activities, and connecting with friends and family members in new ways.

Your child’s mental well-being is important, and we will discuss warning signs as well as valuable free resources to support you and your child based on their needs.

This single virtual session will be offered in English on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, from 6pm—7:45pm; and repeated in Spanish on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, from 6pm—7:45pm.

To register for any of the above sessions, please use the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7T3J8GP

Please register by Friday, July 9, 2021

In Christ,

Thomas Chadzutko

Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

May the Peace of Christ be with you

Please fill out this Federal Government Survey to receive free devices for your children and a free hot spot for your home. The survey has 8 questions and must be completed by July 15, 2021. Please find the link posted below.

Count every child in your home when answering the questions and remember to order a ‘hot spot device’ for your home. The hot spot is a device that will help connect with all the devices in your home. 

These devices are free to any family that completes the survey.

Families are asked to complete this 8-question survey by July 15, 2021.  

English Version

https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/HVCNjC

Se pide a las familias que completen esta encuesta de 8 preguntas antes del 15 de julio de 2021

Spanish Version

https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/ZYCs0H

Blessings,

Mrs. Freebes, Principal

Dear Families,

As parents and guardians, you are tasked with making decisions which will help nurture your child and keep them safe.  Being a parent is the most difficult and rewarding job. Over the past year, the stress and anxiety that comes with parenting has been amplified in the face of a global pandemic, health concerns, and unrest within our society. During a bleak time, you have continued to act as beacons for your children in guiding them along the path of Christ. Your support of your children, our schools, and our communities have made this year possible. I am grateful for all you have done and continue, to do to provide your children with a Catholic education.

It is an honor to have our Catholic Academies and Parish Schools entrusted, not only with the care and education of your child, but in the development of their faith. Our shared faith, especially during this past year, has provided us the strength and comfort needed to forge even the most difficult paths. The children are blessed not only to develop their faith within the school community but to learn firsthand from their families and parents. Despite the pandemic, parents still made the effort to engage with their children in their religious education, pray at home, attend liturgy, and safely participate in community events. Your children benefit tremendously from each of these experiences. 

Our school communities are blessed to be filled with families who supported staff, teachers, and students, as they made the leap to reopening in the fall. There have been many changes in the way students have learned over the course of the year, in-person, hybrid, remote, but parents have not wavered in helping their students achieve. Parents were also quick to share words of encouragement and appreciation for teachers, staff, and administrators, knowing that they were doing everything in their power to create the best possible learning environment. Parents supported schools through fundraising and direct support of other families in need. Through the generosity of Diocesan families, we were able to provide extra PPE, hand sanitizer, and even more scholarships, to aid families during this challenging time.

Parents and families helped make this year a success not only in your guidance in faith and support of schools, but in your efforts to be a positive example for your child. It has been extremely difficult to stay positive over the past year and even more so as you work to provide a somewhat “normal” experience for your child. We have said over the past year that “children are resilient” and indeed they have been, but we owe a large thanks to families who have provided the foundation for these children to cope with difficult times. By encouraging your child, preparing them for difficult situations, and giving them the tools to understand their emotions, you have enabled them to work through an incredibly challenging year. 

At the close of a tumultuous school year, it is my hope that you will be able to enjoy some time with family. Take time to pray together and embrace the peace that comes from building your relationship with God. I wish you good health, happiness, and minimal stress through the summer. We look forward to our time together in the fall.

In Christ,

Thomas Chadzutko

Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D.

May 2021

Student of the Month

Conduct

School Year Reflections for Families