catholic identity formation for leadership immersion for...
TRANSCRIPT
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Exploring
the Good Samaritan
Benedictine tradition in
Education
Catholic Identity
Formation for Leadership
Immersion for Mission
2017
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Good Samaritan Education
As a collegial public juridic person, Good Samaritan Education (GSE) is committed to communio, (the building of an authentic community) and to discernment as fundamental to life. As a community of faith, established to participate in the ministry of Catholic education, GSE is enriched by its heritage, now taking on new form and new expression according to its Statement of Charism1:
The GSE Mission Team seeks to share the story and steward the spirit of the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition
within our learning communities.2
Forming in the spirit, immersing in the story, developing resources
and building partnerships are at the heart of all our programs.3
1 GSE: A History, 7. 2 GSE Mission Team Charter Statement 3 GSE Mission Team Charter Statement
The charism of Good Samaritan Education is centred on the person of Jesus
Christ in the communal seeking of God, believing that it is together – not as
isolated individuals – that we go to God (RB 72:12), our hearts overflowing
with the inexpressible delight of love (RB Prologue 49).
Enriched and inspired by the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Rule of
Benedict and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the mission of Good
Samaritan Education is to sustain and nurture communities of learning in the
Catholic tradition.
Such communities of learning are formed by essential values drawn from the
Rule of Benedict: love of neighbour, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience,
discipline, humility, stewardship, hospitality, community and justice’.
GSE: A History, 7
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Formation For Mission Framework Responsibility for ensuring ongoing engagement with the Good Samaritan tradition lies with GSE. Its role is to preserve, deepen and adapt the charism and to articulate the living expression of its values. Within this structure, the GSE Mission Team provides a range of formation opportunities for participants to “become inspired by the charism to respond to the Gospel call to bring about the reign of God”4. These programs are supported by resources and frameworks for education and typically include workshops, one-day programs, conferences, retreats and immersions. Formation for members, boards, principals and senior management takes the form of conferences, retreats, targeted formation days and formation components in assemblies and meetings. Staff members are provided with induction and leadership programs, refresher days and retreat and immersion opportunities. Students engage in programs directed towards leadership, outreach, retreat and immersion. All GSE programs are designed to support structures for formation and immersion already operating in individual GSE schools. GSE formation programs are Christocentric, and seek to explore the richness of our shared Catholic identity and mission as it expressed in the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition.
4 Good Samaritan Education Formation for Mission – A Handbook (2011 ) p. 2
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Formation for Staff Supporting our staff members in entering the story
Induction Days
This is a day for staff members new to GSE schools to deepen their awareness of the Catholic identity of their college, and the particular Good Samaritan expression of that tradition. It provides a gentle introduction to the history, traditions, values and spirituality of Good Samaritan Education. The program will provide opportunities for participants to:
learn about the Good Samaritan network
of schools gain insights into elements of Good
Samaritan history engage with some of the key values of the
Benedictine Good Samaritan tradition connect with each other be invited to become part of the ‘shared
journey’ within Good Samaritan Schools
Sydney: March 17 or March 24 Melbourne: May 5 Brisbane: April 20
Staff Retreat
The three-day staff retreat is aimed at providing
all those in Good Samaritan Education with the
opportunity to learn about the foundation and
history of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, take
time out for personal reflection and balance,
connect with each other and engage with the key
values of the Good Samaritan Benedictine
tradition.
The retreat style is gentle and invitational. It
provides opportunities for participants to identify
and explore different types of spirituality within
the context of the parable of the Good Samaritan
– heart, soul, strength and mind. Participants are
also invited to join the sisters for evening prayer
and to engage in a number of different styles of
prayer from the Benedictine tradition.
Venue: MSB Centre Date: August 16-18
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Formation for Leadership Nurturing our staff members within the story
Mission Leaders
Conference
The Mission Leaders Conference is aimed at
providing those with specific responsibility for
nurturing the mission life of their colleges, with
an opportunity to network and focus on the
practical application of the Good Samaritan
Benedictine tradition and spirituality
This year’s conference will focus on Exploring
Catholic Identity in a Good Samaritan Education
School.
Our keynote speaker will be Ms Audrey Brown,
Director of Catholic Education, Diocese of
Ballarat. Audrey has participated in the Catholic
Identity Project which aims to assist Catholic
schools to articulate their identity and vision and
express their distinctiveness as a Catholic school.
Venue: MSB Centre
Date: March 2-3
Leading Teaching and Learning
in a GSE School
This conference is aimed at those with specific
responsibility for developing and implementing
teaching and learning initiatives in their colleges.
Opportunities will be provided to engage with the
key principles of the Good Samaritan Philosophy
of Education and engage in professional dialogue
with like-minded colleagues.
Our keynote speaker for the day will be Dr Mark
Askew, Head of Educational Services in the
Diocese of Broken Bay. He has worked within the
Secretariat of the NSW Catholic Education
Commission and as an Education Officer with the
Sydney CSO in curriculum development.
Venue: MSB Centre Date: May 18
Spiritual formation of staff in Catholic schools has consistently been acknowledged by ecclesial authorities
as vital to the effective mission of Catholic schools. Congregation for Catholic Education Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses
to Faith #24
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Formation for Leadership Supporting our leaders in sharing the story
Leading Care and Wellbeing
in a GSE School
The day is aimed at those with specific
responsibility for developing and implementing
care, wellbeing and pastoral initiatives in their
schools. Opportunities will be provided to engage
with the key principles of the Good Samaritan
Philosophy of Education and engage in
professional dialogue with like-minded
colleagues.
Our keynote speaker for the day will be Mrs Liz
Carnegie - principal of Stella Maris College, Manly.
Liz has a long involvement in Good Samaritan
Education schools and extensive professional
experience in the area of care and wellbeing.
Venue: MSB Centre Date: May 19
Charism has been described as a story to enter,
a language to speak, a group to which to belong,
a way to pray, a work to undertake, a face of God to see.
C Maréchal
The formation and immersion programs offered by GSE are positioned within a spiritual formation framework
and seek to be explicit in their expression of the particular educational mission of the Catholic school. They are designed to be developmental, ecclesial and
vocationally contextualised. GSE: A Handbook, 9
GSE also provides opportunities for
other staff groups within the
community to gather, share formation
opportunities and engage in
professional dialogue.
These include:
Principals
Business Managers
Porters
Assistant/Deputy Principals.
College Boards
GSE Assembly
These gatherings vary in their formats
and occur regularly.
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For information about the
Mt St Benedict Centre,
Pennant Hills, Sydney, NSW.
http://www.goodsams.org.au/msb/
Formation for Leadership Supporting our leaders in sharing the story
Some upcoming events:
2018 GSE Pilgrimage to Italy and England
2019 BENET Conference
GSE are hosting the 2019 BENET
conference, a triennial gathering of
Benedictine educators from across the
world.
The Second Vatican Council is clear in its statement pertaining to educators in Catholic schools in that they need to be ‘willing to offer a permanent commitment to formation and self-formation regarding a choice of cultural and life values to be made
present in the educational community. Educating Together in Catholic Schools:
A Shared Mission Between Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful #5
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Immersion for Mission Opportunities for Staff and Students to experience Good Samaritan Benedictine life
Staff Immersion – The Philippines
The immersion experience to The Philippines
provides the opportunity for staff members to
visit a contemporary expression of Good
Samaritan Benedictine mission and ministry.
Through visits to the Good Samaritan Kinder
School and St Scholastica’s College Manila with
like-minded colleagues, staff are invited to
engage in this unique professional learning
experience.
Yr 10 Student Immersion – Santa Teresa, NT
The immersion experience to Santa Teresa
provides the opportunity to visit a remote
indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
The week includes time spent at the community
arts centre, the Catholic school and other
community programs. With students from other
GSE schools, you are invited to enter into an
indigenous community and meet the Good
Samaritan Sisters who live with them!
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Yr 11 Student Immersions-
The Philippines
The immersion experience to The Philippines
provides the opportunity to visit the Good
Samaritan Kinder School and other Good
Samaritan ministries in Bacolod. The week also
includes time spent in Manila to learn more
about the culture and history of The Philippines.
Ministry Outreach
The program provides an experience for students
and staff who are willing to respond to the
opportunity to live out our Good Samaritan
Benedictine values. They will gain an insight into
the lives of those in our community who face the
daily challenge of poverty, homelessness and
disability. It is an opportunity to respond to the
gospel question – ‘Who is my neighbour?’ in a
very
practical way.
WE NEED TO PUT ASIDE OUR PREJUDICES AND URBAN MYTHS, HAVE A DESIRE TO
MEET INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THEIR FULLNESS, AND BE READY TO EMBRACE DIFFERENCES WITHOUT JUDGEMENT.
2015 Student Participant Santa Teresa
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Some Feedback
Representatives of all ten Good Samaritan schools were present. Many different avenues of leadership in
teaching and learning were apparent in our initial introductions. “Same same but different” kept ringing
in my head as we spoke about our schools, their challenges and their paths to realising the Benedictine
values. Mark led our learning by incorporating current research and data into his presentation, which
cleverly connected with his emphasis on the importance of teacher professional learning. We felt part of
his learning journey as he articulated the importance of leadership in school improvement. He called on
us all to reflect on the bigger picture and realign ourselves with our mission.
2015 Leading Teaching and Learning in a Good Samaritan School
How did we come to be here? Some saw the advertisement in the staff newsletter and seized upon the opportunity for a little “timeout” while others were tapped on the shoulder, not quite sure why, or knowing what to expect.
What was truly great about the retreat was the space. While we were guided through a variety or activities there was quite a bit of time for quiet and time for our own reflection. I think this is why having the opportunity to arrive the night before the retreat started was so good, I had managed to begin to enter that quiet, leaving the worries of a busy school life behind. I was ready to listen and welcome what was on offer.
The days unfolded in much the same way; a short prayer and exploration of our spirituality – always through the lens of the Good Samaritan mission and Benedictine way.
2015 Staff Retreat
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Staff formation is acknowledged
as a priority area for professional
learning and is argued to be the
ultimate basis by which teachers
are empowered to pursue the
mission of Catholic education. Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith #22
Contact us:
Monica Dutton
Meg Kahler sgs
All who accept the invitation to
join Good Samaritan Education
will participate in formation
experiences to assist them to grow
in understanding of their ministry
as part of the mission of the
Catholic Church.
GSE: A Handbook, 6.