PASTORAL PLAN

2008 / 2009

 

 

 

Prepared by:

Kevin McGuire, Principal

Patrick Marcolla, Chaplaincy Leader

&

The Pastoral Planning Team of St. Edmund Campion Secondary School

 

  

CAMPION’S PRAYER:

 

 

 

 

Wherever I may travel,

May I always profess my faith in You, God,

To whom I owe all my obedience.

Grant that I may always have the courage:

 

To preach the Gospel,

To speak out against injustice.

And to face all challenges without fear.

 

For by your will, I will go where I am sent

To carry any cross you lay upon me

And never to despair.

 

For the price is paid and the work is begun:

It is of God; It cannot be overcome.

So our faith is planted: So will our faith be maintained.

 

St. Edmund Campion PRAY FOR US.

 

 

(-Adapted from Campion’s Brag)

 

 

 

 

 

 

PASTORAL MINISTRY AT

ST. EDMUND CAMPION

CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL

 

 

 

Blessings and peace to all of you!

 

We are the staff and students of St. Edmund Campion Catholic Secondary School.  We believe that in the here and now, in the year of our Lord 2008 and in the school year of 2008/2009 that we have been NAMED, CALLED, and CHOSEN to be God’s children and to spread the Good News. 

 

Our mission of becoming who we are meant to be not only helps us, but helps us to help others.  Our mission is fostered by the development of the virtues that have been placed inside of us by our Creator Father. 

 

STAFF MISSION STATEMENT:

 

We, at St. Edmund Campion Secondary School, share our sense of mission with our patron, Saint Edmund Campion. We believe that each member of our community is “named, called & chosen” to be a responsible and committed member of our community. It is the mission of our school community to form and nurture young people who will:

 

• Live out and publicly profess the Catholic faith.
• Preach and live the Gospel with courage and conviction.
• Speak out and act against injustice.
• Model the qualities of compassion, courage, service and peace.

 

We, at St. Edmund Campion, make it our mission to:

 

• Form a compassionate and welcoming community
• Be attentive to God’s will for us and to answer the call to service.
• Carry the burdens of formation and ministry with joy and hope.
• Plant and maintain the seeds of faith and responsible Catholic living.

 

 

 

 

A note regarding headings and bullets:

Where points are identified by letter, this indicates a principle, overall goal that is to be achieved by either the chaplaincy leader, teacher, administrative head, or a combination of either three.  Where points are hyphenated there is a specific focus-goal that relates directly back to one of the overall goals.  Where the points are hyphenated (and no one specific pastoral leader is mentioned), it is assumed that the chaplaincy leader will facilitate the achievement of that specific goal.

 

 

 

1.                   COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP

 

a.                   Identify, form and develop a small group of teachers to lead the school’s pastoral and liturgical activities and lead the individual ministries.

b.                   Identify, form and develop a small group of students to lead student involvement and form the nucleus of a youth ministry / leadership / ‘Cares’ group.

c.                   Together with the staff and student leaders, establish and initiate action plans for a variety of youth ministry programs, including Campion Cares, PEACE Team, Youth for Christ, Student Voice, and the Student Council

d.                   Enable communication among the school Principal, the Religion Department Head and the Chaplaincy Leader, to ensure that the pastoral needs of the school are being met.

e.                   Broaden the scope of pastoral planning to include a greater number of staff members.

f.                     Encourage students to take initiative and develop Christian leadership.

g.                   Assist in developing young people who value the principles of forgiveness, accountability, sacredness of life, justice, compassion, citizenship and ecology.

 

 

-                      Form a pastoral-liturgical team of teacher-leaders.

-                      Use retreats, classes, teams and clubs to identify potential student leaders.

-                      Assist Campion Cares, PEACE Team, Harmony Movement and other groups with their work on issues of charity, community assistance and social justice.

-                      Involve all students in fund-raising activities and charitable drives.

-                      Connect students to volunteer opportunities and organizations.

-                      Form and coordinate the development of the Pastoral Plan with a group of staff volunteers willing to assemble as a Pastoral Planning team.

-                      Meet with the Religion Head and the School Principal to ensure that the Catholic nature of the school is being addressed and preserved.

-                      Act as representatives of the Religion Subject Council, the Principal’s association and the Chaplain’s association within the community of St. Edmund Campion.

-                      Enact within the school those faith initiatives developed at the Board level.

-                      Involving all classes in fund-raising projects, esp. by role-modeling.

-                      Continue to collect library resources for teachers in the areas of catholicity and catholic leadership and have resources readily available in the Chapel library.

-                      Empower students to accept leadership in class by directing prayer / reflection.

-                      Reward student leadership as it is demonstrated through the Catholic virtues with a “Virtues” t-shirt, including the recognition of said students during morning announcements.

-                      Encourage staff to continue in OECTA Religious Education, and M.R.E. programs.

-                      Encourage staff to receive training as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and to subsequently serve as visible ministers at masses.

-                      Continue to work with and form student council leaders.

-                      Develop and utilize the role of ‘Minister of Faith’ on student council.

-                      Involve different departments in assisting with liturgies / masses / staff faith events.

-                      Through the guidance department, develop peer mentoring program.

-                      Continue to develop and encourage the “Youth for Christ” Ministry program.

 

 

 

2.                   COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY

 

a.                   Facilitate communication between various interests in the community: staff, students, parish, administration, school council, diocese, youth office, etc.

b.                   Celebrate diversity within the school’s population.

c.                   Engage actively in the establishment of the new community parish Guardian Angels, by providing an appropriate place for sacramental worship

d.                   Invite Father Jan Gogolewski, pastor of Guardian Angels parish to take part in sacramental involvement within the school, beginning with the grade nine cohort.

e.                   Provide parish with information about school events throughout the year and extend invitations to attend.

f.                     Be aware of relevant events at the parish and communicate them to the school community.

g.                   Communicate with those doing social ministry within the parish, and attempt to link school and parish efforts.

h.                   Make clear links between Catholic tradition and curriculum, in an attempt to integrate the Catholic faith tradition into the classroom.

i.                     Encourage critical analysis of the arts, media technology and information systems from a catholic point of view.

 

 

-                      Encourage staff and students to participate in the daily celebration of the Eucharist in the school chapel with Father Jan Gogolewski

-                      Within school, encourage greater communication and coordination between Campion Cares, Student Council and Ambassadors Club.

-                      Connect with parishes at key times in our school calendar (i.e. Advent Food Drive)

-                      Seek out potential contacts in the Brampton community w.r.t. charitable organizations, business contacts, community leaders and invite them to interact in a meaningful way with our school community, with specific attention to school-wide involvement through the retreat program

-                      Invite in race-relations speakers to help staff with issues surrounding racial sensitivity.

-                      Connect with the local newspapers in order to highlight our Christian presence in the community.

-                      Connect with students / staff in our feeder schools in the Brampton area.

-                      Continue practice of celebrating diversity through the efforts of the Harmony Movement, Culture Fest, and curriculum-based initiatives.

-                      Institute a grade 9 teaching mass (in conjunction with the parish priest)

-                      Regular Chaplaincy Leader pastoral visits to religion classes.

-                      Employ classes to help with our chapel art and decoration, esp. stain glass club.

-                      Attend as many student activities as possible (games, plays, etc.)

-                      Encourage group work & co-operative learning in class.

-                      Develop the potential for a peer mentoring program and peer tutoring programs through the PEACE Team.

 

 

3.             PRAYER

 

a.                   Assume leadership for the prayer-life of the school community.

b.                   Prepare and lead prayer services for gatherings of the school community or segments of this community.

c.                   Model good forms of prayer: give instructions on how to pray and resource those who may have difficulty.

d.                   Invite the community to greater participation in morning prayer-reflections.

e.                   Provide / Collect prayer resources for teachers and students.

 

 

-                      Begin all classes, events, games, assemblies & meetings with prayer / reflection.

-                      Begin practice of morning prayer for staff and students.

-                      Involve diverse student / teacher groups in leadership of morning prayer (Y.F.C., Campion Cares, Teachers, etc.)

-                      Deliver morning reflection / prayer over the P.A.

-                      Involve other staff in the morning prayer / reflection

-                      Involve students in the morning prayer / reflection

-                      Connect students with the Chapel, and assist in formation of reverence for sacred space.

-                      Give instructions on how to pray and resource those staff or students who may have difficulty.(i.e. prayer book or prayer resource)

-                      Connect students and staff to the prayer tradition of the Church, through celebration of Patron Saints.

-                      Infuse prayer into daily routines of the school: meetings, classes, teams and clubs.

-                      Encourage students to assume greater responsibility for leading prayer in classes, and within teams and clubs.

-                      Encourage all teachers to have a prayer table in class.

-                      Strive to represent diversity in the prayer-leaders of the school.

-                      Encourage classes to create prayers applicable to their own classes / subjects, ie. pray in French.

-                      Collect and utilize bilingual prayer resources.

-                      With regards to “Virtue Day”, encourage staff to conduct class discussions that pertain to the reflection on the morning announcements (to take place at 8:00am on “Virtues Day”)

-                      Instruct students in the practice of composing / delivering prayer intentions.

-                      Have prayer resources in department offices.

-                      Utilize cultural celebrations like black history month as an opportunity to promote diversity in prayer.

-                      Introduce physical education classes to new forms and styles of prayer..

-                      Encourage reflection in oral and written forms in all subject areas (esp. drama)

 

 

4.             WORSHIP

 

a.                   Organize and prepare for the celebration of the Eucharist by the entire school community, and by smaller groupings.

b.                   Organize and prepare for non-Eucharistic liturgies with the school community or smaller groups.

c.                   Mark the movement of the liturgical year.

d.                   Initiate liturgies in response to the special needs of the school community.

e.                   Invite the widest possible participation in the worship life of the school.

f.                     Prepare liturgical celebrations that are appropriate for a community of young people and their teachers.

 

 

-                      Assume overall responsibility for school liturgical celebrations.

-                      Assist in preparing students to properly and reverently participate in mass.

-                      Assist with class celebrations / liturgies of the word.

-                      Use morning prayer / reflection to highlight important liturgical seasons.

-                      Connect students with their worshipping parish of Guardian Angels.

-                      Facilitate the development of staff as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

-                      Invite students & staff to participate as readers, gift-bearers, choir members.

-                      Encourage classes to offer their specific talents to the preparation and celebration of liturgy (art, drama, dance, English, etc.)

-                      Encourage classes to generate other occasions for celebration (saint’s days, Advent, Lent, Remembrance Day, justice issues, etc.)

-                      Increase opportunities for staff to celebrate together.

 

5.             THE SACRAMENTS

 

a.                   Attempt to ensure that the permanent chapel is properly outfitted for Sacramental celebration.

b.                   Assist students in entering into full sacramental involvement.

c.                   Arrange for the sacrament of Reconciliation to be available to students and staff through an all-day opportunity to go to confession within the school schedule.

 

 

-                      Connect students with the school Chapel and develop reverence for the sacred space.

-                      Enable staff to celebrate Eucharist as a community.

 

 

 

 

 

6.             RETREATS

 

a.                   Oversee the school’s student retreat program.

b.                   Organize a staff retreat day.

c.                   Organize, if possible, other times for staff to pray and reflect.

 

 

-               Oversee Grade 9 Retreat program (Rocky Ridge)

-               Oversee Grade 10 Retreat Program (Social justice, Dr. Simone)

-               Oversee Grade 11 Retreat Program (St. Jude’s Academy of the Arts)

-               Oversee Grade 12 Retreat Program (Downtown Toronto Street Patrol).

-               Enact flexible attitude w.r.t. students missing assignments / due dates in order to attend

retreats.

-                      Continue practice of student council retreat / mission statement.

-                      Oversee retreat program that meets the needs of Career Path students and that closely mirrors retreat programs for mainstream students.

-                      Utilize senior student leaders in the implementation and delivery of grade nine and ten retreats.

 

 

7.             COUNSELLING

 

a.                   Be available as a pastoral resource to students and staff who wish support in their spiritual lives or who need comfort and spiritual direction because of personal crisis.

b.                   Assist with accessing resources for grief counseling and bereavement.

c.                   Offer counseling at the level of ‘active listening’ and assisting individuals at the spiritual level.

 

 

-                      Maintain regular office hours, especially during student lunch hours.

-                      Bridge students and the diverse counseling resources available at the school and in the community.

-                      Develop personal knowledge around psychological issues related to teens.

-                      Make connections with community resources relating to these issues.

-                      Connect with the school social worker, child and youth worker, and school psychologist, and assist them in identifying students in need.

-                      Consider “Peer Mediation” program and applications for our school, with a particular focus on the PEACE Team (consisting of Senior students mentoring and guiding Gr. 9 and 10 students

-                      Deal openly and honestly with teen issues in class.

-                      Recognize that all staff have a counseling role- enable discussion in class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.             THE SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL IN THE SCHOOL

 

 

 

 

a.         Witness to the spirit of the Gospel by example in the school.

b.         Advise the Principal and the administration on decisions and policies relating to the Catholic nature of the school

c.         Attend Department Heads meetings, and speak on issues pertaining to the moral, spiritual and pastoral aspects of the school.

d.                   Attend staff meetings, and speak as needed, on issues related to the Chaplaincy program, Adult faith, the spiritual life of the school etc.

e.                   Be available to act as advisor in any academic subject area where there are issues of spiritual and moral significance, and where the Catholic perspective is needed.

f.                     Act in close association with the Religion department.

g.                   Prepare and make use of opportunities to assist in faith development of both students and staff.

h.                   Bring Scripture and theological reflection to bear on issues facing the school community or the world around it.

i.                     Involve staff in faith development activities / days.

j.                     Encourage all staff to witness to the Gospel by sharing their gifts and talents with the students and staff.

k.                   Create a recognizably catholic environment through the use of religious imagery, adornment and art.

 

 

-                      Outfit the chapel with permanent fitments (i.e. Stations of the Cross, Corpus, etc.)

-                      Role-model positive values, communication strategies and problem-solving skills within the school.

-                      Invite students and staff to widest possible involvement in service and charitable endeavors.

-                      Visit classes when invited, or when the curriculum may present an opportunity for Catechesis.

-                      Increase awareness of the justice issues within the community of Brampton and of the world itself.

-                      Invite staff to voluntary prayer / reflection / faith-sharing experiences.

-                      Enact plan for assisting students with basic needs within the school day (with a particular focus on providing hungry students with a lunch and/or snack).

-                      Invite staff to become involved as Faith Ambassadors.

-                      Connect with student council, through religious affairs rep.

-                      Participate in “Harvest Clean-Up” and “Earth Day / Week” activities (clean-up, tree-planting, etc.)

-                      Begin to plan a single fund-raising event that focuses on raising funds for Sharelife.

-                      Adorn all classes with crucifixes.

-                      Ensure that all teachers have a copy of the “Campion Prayer” in their homeroom and provide access to additional faith materials when requested.

-                      Formally recognize students caught ‘doing something right’ (postcard home)

-                      Make a conscious effort to adorn Chapel with seasonally appropriate themes and colours through the establishment of a Liturgical Committee that would oversee the ordering of banners, linens, and other appropriate adornments.

 

 

9.             JUSTICE AND PEACE

 

a.                   Foster and encourage in the school an awareness of the corporal works of mercy, and our call as Christians to serve.

b.                   Encourage the creation (or continuation) of volunteer service programs in the school.

c.                   Organize groups to help in food banks, soup kitchens and the like.

d.                   Help to raise consciousness about the needs of the poor, the marginalized, and the persecuted both at home and around the world.

e.                   Raise awareness of methods for bringing about real change in social structures.

 

 

-                      Be attentive to issues in the world relating to Peace and Justice and make students aware of the issues.

-                      Where appropriate, spearhead collections in aid of these causes and issues.

-                      Encourage staff and students to help actively with works of service and charity

-                      Encourage all staff to deal with issues of justice and peace in curriculum.

-                      Invite speakers into the school to speak on these issues.

-                      Encourage formation of student groups to address issues of Peace and Justice.

-                      Connect with “Development & Peace”, the social justice wing of the Catholic Church.

-                      Encourage connections with “Knight’s Table” and St. Vincent De Paul groups in Brampton.

-                      Continue involvement with “Life-Chain” and “Walk for Life” against abortion, in Ottawa.

-                      Continue practice of “24-hour ThinkFast.”

-                      Select an issue which would be our school’s to promote (i.e. Annual March for Peace)

-                      Install bulletin board to display / educate around social justice issues.

-                      Empower individual class responses to issues of justice and peace (i.e. civics class adopts a cause for the semester)

-                      Encourage all departments to adopt social justice concerns as focal points in classes.

-                      Continue practice of collecting / distributing money to worthy charities through student council fund-raising activities.

-                      Begin to plan for Nicaragua social justice trip to be run in March 2008

 

 

10.         CRISIS RESPONSE

 

a.                   Be available as a resource in times of crisis.

b.                   Respond pastorally in the event of serious illness, death or tragedy.

 

 

-                      Pass along bereavement situations to appropriate personnel as soon as possible.

-                      Assist with Pastoral and Spiritual responses to issues of bereavement and loss.

-                      Attend professional development opportunities related to bereavement and loss.

-                      Compose and enact the school’s bereavement plan.

-                      Mark anniversaries and times of mourning with the entire community.

-                      Direct students / staff to community resources and support for grief.

-                      Facilitate and lead prayer at times of grief and loss.

-                      As a staff, be flexible to student needs in times of bereavement (i.e. leaving class in order to come to the chapel).

 

The 2008 / 2009 Pastoral Plan

for St. Edmund Campion

Secondary School

has been read and approved by: