At a time when both public and parochial schools throughout the country are facing the prospect of continually declining enrollments, the Newark Archdiocese this year decided to see what a soft-sell campaign could do about it. (Author)

Despite the problems facing Catholic schools today, many parents feel that these schools can be preserved and even strengthened if Church leaders will accept parents as real partners in education, and if parents will accept this challenge. Describes an attempt at this partnership in New York State. (Author/RK)

Discusses five elements in the effective involvement of parents as volunteers in Catholic school communities: receptivity of faculty and staff to volunteers, school organization and structure, recruitment, training, and recognition of the parents' contributions. Offers examples from St. Pius X/St. Leo School's (Omaha, Nebraska) volunteer program.…

Describes St. Maria Goretti School's Home/School-Read/Discuss program in which parent, teacher, and child sign a contract for leisure reading. Both parent and child read and discuss the selected books. Responsibilities of each participant are listed on the sample reading contract provided. (SJL)

All parents and all parochial schools and religious education centers must join forces to design, implement and evaluate a partnership schema that will give each child an ongoing in-class and in-home demonstration that he is truly loved. (Author/RK)

Parents want to know what their children are doing in school and teachers want parents to know what children are doing in classrooms. Looks for an emphasis or method in any of the new or traditional models that will aid in improving the communication between home and school. (Author/RK)