DRIVING SOCIAL INNOVATION IN QUALITY EDUCATION

God’s Word
Mark 3:1-6

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ² Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. ³ Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

⁴ Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

⁵ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Reflection
Jesus worked on a Sabbath day.  What for Jesus is the purpose of work?  What kind of work do you envision for yourself in the future?  What purposes will your work serve?

De La Salle’s Word
John Baptist De La Salle : Founder, Educator, Saint, pp. 22-23

A Practical Curriculum. The curriculum addressed the practical needs and realistic options of the poor. The charity school students were not university-bound or headed for the seminary. The average student in a charity school could not stay more than two or three years, since by age fourteen many of them would have to be at work. Each subject area sought to be as practical as possible. Catechism lessons came from texts that De La Salle wrote, including Duties of a Christian, How to Go to Confession, and the like. The major reading text on politeness was written in a formal cursive script that the students would encounter in society. Writing was practiced with agreements, contracts, and other such practical documents. Simple mathematics focused on the French monetary system. Students were grouped by ability, and teachers made sure that a student had mastered one level before moving to the next.

Reflection
What have you discovered are the most effective ways by which you learn? What are the opportunities given to you to practice what you have learned?

De La Salle’s Word
Meditations 194.2

It is not enough that children remain in school for most of the day and be kept busy. Those who have dedicated themselves to instruct them must devote themselves especially to bring them up in the Christian spirit, which gives children the wisdom of God, which none of the princes of this world has known.

Reflection
What evidence is there that your school is faithful to De La Salle’s vision of education?

De La Salle’s Word
From Calcutt, Alfred (?). DLS : A City Saint

The immediate idea for a boarding school came to La Salle when a few parents from the well-to-do commercial class of Rouen asked him to take in their sons as boarders. These parents saw that the poor children taught by the Brothers were gaining thorough knowledge in reading, writing and counting and that their children were getting less well in colleges. There were other skills valuable in a town developing its trade and industry. In time, on suggestions from these parents, the Brothers added courses in history, geography, literature, rhetoric, accountancy, geometry, architecture, natural history, hydrography, mechanics, calculus, music and languages.

Reflection
What new skills, attitudes or perspectives do young people today need to learn? How else can the school community prepare young people to become better integrated in society?