Back-to-school tips for Catholic students, families
Autumn is right around the corner, and with the turn of the seasons comes another annual milestone. Children across the country will begin going back to school in late August and early September. The Archdiocese of Newark office of Schools has been enthusiastically preparing for the start of its new school year.
“We are delighted to welcome back our returning Catholic school families, as well as those who are joining our school communities for the first time. Our administrators and educators have been eagerly preparing for the new school year and working hard to ensure a safe reopening of schools for students, their families, and staff members,” said Barbara Dolan, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark.
As families prepare students to head back to school here are six helpful back-to-school tips to keep in mind:
1. Create a bedtime routine — During the summer, your family’s routine most likely changed due to longer days, late-night gatherings, or family vacations that alter children’s sleep schedules. Now that your child is heading back to school, set up a bedtime routine. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children ages 6 to 12 require nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, and teens require eight to 10 hours of sleep to maximize health, wellness, and academic performance. Establish a bedtime routine sooner rather than later before school starts and keep it consistent. It will take two to three weeks to adjust to a new bedtime schedule.
2. Read with your child — According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, literacy is important to help children develop social-emotional-language skills and to promote healthy brain development. Students will read new books with their teachers, but also encourage them to read independently. Consider a family trip to the public library and encourage your child to read one new book per week. Reading also can be a part of your child’s bedtime routine and as an important way to learn more about our Catholic faith. Religious books, Bible stories, and books about the lives of saints can help to integrate faith into their education.
According to the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: “The family, is so to speak, the domestic church.” Click here to view the Archdiocese’s resources for children, youth, and schools to begin building your child’s Catholic library, or visit the USCCB’s website for “Tools For Building a Domestic Church.”
3. Spend time together — Another great opportunity to incorporate a prayer routine into your child’s life is family mealtime. No matter how busy schedules become, make it a priority to spend time and meals together, as it will inspire talking to one other about the day’s events. Try to eat together a few nights a week or during the weekend if you cannot eat together every night. According to Harvard University’s Family Dinner Project, eating meals as a family benefits your child emotionally, psychologically, and academically.
There are plenty of other opportunities throughout the week and weekend to spend time together, either by relaxing together at home or enjoying family hobbies together. You can also make quality time out of your errands and chores. Mundane tasks such as grocery shopping, meal prep, or dropping off the mail at the post office can easily be transformed into parent-child quality time.
4. Attend Mass weekly — Between school, sports, and other extracurricular events, you may find that your family is stretched for time on the weekends. However, it is important to make time for Mass for you and your child. The prayers and Gospel readings at Mass each week will help to reinforce the lessons your child is learning in Catholic school. As you discuss the Gospel readings and homilies from the Mass with your child, they will learn about important coping skills and moral lessons that can be applied to real life situations on the playground and in the classroom. More than any other incentive, keeping the Sabbath holy and spending an hour celebrating our faith during Mass is the greatest spiritual gift you can give to your child.
5. Pray together — “Families face incredible challenges each day. The beginning of the new school year provides families with a great opportunity to incorporate faith and prayer into daily family routine as we prepare and plan for the first day of class. Prayer-centered living brings peace and joy to our hearts, our homes, and our schools!” said Joanne DePasquale-Parent, the Associate Director of Adult and Family Faith Formation at the Archdiocese of Newark.
As your child goes back to school, you should take time to pray together for their success. Establishing a prayer routine with your child will help them become comfortable with talking to God and teach them that He is always there for them. In times of stress or trouble, your child will know the vital role of prayer. Prayer also helps bond families in their faith journeys.
“One of the ways that helps our family to pray together and to keep God in focus throughout the school year is to pray on the way to school in the car. We begin each school day thanking God for the new day and asking His blessing on us, the school, the teachers, the principal, and the school community. This helps us to be calm and mindful of God’s presence with us as we face the joys and challenges of each day,” DePasquale-Parent said.
6. Attend events at your local parish — According to the RAND Center for Social and Emotional Learning Research, social-emotional learning is just as important for your child as academic learning. Research has correlated social-emotional learning with “participation in postsecondary education, success in the workforce, civic engagement, and personal well-being.”
While school provides many great social opportunities, it is important for children to be exposed to a variety of social settings and extracurricular opportunities. Your local parish provides a variety of events for families and youth groups that foster community and social interaction. Make sure to check out your local parish’s religious education programs (formerly known as CCD), Children’s Liturgy of the Word, and Youth Ministry programs.
Some final advice…
Heading back to school can be as equally stressful as it is exciting. Remember to enjoy this time in your child’s life and encourage them to do their best, make friends, and, of course, have fun.
“We are excited about the new school year and our Catholic schools have many community-building events planned for students and families in the upcoming months,” said Dolan. “My advice to our Catholic school families is to stay connected with their school communities and to remind their children of all the positive aspects of returning to school such as reconnecting with friends, learning new content and skills, and re-engaging with school activities.”
Featured image: It’s back-to-school time for Catholic school students throughout the Archdiocese of Newark. (AdobeStock)
