By Leisa Schulz
Catholic school education places an emphasis on the school as community — an educational community of persons and a genuine community of faith. Catholic schools should do everything they can to promote genuine trust and collaboration among teachers, with parents as the primary educators of their children, to foster appreciation of different gifts that build up a learning faith community and strengthen academic excellence.
Let’s work together to ensure we are providing the guidance and support our students need to be the individuals God intends them to be.
A recent poll from Very Well Family indicates the following “top 10” social issues teens struggle with today — depression, bullying, sexual activity, drugs, alcohol use, obesity, academic problems, peer pressure, social media and on-screen violence. The poll also emphasizes that technology has “changed or amplified” these struggles. Our students, teachers, and parents are well aware of these concerns.
During the 2019-20 school year our nine Catholic high schools and 40 Catholic elementary schools are partnering with the Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Catholic Schools, Family Ministries, Faith Formation and Youth and Young Adults to offer a series of educator and parent sessions on these topics.
We invite parents to attend these sessions to gain insights, network with other parents, and strengthen their skills to nurture and support their children:
‘Instagram ate my daughter and my son won’t stop playing Fortnite: What parents need to know to improve the odds for their children’
Dr. Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, will present this program on Sept. 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Mercy Academy. Dr. Sax, author of several books including “The Collapse of Parenting,” will discuss what parents need to know about social media tools such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Dr. Sax will also empower parents with evidence-based guidelines for best practices in parenting, how best to respond when their children experience disappointment, and what parents can do to help improve the odds for their children.
‘What teens want you to know and won’t tell you’
Dr. Roy Petitfils, noted author and clinical psychologist, will present this program on Jan. 29, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St. Xavier High School. Dr. Petitfils’ latest book is “Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.”