Back to the Classroom:

Back-to-school supplies were a bit different this year for the Popowich children in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Along with the usual assortment of pens and notebooks, Will, Liam and Alexa tucked face masks and hand sanitizer into their backpacks as they prepared for their first day of school.

Will, 16, and Liam, 10, were surrounded by familiar settings as they returned to the same schools that they attended prior to the pandemic. Like many other children across the country, the Popowiches spent the last school year in a virtual classroom interacting with other students and teachers only over a computer screen.

Though remote learning had its own challenges, going back to school in person with potential restrictions has added a new level of anxiety for them. Alexa, 12, started middle school remotely during the pandemic and, as a result, had never set foot in her new school. This year, not only is she coping with returning to in-person learning, she also has to find her way around an unfamiliar building.

“As students prepare to return, they will be facing a host of intensified challenges,” said Anthious Boone, an elementary school principal in Pennsylvania. He cited mask-wearing and learning how to socialize again with peers as some of these challenges.

“Peer pressure is starting anew,” Heath Popowich, father, added. “It’s basically starting over.”

But parents can help prepare their children for what may be a tough transition.

“As parents endeavor to help their children cope with potential back-to-school anxiety,” Boone said, “it is absolutely imperative that they stay well-connected with both the school and their children.”

Heath and Nicole Popowich maintain regular and close communication with their children to provide support and ease their anxiety over being back in school. “This is going to be like no other year they’ve ever experienced,” Nicole observed. Her advice to other parents is: “Just keep the lines of communication open, knowing that they’re probably going to come home more stressed than usual.”

While coronavirus variants have stoked pandemic anxieties, Heath and Nicole have endeavored not to overlook other challenges their children may face. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, they seek practical Bible-based advice to help with any issues or concerns.

One of their favorite resources is jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses that is free to all. Topics like “What’s a Real Friend?” and “Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fists” are addressed there in a video series for young people.

Nicole uses the website’s articles as topics for conversation in drawing out her children’s thoughts and feelings. “The nice thing about the articles on jw.org is they just raise the issue. So, then it becomes a more comfortable way of discussing situations,” she explained.

Liam especially enjoys browsing the “Young People Ask” section, a collection of articles designed to answer common questions that are on the minds of today’s youth. He recommends the series to everyone, and said, “There’s a lot of cool stuff that’s fun to look at!”

The Popowiches encourage everyone to visit jw.org and hope others will benefit from it as much as they have.