What does the Catholic version of a “time out” look like?
Through a new social-emotional learning curriculum funded by a $500,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Catholic school students in the diocese are being given tools to regulate their emotions that are faith-based and meant to equip them for life.
“Post-pandemic, this is a great need of our students,” said Edgardo Juarez, Associate Director of Mission and Catholic Identity in the Office of Catholic Schools. “We see it as formation of the whole child. We’re fostering values with our students.”
The Office of Catholic Schools received the three-year Hilton Foundation grant and spent an initial period last year training teachers, administrators and staff in the new curriculum, which is called “Friendzy.” It was initially focused at seven Catholic schools that are in underserved communities. They are Holy Rosary Academy, Our Lady of the Assumption School, St. Adelaide Academy, Resurrection Academy, St. Catherine of Siena School, St. Theresa School and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Indio. Additional grant funds have now been secured to deploy the program in all the other K-8 schools in the diocese except two that already have a similar program in place.
This school year marks the launching of Friendzy in local classrooms and on Oct. 23, a five-person delegation from the Hilton Foundation visited the diocese to see how the early implementation is going. They met with the Office of Catholic Schools leadership team at the Pastoral Center before touring classrooms at Holy Rosary Academy and Resurrection Academy.
“They were excited to see the impact of the partnership,” said Juarez. “It was a good day.”
The Friendzy curriculum contains a weekly lesson that helps students learn to regulate their emotions in times of stress and anxiety through practices such as taking a minute to visit a prayer corner in the classroom to invite God to help them in that moment, “instead of throwing a tantrum in front of everyone,” Juarez said. The curriculum is based in Scripture, Catholic values, resiliency and relationship-centered practices. In addition to classroom instruction, Friendzy includes catch phrases, themes and songs to help students remember the concepts they are learning. Periodic family nights that allow parents to participate in the program are also included.
In addition to training and equipping school staffs to teach the curriculum, the grant also covers the cost of bringing a religious sister to every campus to accompany the students as they learn the new social-emotional skills.
The Friendzy curriculum marks the second time in recent years that the Hilton Foundation has provided support to the Catholic schools in the diocese. In 2022, Hilton provided a two-year, $500,000 grant to assist low-income and immigrant students who entered the pandemic lagging behind their peers. It specifically funded tutoring, counseling, curriculum and materials and tuition assistance.