Alliance for Catholic Education
Reflection by Mary C. Maloney, Ph.D.
Principal, St. John Brebeuf School, Niles, IL
ACE Principal Academy
As the principal of a Catholic school, Christmas is the most joyous time of year for me. The hope and excitement in the hymn “O Come, Divine Messiah!” is reflected in our school community. Our younger students are so excited about preparing for the birth of Baby Jesus and retelling the story of His arrival. Our older students are making room in their hearts for the arrival of our Savior. Teachers have Advent wreaths in their classrooms with prayers and activities at just the right levels for their students. Our families are preparing for Christ’s birth as well, and students discuss this with great gusto during lunch time. Our pastor, Fr. Jason, has set up extra Reconciliation sessions for our students so they can better prepare their hearts and minds. We also enjoy breakfast with Santa, special Christmas-themed dress down days, and a visit from Santa on our last day of school before Christmas break. Our entire school and parish community is buzzing with excitement!
O Christ, whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet foretold,
Come break the captive fetters,
Redeem the long-lost fold.
As we began to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought at the beginning of this school year, “Oh good, Covid restrictions are no longer necessary. We can go back to 2019 activities and procedures.” I was correct about the first statement – but wrong about the second. The last two years had been unlike anything any of us had ever encountered. I found that my students needed far more support right now than they had required before the pandemic.
Academically, they were doing fine, as we remained open during the worst of the pandemic. What I found is that they were experiencing emotional dysregulation. According to Arlin Cuncic, emotional dysregulation refers to emotional responses that are not within a range of typical emotional reactions. It can involve many emotions, including sadness, anger, irritability, and frustration. When I think back to how tightly controlled everything was during the pandemic, it is easy to see how students need extra support to ease back into self-regulation.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist is preparing people to encounter Jesus in the future. He is ministering to them, working to bring them healing in advance of the coming of Jesus. I see parallels to the work my staff is doing with our students as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. Our students need grace and compassion in order to heal and become self-regulating again.
During Advent, we are laying the foundation of preparation for Christ’s glorious birth. Each week brings another step in the process toward welcoming our Savior. We are patient and joyful, and we celebrate each moment together.
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