Each year, January is a month packed full of New Year’s resolutions and quiet reflection, but this winter month also highlights the importance of Catholic education in the United States. The 48^th annual National Catholic Schools Week celebration takes place January 30 to February 5, 2022.

During National Catholic Schools Week, it’s prime time for Catholic schools to celebrate through various Masses, open houses, service projects and other activities for students, families, parishioners, and community members. Keeping this year’s theme in mind – “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service,” – there are several reasons why Catholic education is important now more than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced countless changes since March. Absent of a vaccine, and with the start of the school year just weeks away, parents everywhere are wrestling with the fact that the return to the classroom is going to look very different this fall.

In today’s world, children are inundated and, often, overwhelmed with smart devices such as iPads, smartphones and even 'Alexa.' By encouraging students to learn how to program code on these devices, we are really teaching children how to be in control, rather than letting the devices control them.

We recently caught up with Megan Murphy, the Executive Director of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools after she visited the Oak Knoll School campus earlier this fall. Here, she talks about issues facing girls’ schools, her hope for empowering girls’ voices and girls' school misconceptions.

When I taught middle school, one of my colleagues periodically mentioned facilitating Harkness discussions in her senior class. I never thought to inquire more (my middle schoolers kept me busy!), but I was intrigued by the details she provided when she talked about it. After I returned to teaching high school seniors, I saw that the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools was offering a workshop on how to facilitate Harkness discussions and decided it was time to learn about this method of teaching. I signed up and, on a cold winter day, went to The Lawrenceville School to learn about the Harkness method.

Over the last week, you have probably seen some reference to the “Momo Challenge,” hidden messages in Youtube videos, and calls for technology companies to police their systems to protect kids. You have probably also seen a number of reports of things being a hoax that should be ignored. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between, and we wanted to help you sort things out along with give you some practical advice on how to deal with these types of reports in the future.

With increasing pressures and challenges on students today, it’s important that schools and parents forge a bond to become partners in education. This partnership includes regular, open communication between home and school; a respectful climate where everyone feels safe; and active parent involvement in school community activities.

Who doesn’t love a good snow day?! Well, perhaps YOU if you haven’t prepared any snowy day activities for your kids. Check out our list for a few ideas to do at home – indoors and outdoors – with your children before boredom sets in.

While many schools focus solely on test scores and academic achievement, it’s important for educational institutions to take part in helping our youngest learners navigate and manage stress by embracing social and emotional development.

The end result? Preparing students to be happy, healthy and well-adjusted adults.

Winter break is the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book for fun or continue reinforcing classroom concepts. The librarians at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child developed a list of top winter reads that are appropriate for students in grades K-12. Whether it’s snowing outside or you’re just trying to decompress, the list of our top winter reads are both fun and educational.