On Thursday morning of this week, I climbed the nearby stairs and found myself at the doors of Marymount Accademy. As has become my routine in the past number of months, this was the day for my scheduled visit with the students and staff at that school.
The day begins with a meet and greet of sorts. I stand in the foyer along with some of the teachers to greet the students as they arrive for the day of study. This gives me a chance to say hello to them, but also to get a feel for the life of the school, and an overview of the activities that will characterize the day. As it tuned out, Thursday was the day chosen by students for a voluntary 'vow of silence' day. Students who wanted to participate paid $5 in order to remain silent for the hours during which the school day would unfold. Funds raised from this effort would then be sent to Free the Children.
As it turned out, I was also scheduled to visit with two Grade 9 classes on this particualar morning. At first the thought that some of the students would be partaking in a day of silence was somewhat intriguing, but as it turned out, the example they were setting for others of their friends actually added to the fact that these students had a priest visiting in their midst.
In both period 1 and 2 of that day, the schedule was left up to me. This caused a bit of worry on the part of some of the teachers involved, but in the end it all worked out fine. Considering that I had had very little time to interact with students in the school up until this time, I thought it might be interesting for them if I told them a bit about myself. Turning this discourse into a bit of a geography lesson, a civics lesson and even an immersion in one or two different cultures kept them all intrigued and following along until before we knew it, the alotted time had elapsed.
Questions and answers provided another opportunity for interaction. At times students tried to pose some controvercial querries, but this wasn't my first picnic, so I used even these opportunities to provide teaching for them about subjects such as priesthood, prayer and ordination. Imagine their surprise when I turned such questions back upon them: Why are you really asking this question - because you want to know the answer or because you want to open a can of worms?
A learning opportunity for all of us.
As it happened, the staff was also having a luncheon so I had a chance to visit informally with a number of them as well. Who knows where such exchanges will lead? In truth, every opportunity for us to know one another better helps us to appreicate each others' strengths and gifts.
The day begins with a meet and greet of sorts. I stand in the foyer along with some of the teachers to greet the students as they arrive for the day of study. This gives me a chance to say hello to them, but also to get a feel for the life of the school, and an overview of the activities that will characterize the day. As it tuned out, Thursday was the day chosen by students for a voluntary 'vow of silence' day. Students who wanted to participate paid $5 in order to remain silent for the hours during which the school day would unfold. Funds raised from this effort would then be sent to Free the Children.
As it turned out, I was also scheduled to visit with two Grade 9 classes on this particualar morning. At first the thought that some of the students would be partaking in a day of silence was somewhat intriguing, but as it turned out, the example they were setting for others of their friends actually added to the fact that these students had a priest visiting in their midst.
In both period 1 and 2 of that day, the schedule was left up to me. This caused a bit of worry on the part of some of the teachers involved, but in the end it all worked out fine. Considering that I had had very little time to interact with students in the school up until this time, I thought it might be interesting for them if I told them a bit about myself. Turning this discourse into a bit of a geography lesson, a civics lesson and even an immersion in one or two different cultures kept them all intrigued and following along until before we knew it, the alotted time had elapsed.
Questions and answers provided another opportunity for interaction. At times students tried to pose some controvercial querries, but this wasn't my first picnic, so I used even these opportunities to provide teaching for them about subjects such as priesthood, prayer and ordination. Imagine their surprise when I turned such questions back upon them: Why are you really asking this question - because you want to know the answer or because you want to open a can of worms?
A learning opportunity for all of us.
As it happened, the staff was also having a luncheon so I had a chance to visit informally with a number of them as well. Who knows where such exchanges will lead? In truth, every opportunity for us to know one another better helps us to appreicate each others' strengths and gifts.
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