Plugged In - The Official Podcast for JSerra Catholic High School JSerra Catholic High School

In his sixth appearance on the podcast, Dr. Leonard Sax takes on what it means for parents to be the first and most important educators of their children. “Kids are not born knowing what’s right and what’s wrong,” attests Dr. Sax. Accordingly, parents serve the foundational role in the life of their sons and daughters of teaching them how to live well, that is, how to live virtuously. As always, Dr. Sax offers insights that will embolden parents of adolescents and younger children alike to embrace the primacy of their God-given role as their kids’ most necessary and respected role models, while suggesting practical tips for shaping the minds and hearts of their sons and daughters with confidence.

Adolescence does not end when young men and women go off to college. In a sense, their education for life has only just begun. That’s why it is crucial to send our sons and daughters to universities that understand how to complete the comprehensive education they need to live a flourishing life. Join University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Sanford as he talks to parents about the essential role the college years play in forming young men and women of virtue, and what makes some Catholic colleges and universities more suited for that than others.

Every parent and every educator who has tried knows that getting teenagers interested in daily prayer requires perseverance and a commitment to the long game. Getting Gen Z-ers to put down the cell phones and turn to contemplation makes that task even more daunting. Now they don’t have to give up one for the other. Hear Hallow App co-founder, Alessandro DiSanto, walk us through the genius of the technology that is marrying social media and the interior life and helping millions to return to Christ through prayer. Alessandro explains the personal crises that led him and two friends to begin seeking God at a deeper level, why he believes they were able to create a platform that would resonate with over 14 million subscribers, and the warp speed with which Hallow has taken not only the Catholic world, but the digital world by storm.

“You don’t build the house; you give them the foundation.” In this inspiring podcast, the “Dynamic Deacon” and father of five outlines practical tips for how to build your sons’ and daughters’ spiritual muscle memory. Engaging, entertaining, deep, and practical!
Listen to Deacon Harold, the “Dynamic Deacon,” as he coaches parents in concrete ways to lay the foundation for their sons’ and daughters’ growth in personal maturity. Pulling from talking points he shared the evening before in his presentation to JSerra parents, Deacon extrapolates on: What ;”e Church means when it calls parents “educators”; the importance of one-on-one time with children as well as weekly family time; modelling Christ-like behavior; taking full advantage of “teachable moments”; and the what and the why of discipline in the life of our kids. You will walk away from this conversation edified, inspired, and full of ideas for how to be the primary educator your children need… and God made you to be!

In this second part of our series on, “Parents as Primary Educators,” Catholic school leader, Debbie Nearmeyer, shares some basics on how to move forward confidently in our vocation as mothers and fathers.
In this second episode of “Parents as Primary Educators,” mother of five and Vice President of Faith and Mission, Debbie Nearmeyer, elucidates with detail the meaning of being a “primary educator.” With gentleness, depth, and humor, Debbie explains what it means to educate in the real sense of the word , while sharing examples from home and school life that serve to make the task realistically accessible. Tune in to this month’s podcast and hear how Debbie steers parents towards success and fulfillment in their number one vocation.

In this first episode in our series on “Parents as Primary Educators,” former JSerra teacher and personal counselor, Cara Morales, LMFT, explains why that is more than an overused cliché. Cara attests that God has chosen all moms and dads as the ones he has specifically ordained to raise the children he has given them. And she assures them that He will also provide the help needed to fulfill that unique responsibility. With an eye to the practical, Cara shares tips on how to parent through the trying teenage years with confidence, serenity, and fruitful results. Always original and engaging, Cara recommends concrete steps parents can take to stay connected to their teens even while they seem to be pulling away, and to ensure they remain their kids’ number one confidants.