2020 NYC Summer Journey Extended Learning Year

Archdiocese of New York

The Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York and Catapult Learning are excited to offer 2020 Virtual Summer Journey Extended Learning Year (ELY). This virtual summer program has been specifically designed to keep your student having fun while reinforcing grade-level foundational skills that have been lost due to disrupted learning time.

The curriculum for this program has been specially curated to cover the content your student’s classroom teacher would ordinarily cover in Quarter Four of instruction. By supporting your student’s daily attendance in this program, you are ensuring they’re sharpening their tools to best prepare for the beginning of school year 20-21.

Below you will find links and resources to support you and your child throughout the program. Remember, your student’s teacher is there to support you every step of the way!

Catapult Learning support curriculum wheel

The curriculum for this program has been specially curated to cover the content your student’s classroom teacher would ordinarily cover in Quarter Four of instruction. By supporting your student’s daily attendance in this program, you are ensuring they’re sharpening their tools to best prepare for the beginning of school year 20-21.

Below you will find links and resources to support you and your child throughout the program. Remember, your student’s teacher is there to support you every step of the way!

Catapult Learning support curriculum wheel

Need help with…

Troubleshooting a technology issue Check the Tech Support page for tips or submit a support ticket for help.
Questions about your child’s schedule or materials Contact your Teacher or Parent Liaison
Switching groups or session time Contact your Parent Liaison
Any other issue Email [email protected] or call 646-330-5745

Family Resources

Managing Trauma as a Family 

Witnessing a traumatic event that threatens the life or security of a loved one can be traumatic. Like natural disasters, pandemics can be a source of extreme stress and trauma for children and adults alike. In fact, it is likely that the stress adults feel as a result of this coronavirus crisis will be mirrored in their children. So, how do we begin to recognize trauma not only in ourselves, but also in our children and put in place practices and routines to overcome it? To answer this question, it is important to understand how stress and trauma show up across different age-groups. View our video to better understand how to overcome stress and trauma as a family.

Dealing with Anxiety

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for everyone, including children. Fear and anxiety about a disease, especially one that is unknown, can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. How you cope with the stress and anxiety, however, can make you, your child, your family, and your community stronger. Consult our guide on how you can become aware of signs of anxiety as well as methods to support your child during this crisis.

1. Excessive worry or sadness

2. Excessive crying or irritation in younger children

3. Irritability and “acting out” behaviors in teens

4. Return to behaviors they have outgrown
(e.g., toileting accidents or bedwetting)

5. Lack of sleep / changes in sleep patterns

6. Changes in eating patterns
(e.g., undereating, overeating)

7. Difficulty focusing or concentrating on tasks

8. Poor school performance or avoiding schoolwork

9. Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past

10. Unexplained headaches or body pain

11. Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs

1. Limit screen-time. Take breaks from social media, watching, reading, or listening to the news.

2. Take mindfulness breaks throughout the day. If necessary, set an alarm to remind you and your child to meditate for 5-10 minutes at least 2-3 times a day. Remind your child to take deep breaths and stretch as needed. Consider building in some time at the end of the meditation to discuss what came up for them during the exercise and how they worked through it.

3. Ask your child to think about or make a list of what they are grateful for. Gratitude is associated with happiness and can help people feel more positive emotions, improve their health, deal with obstacles, and build strong relationships.

4. Exercise together. Whether it’s going for a quick walk at the park, doing push-ups, or testing out some yoga moves, exercise can release the endorphins (chemicals in the body that relieve stress and pain) your body needs to feel balanced. If you do decide to take a walk in the park together, remember to maintain at least 6 feet from anyone you see or run into – this is called social distancing.

5. Do some activities you love together. Card or board games, reading, writing, listening to music, cooking, and cleaning are all examples of activities you can do as a family. Thinking about some new ways to bond as a family? This is the perfect time to try out some new indoor activities as a family!

6. Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Although you may not be seeing some of your loved ones in person right now, you can always do a video chat using free applications like WhatsApp, Skype, and Messenger. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can FaceTime your loved ones.

7. Talk to your child about what they have heard about the coronavirus and how they are feeling. Conversations can be a great way to limit stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.

8. Model self-care for your child. Take breaks, get plenty of rest, try to eat healthy, and exercise, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. To best support your child during this time, we encourage you to take care of yourself and be well!

Coping and Managing Stress 

Children look to their parents for guidance, so modeling the right ways to cope with and manage stress is important. Part of that is understanding and implementing the best ways to deal with stress, as well as talking with kids about the wrong ways to deal with it, such as drug use and underage drinking. Our Coping and Managing Stress resource offers helpful advice and information, including the CDC’s recommendations and tips for coping with stress as well as how to set boundaries for your children.

Recommendations For At-Home And Online Learning

Our Family Recommendations for At-Home and Online Learning During School Closures resource is full of useful information and insights, including how to establish an environment conducive to learning, a sample school-day schedule, links to instructional materials, and a library of online learning activities and websites that covers a wide range of fun and interesting topics and subjects for your student(s).

Digital Citizenship Parent Resources

Our digital citizenship parent resource page is full of useful information and insights, including the nine ways to be a good digital citizen, free lessons, ways to protect your kids online, and a look at the problems surrounding cyber-bullying. As a parent, it’s critical to know how to teach your child—and yourself—to be a good digital citizen. This page has all the answers you need.