Presentation of the Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools
Friday 19 February 2016
Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School Carnes Hill
I had the absolute pleasure to attend the opening school Mass of Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School Carnes Hill. Within the Mass, Anthony Cleary, Director of Religious Education and Evangelisation recognised the schools work with the Archbishop's Charter for Catholic School. and presented the Principal, Mr Michael Reardon and Parish Priest, Fr Joseph Trong with a certificate of Recognition and a copy of the Archbishop's Charter for their school and parish community.
The
Archbishop’s Charter for
Catholic Schools sets out
the purpose and mission
of Catholic schools in the
Archdiocese of Sydney. Parents, teachers and support staff can
be informed about the core principles of Catholic education, and inducted
into the school’s Catholic culture through the Archbishop's Charter
What are the regional goals most relevant to my role?
Catholic Identity and Mission-
1.4 Nurture and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Tradition.
i. Quality pedagogical practices in the teaching of Religious Education (K-12) are
strengthened.
Build the capacity of RECs to lead quality pedagogical practices within schools.
What do I need to know?
performance development frameworks
how to give effective feedback to RECs that will create reflective practices for the RECS.
What data informs me?
Yr 6 RE Test Results
anecdotal evidence from Principals
Anecdotal evidence from professional dialogue with RECS
REC scripture survey results.
ASSESS PERFORMANCE:
Where am I going?
I will be working with RECs in a coach/mentor professional model that is inclusive of a performance observation model.
How am I going?
I have engaged in professional dialogue with RECs who are willing to enter into a coaching and mentoring professional relationship.
I have investigated various models of Coaching and mentoring models, along with Performance observation models.
I have identified an area of the performance growth model that I find challenging- that is- providing effective feedback to RECs that will promote reflective practice and improvement in practice.
How do I now how I am going?
My confidence levels can be monitored
Engage with a peer/ colleague that I can "break down" my learning or bounce off ideas.
What do I need to do?
Line up a colleague in which I can engage in professional discussion about effective feedback (Jorga)
pratice/
What could I do
Research resources that can help me
Explore AITSL website resources on "giving effective feedback"
Complet SWOT Analysis
What are my goals?
Performance Goal: Complete processes that provide RECs with effective feedback that improves/ enhances classroom practice.
Strategies:
co construct a observation and feedback model with RECs
Implement an agreed model of observation and feedback model with RECs in their context.
Provide RECs effective feedback to improve classroom practice.
Learning Goal: Learn how to provide effective feedback to RECs that will improve/enhance classroom practice.
Research professional reading on effective feedback models / questioning
My role as Leader of Learning : Religious Education K-6 encompasses a variety of roles and responsibilities. My work with RECs within schools however, is my favourite part of the job! I had the opportunity to begin my "fieldwork" this week with two wonderful RECs within Cluster 7.
We had the opportunity to meet with one another to discuss Religious Education and leadership within each of their contexts. Using the REC growth maps,New Horizons strategic improvement plan and the statement of Authentic Learning as a guide for our professional dialogue, each REC established goals that they will work towards within their respective school contexts.
I really enjoyed the diversity that I work within as I travel around to various schools. Although the role of the REC has it similarities, their active role descriptions, goals and annual improvement plans look entirely different. This week I was able to hold discussions about building capacity of both the REC and RE PLC members and to begin to co construct a framework for developing a performance growth model within Religious Education.
Within another school context and REC, our conversation focused more on strategies to strengthen the understanding and commitment to the Archbishop's Charter and the school Vision and Mission alive for stakeholders of the school community.
Help us to open doors of Mercy in our communities,
in our families and in the world.
Let mercy guide our loving and bring us closer to the heart of the Gospel.
May we live as Jesus, with mercy that welcomes, loves, forgives
and calls us to live the gospel joyfully.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen
Throughout the SR Office two day retreat, Dr Dan White led us through some powerful and moving reflections on the Jubilee Year of Mercy. We took time out from our busy schedules to discover the definitions of mercy within our 21st century context, to reflect on our own experiences of mercy in our lives and how this compares to the notion of mercy with the time of Jesus.
Given the opportunity to break open the Scriptures through the lens of mercy, gave me an opportunity to reconnect with the counter cultural practices that Jesus employed to model mercy, love and compassion at a time when these gifts were seen as a weakness. It made me wonder about our current context and the world in which I live - Is the demonstration of mercy, love, kindness and compassion celebrated enough within our society, or are they still counter cultural? This question has certainly challenged me to seek out greater opportunities to acknowledge the acts of mercy that I am privileged to witness, to give and to receive within my life.
We deepened our understanding of the concept "God of Mercy, People of Mercy" by unpacking the Corporal Works of Mercy:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
We reflected how these works of Mercy could be translated into our ives in a relevant and meaningful way - making a difference to the people with whom we work and meet, creating opportunities to pray, maintaining the dignity of others.
We concluded our retreat with the celebration of the Eucharist celebrated by Fr Gary. This Mass, bought together our prayers, our new found understandings of mercy and our friendship with one another around the table of Jesus. With mercy in our line of sight throughout the year , together we sang :
