The Junior College opened UA&P Founders’ Week with “Wellbeing in a Wired World: Navigating Screens, Stress, and Family Wellbeing,” a workshop held on October 3, 2026, in partnership with Family Enrichment Australia and facilitated by Ms. Yvette Valdez. The gathering brought together parents and community members to reflect on how technology shapes family life and wellbeing.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Elerosa Caparas emphasized that parenting goes beyond providing for children’s material needs; it calls for emotional presence and genuine connection.
Education is ultimately about the formation of the whole person, and the family is the first school of formation. Inspired by St. Josemaría Escrivá’s appreciation for the sanctifying value of ordinary family life, the workshop affirmed the home as the place where children first learn to love, serve, sacrifice, and grow in virtue.
Through real-life situations and the case study “The Blue Glow at Midnight,” participants explored how screens, gaming, and social media affect children and adolescents. The discussion went beyond screen-time limits, highlighting the need for open conversations, appropriate boundaries, and collaborative problem-solving. As children grow into their teenage years, parental guidance and meaningful connection remain essential.
Ultimately, the workshop called families to reclaim what technology cannot replace: genuine human connection. Its closing invitation to be present, not plugged in, and let real life win, captured the heart of the discussion. In an increasingly digital world, parents’ time, attention, mindful presence, and love remain among the most important gifts they can give their children.