September means back to school. For me, it means back to seminary. As is the case for so many students these days, seminary this year will not be the same as last year. To begin with, my friend and mentor Tony will no longer be a student with me. I’m happy that he is still at Ascension to give me advice about professors and assignments. Classes are one hundred percent distance learning this year, so there will be no beginning of the semester trips to Wartburg. The seminary has also promised to adjust instruction knowing that many of the seminarians will likely be the parent that is helping their children with virtual schooling at some point in the year.

We don’t know what back to school is going to mean for the children in Waukesha, including the families that are part of our Latino ministry. Some families have already decided to keep their children home for the beginning of the year. Others are sending their children to school knowing that there is a chance that all children may be doing virtual school for at least part of the year. As challenging as virtual schooling was for all families in the spring, our Latino families have some additional challenges. Due to violence, war, and poverty in their home countries, some of the parents did not have access to an education. They feel unqualified to teach their children anything academic. That is in addition to the language and technology barriers that have led immigrant parents to feel overwhelmed by the idea of supporting their children in virtual school. In crowded apartments, it can be hard for all of the kids to find quiet corners for their class meetings and homework, not to mention enough Wi-Fi.

In these times of uncertainty, I will be waiting to see how things unfold with the school year. At the same time, we will be working with parents on strategies they can use at home and explore creating learning pods with the families so we can all work together to support students and their parents with these new ways of schooling. When I attended university in El Salvador to get my teaching license, I never thought I would be using it to support students in the USA during a global pandemic! I am grateful for my time as a substitute teacher last school year to help me learn more about the American education system. I am always surprised by God’s path for my life.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

I pray that God is with all families, teachers, school employees, and our entire community as we begin a new school year.