The following blog was contributed by Clare Kilbane, Ph.D., a faculty member at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. Follow her on Twitter @ClareRKilbane

The scientific evidence is clear that wearing face masks reduces the transmission of COVID-19. However, there continues to be a lot of social controversy about wearing them. Although face masks are small things, they raise big questions. One question we benefit from considering is if, in a Catholic context, wearing face masks is humanizing or dehumanizing? The answer is both! In the coming months, Catholic school educators will help their students if they demonstrate how to approach mask-wearing with creativity and offset feelings of dehumanization. If they embrace the pandemic health precautions as a “teachable moment,” these leaders will allow their students to gain a powerful lesson about solidarity and also develop virtue.

Wearing face masks as humanizing

In theological terms, an action is humanizing when it allows us to more fully develop the potential of becoming who God has created us to be. If we accept that human beings are created to be in loving relationships with God and one another and if we recognize that virtue aids this, then wearing masks is an exercise that is very humanizing. Rather than wearing a mask to simply adhere to school rules, Catholic school students can be encouraged to wear a mask to practice solidarity and develop the virtues of kindness, charity, and temperance.

Wearing a face mask is kind and also an act of charity to others

It helps a student to hear that while very few people like to wear masks, doing so is more tolerable when we acknowledge it as an act of care for others. Wearing a mask, much like other personal sacrifices (e.g., sharing one’s belongings or using good table manners) is a personal choice to respect other people and honor their dignity. When students wear a mask, they should feel good about performing an act of charity. And when students see their classmates wearing masks to protect them, they can be reminded that they are valued. Further, all students can be reminded that even though every community member will appreciate the good choices they make about health practices, those who are most vulnerable will benefit the most. For some students, especially those who live with elders or are close to people with preexisting health conditions, it is critically important to reduce their risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. Other students, those who suffer from anxiety, will benefit from a greater sense of well-being when everyone is wearing masks and exercising extra caution.

Wearing a face mask develops temperance

Scientific research to date indicates that masks must be worn consistently and correctly by all community members for the most effective protection. This means that self-restraint or temperance must be developed both individually (i.e., by each student) and collectively (i.e., uniformly across a community). When a student’s temperance waivers (as is predictable, because it will develop only gradually), it may help him or her to be made aware of and contemplate a unique aspect of the virtue, namely its “transferability” or value in all aspects of a person’s life. The teacher might explain how a student who develops self-restraint will benefit from it in all situations, such as when studying, (e.g., it helps fend off distraction), learning a musical instrument (e.g., it promotes regular practice), participating in a sport (e.g., it leads to better sportsmanship), or building the habit of prayer (e.g., it enables greater growth). Developing temperance is like building muscle strength—the more we practice the virtue, the stronger it becomes.

Wearing a face mask promotes solidarity

School-aged children are, quite naturally (due to their developmental stages), focused primarily on their own needs, rather than those of others. To succeed in life and flourish, a student benefits from knowing the truth—that they have been created by God for relationship and all of creation, including human communities, is necessarily interdependent.  The news headlines offer ample, irrefutable evidence that all members of the human family are inextricably linked, as Catholic social doctrine teaches. As long as some members of the community suffer, we all suffer.  And if some in our community are unprotected, we all are unprotected. Many current events, including the Covid-19 pandemic, illuminate our universal needs and humanity’s common destiny. Solidarity is about recognizing others as our brothers and sisters and working together for the common good. When embracing this truth in the midst of difficult times, school community members will find that joy is derived through solidarity and an active union with others. 

Wearing face masks as dehumanizing

Many sociologists predict that the Covid-19 pandemic will result in a significant, permanent decline in genial interactions among people in public spaces.  Although this is possible, it need not be so. Physical distancing undeniably impacts our social interactions, but only unravels the social fabric if we allow it. It will help us if we adjust our understanding of what pro-social behaviors are. For example, when a person is in public and avoids others to protect someone else this need not be interpreted as rude or unfriendly. We must learn to adjust and recognize it will take extra effort for everyone to remain close at a distance. Remembering to smile with one’s eyes and wave in greeting when moving to create a safe distance is important. Thoughtfully modifying one’s actions makes it possible to balance social connection and also the community’s physical health.

If one accepts, as Catholics do, that a person’s body is essential to his or her identity as an ensouled creature, it explains why wearing a face mask feels so unnatural. The stifling feeling we experience when our breathing is obstructed, the frustration that arises when we attempt to communicate using muffled speech, and the alienation we feel when we cannot easily read the facial expressions of our loved ones and friends, are all evidence that our physical experiences are an integrated part of our identity. The very same practices that allow us to exercise our care for others radically subvert our accustomed sense of humanness.

In difficult times, it is easy to feel powerless and focus only on the feelings associated with our physical, material experience. Yet Christians must challenge themselves to acknowledge the whole of reality. We are more than our bodies and feelings—we are created in God’s image and have the potential for love. Therefore, wearing a mask is only as dehumanizing as we allow it to be. By engaging creativity, a divine gift we share with the Creator, Catholic school teachers and leaders can adjust and adapt to the new conditions of practice and assist their students to grow in the ability to love as God does.

Here are some creative suggestions, or “workarounds,” that may off-set the dehumanizing feelings students often experience when wearing a face mask and help allow them to grow in their connections to and care for one another:

Supplement and augment support for “seeing” and connecting with classmates

The appearance of a person’s body (especially his or her facial expressions) is an important aspect of identity. It is often the first and most powerful mode for communication and a foundation for developing a relationship. A comforting smile can make a student feel welcome in a new place and initiate friendship. If a teacher can supplement ways for his or her students to “see” one another and get to know one anothers’ appearances, it will increase a sense of connection and develop a more cohesive classroom community. Mask-wearing need not preclude students from learning to visually distinguish between their classmates while wearing masks nor should it keep the students from getting to know what their classmates’ uncovered faces look like. Photographs taken without masks of the students, teachers, aides and other school personnel should be brought into a prominent display in the school building. They might even be displayed with the message, “My name is X and I care about my friends.” Where there are many new students and relationships, this will be especially helpful. Young learners might find it easiest to wear laminated photos on a lanyard, while older students might display them on their desk on a “name tent.” Their teacher could place his or her photo on a poster, coffee mug or t-shirt.

The students should also be encouraged to look beyond the masks in their classroom and learn to “see” one another as God does—as unique, beautiful, and irreplaceable people who are both body and soul.  The students would enjoy being coached to notice the other physical traits associated with their classmates, such as their posture, body language and eye color. Going even further, the teacher might emphasize that truly “seeing” others requires a concerted effort to explore their distinct character as it made evident in thoughts, values, talents, struggles and more. Students might be encouraged to pray for one another—bringing the intentions and needs of their classmates’  struggles to God. After so much isolation, opportunities for the students to get to know one another more fully, relate socially, and care for each other spiritually must be an acknowledged priority. 

Create alternative channels for the expression of emotion

Although we express ourselves with our entire bodies, everyone in the classroom will find it harder to communicate emotions with the obstruction of facial expressions due to masks. New ways of sharing feelings must be developed.  Our voices, though muffled, can be recognized as an even more important way of communicating ourselves, our sorrows and our joys. Students should be encouraged to speak directly and regularly with their teachers about their well-being. Although this important personal communication is best shared one-on-one and in an intimate, relational conversation, classroom settings do not often make this possible. To ensure it happens, a routine will need to be established. For example, young children may find it helpful to draw a face that communicates how they are feeling during the school day and display it on their desk. Older children will benefit from opportunities to give their teachers a quick emotional “status check” using methods such as hand signaling, journaling, or online polling. Procedures for how the students will express and get help with especially difficult emotions when they arise should always be in place. Given the unprecedented nature of the challenges many students may experience during the pandemic, creating a safe space where feelings are recognized and validated is of particular importance.

Expand methods for creating connection and welcome

Although children are more flexible and find it easier to adapt than adults, it should be expected that mask-wearing may negatively affect how comfortable students are welcoming others and being friendly. Whether greeting classmates from a safe social distance in a school hallway or crossing paths with staff on the playground, most students will feel encumbered as they engage with others. They will need to be encouraged that this is an important aspect of community and one they must intentionally work to preserve. The school community as a whole will benefit from the launch of an initiative to be even more welcoming and build a sense of connection and unity. For example, a plan might be developed to reward friendliness or a special, non-contact greeting (e.g., an eye wink or a special clap/snap pattern) could be developed for everyone to share. Such efforts allow the community to regain control over the impositions of the pandemic, reducing anxiety and increasing well-being.

As Catholics, we believe that our all-good and all-loving God does not cause pandemics or crises to happen, but draws good from them. Because God can write straight with crooked lines, there is nothing beyond the reach of his transforming love. Further, we believe God recognizes our dignity by allowing us to participate in bringing about this good. If Catholic leaders and teachers approach wearing face masks with creativity, they will find that their students and schools emerge from the crisis stronger for it.

The following blog was contributed by Philip Dujardin, a theology teacher at Matignon High School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Our daughters’ Catholic school was in a crisis. At one particular intense meeting, a priest assigned to hearing parent concerns made mention of a philosophy that is gaining popularity among Catholic leaders: Every school must financially support itself. Those that cannot will be forced to close. In short, our Catholic schools are now considered businesses, separate entities who will demonstrate their worth by their financial sustainability.

This sounds like a practical idea. People are willing to spend money on a service or product worth offering. Contributors demonstrate confidence by investing in businesses that will make a difference in people’s lives. Parishes and dioceses, freed from the obligation to support often struggling schools, would finally be able to focus their efforts on serving parishioners’ sacramental needs, church building maintenance, and other ministries that will sustain the Church into the future. Perhaps the school building itself could be rented to a local organization, perhaps even a charter school, that will provide consistent funds for the parish to make ends meet.

Despite good intentions, the idea that schools should operate as independently financially viable businesses threatens the existence of Catholic education itself. Our schools are not businesses, they are ministries. The shared mission of our schools is now more important than ever: Enrich the lives of young families by educating through the lens of our Catholic values. Unlike the alternative, students and teachers can mention the name of God as the source of all gifts. In our schools, students learn the love of Christ, providing them with purpose and dignity, and helping them to realize the worth of their brothers and sisters. As a theology teacher, I have seen lives transformed by the opportunities we provide for students to know God for themselves.

Local Catholic schools bring families serious about practicing their faith together. They are bastions of hope for raising our children within an atmosphere of love of God and neighbor. When we close the doors to these institutions, these families are scattered, leaving the embers of hope to lose their flame, not having one another to keep each other warm and bright in the enveloping darkness.

We cannot expect our schools, especially those that serve the poor, to operate independently of parish or diocesan support. Thanks to priests, brothers, and sisters who have given and continue to give of themselves prayerfully and sacrificially in following a vocation to serve, our schools have thrived. Now, faced with the reality of continuous school closings, our leaders, lay teachers and parents are challenged to respond to the question of where to go from here. However, this issue is not confined to those already involved with our schools. All the faithful, bishops to parishioners, must make the continued presence of Catholic education the priority of the present time. Are we willing to carry the torch of religious orders that founded our schools, to willingly pray and sacrifice for the shared mission.

In Catholic social doctrine we have a word for tending to the needs of the most vulnerable, the preferential option for the poor. In our economy and among our ministries, our Catholic schools are the most vulnerable and deserving of our attention. For families on the economic margins, having an accessible Catholic education is a necessity to gaining access to opportunities normally reserved for those in well-to-do neighborhoods. A quality education brings us closer to an equitable society. A Catholic education brings us closer to God.

Why not call to mind our duty to our young people and their families by praying for Catholic schools at every Mass, every week? Is it possible to hold more collections for our Catholic schools? Can we nurture more partnerships between struggling inner city schools and their counterparts and parishes in surrounding areas? Can priests and bishops who support Catholic schools encourage their fellow priests and bishops to do all they can to keep Catholic schools open?

Jesus’ Great Commission states clearly that our primary work is to evangelize. This past year, the students in my sophomore theology class, in the spirit of the Great Commission, set out to share the Gospel with students younger than themselves. Students wrote stories from the perspective of Biblical characters who were changed by encountering Jesus. We then traveled to local elementary schools, reading the stories in small groups, presenting stories as a one-man show or rapping to the entire class. We encountered a receptiveness to the Gospel that is rare in the public domain. We could sense the openness that the students had toward the message, to us as visitors and to their teachers. Sadly, one of the schools we visited, the one serving a low income community, was forced to close this Spring. Nine other schools in our diocese alone also were closed or consolidated. I wonder what will happen to those students and their families. I wonder what will happen to our Church and our ability to transform society.

The following blog was contributed by Tina Moore, vice principal and middle school religion teacher at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Charleston, SC. She has taught in Catholic schools for 20 years, with 16 at BSCS. Tina’s passions are God, family and walking with young people in their journey to Christ.

Listen, understand with your heart, and produce good fruit. This is the message of Jesus from the parable of the The Sower (Matthew 13). The Sower scattered seeds, symbolizing The Word of God, in four places: on a path, on rocky ground, among thorns and in fertile soil. This parable could be useful in considering the environments in our Catholic schools. In his homily, my priest shared that the seeds that fall on the path and are snatched by birds  are the times when we refuse to listen for understanding; the rocky ground likened to hearing with our heads but not allowing it to take root in our hearts; and the thorns a symbol of hearing the message and believing but not transforming into action. 

The rich soil, however, is a setting where authentic sharing of ideas is an intentional part of the culture—and precisely the kind of environment learners, both student and adult, need as our new school year approaches.  Fertile soil lies in forming a school culture to build relationship, community with others (adult and young person) in order to build up the person, our Church, and the world. A proven way to create an environment of collegiality in our Catholic schools is through adult collaboration: adults in the school being open to one another through professional learning communities, with their students and families being at the heart of all they do, working side by side to see the mission accomplished.

In seeking academic excellence at your school, research shows that we produce good fruit when the adults establish and share a vision for the school. In between all of the planning of schedules, safety precautions, and parent communication, we must know with clarity and strength of what we envision academic excellence will look like, sound like, and feel like. Professional development aimed toward growing that vision through teacher collaboration pushes your school forward in the midst of uncertainty. Teaching tends to be isolative in nature; combatting that isolation with regular opportunities for adult learning springboards your school toward collegiality.

As Jesus sums up the explanation of the parable in Matthew 13:23, “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” Fostering a culture in which faculty and staff are geared toward bettering their craft while enhancing their students’ lives is fertile soil. To that end, in today’s environment, seek ways for your faculty and students to connect and build. Being a flexible, adaptable community will get us through the year we have ahead of us. Ask yourself, “How can I build a culture of collaboration and collegiality? What does the Sower want me to sow in my encounters with others today?”

The following blog was contributed by Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling author and consultant.

We’ve never seen a back to school like this before.  We’ve also never had an opportunity like this before either.  Challenge and uncertainty, when met with faith, optimism, hope and resolve, can become blessed catalysts for growth and even unexpected joy.

If we approach this fall with a sense of adventure and focus our energy on how we can make this work instead of worrying about why we can’t, there is nothing that can stop us.  This coming school year more than ever, we need to set the tone for students and parents with unprecedented energy and positivity, not because we’re putting on a brave face, but because we know we got this.

Just imagine, we will be living history as it unfolds in real time! Think of the 20/21 academic year as an infinite teachable moment. As you’re finalizing your re-opening plans, remember, we’re all human. Some days will be bumpier than others. As long as everyone—students, parents, and the school–is on the same page about what’s really important, what might feel like a burden now, when we look back, may have been a gift in ways that we can’t yet see.

How does a school or diocese get everyone on that same page? How can teachers and administrators make the transition back to the classroom as comfortable as possible for students and encourage an environment of inclusion and tolerance amidst such dramatic change?  What strategies and techniques can schools implement to reassure every student that no matter what next semester holds, the school has their back?

Bullying is likely to take on some new forms, especially patterns of exclusionary, digital and cyber bullying.  How do you recognize and identify these behaviors early on, and what are some simple, practical tools for intervening with love, grace and truth?  What about bullying intervention in the virtual classroom? Where does the school’s responsibility end and the parent’s begin?

What specific communication policies and procedures can schools implement so that parents are working in partnership with the school and not counterintuitively, especially during periods of adjustment or sudden disruption?

I’ll be exploring the above and much more in my Masterclass series for the NCEA later this month entitled The New Back to School Reality: A Masterclass on Bullying Prevention and Working with Parents.

Let’s inspire new levels of creativity together and celebrate how we can transform dissonance into discovery.  I’m SO excited and honored to have been asked by the NCEA to do this series and hope that you’ll join me!

About the Author

Jodee Blanco is the author of four books on bullying, including the New York Times bestselling memoir, Please Stop Laughing at Me. She is also the author of the NCEA’s Anti-Bullying Survival Series. Jodee travels to schools, sharing her story to save lives, and has spoken to thousands of people worldwide. For more information on Jodee and her in-school anti-bullying program, please visit jodeeblanco.com/catholic-schools/.

Jodee’s Other Webinars on Bullying:

• But I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong?! How to Respond to Exclusionary Bullying
• Defining Bullying: What It Is and What It Isn’t
• Bully: Class Clown or Cry for Help? Decoding Classroom Disruptions and Responding with Compassion

Jodee’s Publications with NCEA:

• NCEA Briefs: A Primer on Bullying Intervention
• NCEA Briefs: A Primer on Compassionate Discipline
• NCEA Briefs: A Primer on Handling Challenging Parents

The following blog was contributed by Dr. Gene Kerns, Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning, Inc.

Note: This is an excerpt from a blog series on using assessment data to address learning gaps during the 2020–2021 school year. To read the series, click here.

As you reflect on the many unknowns around Back-to-School, you may feel as if you’re facing another “first year of teaching”—but with one key difference. This time, you know exactly what to do. Identify the most critical skills for learning, and focus instruction there. But how do you know which skills are most critical?

The “backbone” of Renaissance Star Assessments is an empirically validated learning progression for reading and math. Our experts take each state’s educational standards and break them down into discrete, teachable skills, then organize them into the ideal teachable order, so educators can help students move along the pathway to greater mastery.

During this process, we identified a subset of skills that are fundamental to students’ development at each grade level—Focus Skills^™.

When you can easily identify the most critical skills, you know exactly where to focus instruction to move students forward. You also know the most critical skills from prior grades, which help determine what to review and—when needed—what to set aside. For BTS 2020, Focus Skills can become your “vital few,” with intense work on these skills producing the greatest returns in student learning.

So, where can you see Renaissance Focus Skills?

They’re highlighted on the Instructional Planning Report in Star Reading, Star Math, and Star Early Literacy. Teachers can generate the Instructional Planning Report at the class level to identify the “vital few” for core instruction. Likewise, teachers can create instructional groups based on students’ Star data and the report for each group. Finally, teachers may choose to run the report for individual students.

Additionally, you can see Focus Skills in the Renaissance Planner, which enables you to view more details about each skill (related academic vocabulary, prerequisites, state standards alignment, and grade-level domain expectations).

Educators who use Star have multiple options to access Focus Skills. But given the urgency around reversing COVID-19-related learning loss, we’re making the full list of Focus Skills available to all educators, parents, community members, and students in an interactive, engaging format.

We encourage you to explore the reading and math Focus Skills for your state and review the distribution of Focus Skills across grade levels. Equipped with this knowledge, you can reasonably infer the grade levels with the greatest potential for student learning loss, as determined by the number of Focus Skills. You can also use these lists to identify the most critical building blocks of learning for each grade, so you know where to focus your efforts for the greatest return in student growth.

Now that you know the power of Focus Skills and how to access them, we hope you see why these skills will be critical in the new school year—and the key role they can play in helping students make up lost ground resulting from this spring’s unexpected school closures.

We encourage you to explore the reading and math Focus Skills for your state and review the distribution of Focus Skills across grade levels. Equipped with this knowledge, you can reasonably infer the grade levels with the greatest potential for student learning loss, as determined by the number of Focus Skills. You can also use these lists to identify the most critical building blocks of learning for each grade, so you know where to focus your efforts for the greatest return in student growth.

About the Author

A third-generation educator, Dr. Gene M. Kerns was born with a passion for learning. Over the past two decades, he’s served as a public school teacher, adjunct faculty member, professional development trainer, district supervisor of academic services, and academic advisor at one of the nation’s top edtech companies. Dr. Kerns earned a doctor of education in educational leadership from the University of Delaware as well as a master of science in secondary curriculum and instruction and a bachelor of arts in English education from Longwood University in Virginia.

The following blog was contributed by Emma Ladwig, a senior majoring in marketing at the University of Notre Dame and a summer intern with the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a common question, and one I have asked myself (and been asked) countless times. As a college student, I now hear it phrased differently, perhaps in questions like “what are your plans after graduation?” or “what jobs are you interviewing for?” or something else along those lines. No matter how it is asked, though, the crux of the inquiry is the same. The question is focused on what role I will play, what my title will be, and what responsibilities I will have.

This question of what we want to be is ever present in our conversations since early childhood—and it’s an important one. Our job and the responsibilities we have are often our means for providing for ourselves and contributing to the betterment of society. But I argue that there is another question, seldom asked and seldom answered, which is also important for us to ask ourselves and the youth with whom we work: who are you going to be when you grow up?

Beyond our titles and responsibilities, we are each called by name to be people who reflect Christ in our work. Whether we work as a CEO, school nurse, teacher, custodian, principal, secretary, superintendent or intern, our roles are what we do—not necessarily who we are. As a community that strives to cultivate minds and souls, our witness of living who we are called to be by God is essential. Ideally, our jobs should be extensions of our nature and purpose as sons and daughters, but fruitful membership in the body of Christ should always be our primary goal regardless of our occupations at any time.

As an intern at NCEA this summer, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing how employees across the association integrate their identity as Catholics with their roles within the workplace. Every morning, we begin with prayer to recall the importance of starting our day in the presence of God, realizing our entire lives and every part of the workday is ordained by Him and for the advancement of His kingdom on earth.

Throughout the rest of the day, I have the opportunity to learn from the people with whom I work. The individuals at NCEA have already taught me many lessons about what it means to be true to whom God has authentically created them to be, simply by working in accordance with the traits God gave them and the Christian identity that guides their lives. I have seen a servant leader who strives to listen and asks the important questions. I have experienced the joyful kindness of a long-time employee. I have learned from an incredibly knowledgeable individual who acts with humility and helpfulness. I have discovered nuances of the association because of a thoughtful coworker who followed up after working with me.

I don’t just work with directors, representatives, coordinators, and managers. I work with people of service, joy, humility, patience and peace. These differences may seem like small things, but living a Christian life is often about the small, silent things that pull hearts slowly and surely heavenward.

Though subtle, these small movements are not lost on students, and I posit that they are instrumental in creating an environment where children are reminded of the importance of using their distinct natures and qualities to glorify God. How wonderful would it be if they notice how a teacher has made them feel welcome and try to imitate that trait when a new child joins the class? How rewarding would it be if they witness their custodian’s positive attitude and think to emulate that when they work on a tough assignment? When we talk to children about their future, how wonderful would it be if they mention their desire to be saints, to be people of praise, and to be servants of their parish and community in addition to serving in various jobs or roles?

Although I doubt that the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” will change, I do have faith that Catholic education is asking the question, “who do you want to be when you grow up?” through the actions of school staff, parents, clergy and religious. As we seek to educate our children to be both citizens of our world and citizens of Heaven, then, it is our duty to continue walking in a way that fulfills the work God has prepared for each of us.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10 RSVCE