Socio-Emotional-Spiritual Learning

Today's Inspiration: #Podcast Principal Center Radio "Tamara Fyke—Building People: Social-Emotional Learning for Kids, Families, Schools, and Communities"

Tamara does a great job of discussing the importance of and ways to encourage a school that is focused on the students. One of my root beliefs is that students cannot learn if they do not feel safe. Tamara points out how having a student-centered focus that looks at the whole person of the individual can enable the student to succeed.

That being said, she neglected one essential element of the person (of course I believe most charter/public schools do) - the spiritual side.

As Catholics, the strength of our school system is that we do view the individual as a whole person made in the image of God. In reflecting on the stereotypes of our schools (the corporal punishment of a nun in 1950's with a ruler, immigrant schools in the early 20th century, or schools of privilege today), it is important to see which one of those actually reflects our mission.

Our schools need to grow to encompass and return the roots of a school system open to all, geared towards teaching the faith, integrating families into the culture, and caring for their whole needs. As the truism regarding KIPP schools (they took the idea of their culture from Catholic schools and disregarded the religion), we need to ensure that we are not - likewise - dismissing the ways we care for the socio-emotional-spiritual aspects of our students. If a public school can have a food pantry, laundry room, or parent resource center; shouldn't our schools, churches, and parishes move in that same direction?

It seems that we are limited by our imagination and resources. We don't have the money to support our own tuitions, much less add additional services. What if we cooperated more across the charities of the Faith? If Catholic hospitals provided nurses and clinics at parishes and schools? If Catholic schools provided discounts to employees of cemeteries and charities? If Catholic shelters referred clients to schools with discounts or housed struggling families? We are the largest charitable organization is the world. Why are we silo-ed?

Why am I silo-ed?

Steps I have taken:

1. I now offer the same staff discount to employees of Catholic institutions (we have one family with a teacher at another school and one family who works "downtown").

2. Our parish/school works with the local St. Margaret Mary Center on health and gardening initiatives (this is mainly due to the work of my pastor).

3......

That's it. Gotta do more.