Guests:

- Katie Elrod, Head of School at Montrose School in Medfield, MA

- Mary Keenley, Principal at St. Theresa School in Palatine, IL

- Kevin Powers, Head of School at St. Thomas More Academy in South Bend, IN

In this episode, we discuss:

- What parent formation looks like across three very different Catholic school contexts: from an independent classical school, an all-girls independent school, and an archdiocesan parish school

- Why parent formation can’t be owned by just one person on staff, and how to build a whole-school culture of relationship with parents

- The fears and anxieties driving today’s Catholic school parents, including uncertainty about college and careers, academic pressure, and the fear of letting children take risks

- Why children are “anti-fragile, not just resilient,” and how to help parents embrace the adventure of adolescence

- How to engage fathers specifically, and why separating mom events and dad events works better than mixing them

Q&A Questions Covered:

- "How do you balance the relationship with your pastor when it comes to parent formation?"

- "How do you filter outside events and initiatives from your broader community without overwhelming school communication?"

- "The parents who need formation the most never come to events. How do you handle that?"

- "How do you market parent formation events and maximize attendance?"

- "How do you engage dads specifically?"

Resources

- The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel, PhD (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- The Blessing of a B Minus: Raising Resilient Teenagers by Wendy Mogel, PhD (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- The Story of the Other Wiseman (The 4th Wiseman) by Henry Van Dyke (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers. Be sure to leave a comment or to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

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