Arbor school in Trinidad

July 31st, 2010 1 Comment

Arbor School, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

I’m posting an article about a new school in Port of Spain, Trinidad, as it was published in a local newspaper: http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2010/05/30/learning-difference-creating-well-rounded-kids.

Marilyn O’Brien is the first woman Numerary member of Opus Dei from this wonderful Caribbean nation. She went to Dublin for her college studies and met some people of the Work there, and joined Opus Dei. Then she decided to stay in Ireland, as there were no centres of Opus Dei in Trinidad, nor were there any short-term plans for opening one there. She returned to Trinidad in 1982, and went back to teaching at St. Joseph’s Convent, the girls Catholic school -one of the more prestigious in the country- where she had been a student before going to Ireland.

I remember her first comment when I met her, just arriving from Ireland: ‘I never thought to see Opus Dei in my island during my lifetime!’ (She actually said those words almost as a greeting to everyone she was meeting those days!)

Now she can tell us how much the Work has grown in Trinidad: she came back in order to start the very first Centre of Opus Dei in the West Indies!

As you read the article, pray for Rosewood School for girls, already functioning within Arbor’s premises, and Trimont School for boys [Thansk, Fr. Gutiérrez and sorry!] (starting soon, God willing!) (NOTE: Highlights are mine!)

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Arbor offers learning with a difference

Creating well-rounded kids

Published: 30 May 2010

Pupils pay attention in their Spanish class last Wednesday in Arbor’s school in St Clair. Photos: Jennifer Watson

A well-rounded child. That’s the wish of almost every parent. And Arbor, an educational institute in St Clair—established in September, 2008—is offering just that opportunity. Arbor believes that academic education should aim at excellence across the whole range of intellectual disciplines. According to the school’s draft charter of educational principle, “The best way to meet this standard is through a combination of different approaches; formal class teaching, informal class excursions, smaller group activities, and individual attention.” The aim is to stimulate students to explore and discover not just individual truths, but also the greater truths which exist in all things, and to provide each student with a personalised and balanced education in intellectual, cultural and spiritual matters that promote a sense of individual and social responsibility.

Principal Nicola Ramsaran, left and Academic director, Marilyn O’Brien.

Your bundle of joy will benefit from neuro-development, Spanish and music, every day, from as early as two-and-a-half years old. The school was established by a group of parents and educators to offer learning with a difference. Principal Nicola Ramsaran, in an interview, said the founding members believed that too much emphasis was placed on academics and not enough on the development of the whole person.

“We felt that personalised education was lacking. We wanted to make learning fun and demanding,” Ramsaran said. The pupils who at present range from just over two to age eight, are taught different virtues in Arbor’s character development programme. “Once a term we highlight a virtue,” Ramsaran said. This term the pupils are learning the virtue “sincerity/honesty” which they are also taught by their parents. “Parents are the primary educators.” Parents are not left out of their child’s school life. Once per term, an adviser meets with the parent. The Catholic school also has religious instruction, and its philosophy includes the unquestioned acknowledgement of the existence of God.

Developing skills
Daily, pupils develop their motor skills during the neuro-development programme. This is when they perform different activities, such as balancing, rolling, jumping and even climbing in what is called the circuit. Therefore, if a child’s motor skills need to be developed, or he or she has any disability, this could be identified at an early age. The pupils are also required to listen to a piece of music for two weeks. Every day the music is discussed. It’s quiet time where they can truly understand the music they are listening to. Though at present the pupils are no older than eight, every year Arbor adds another year to the institute. This means that in addition to the pupils already at the school, applications are entertained.

Habla Espanol?
Learning Spanish at Arbor is more than routine. When the Sunday Guardian visited a kindergarten class, some students were speaking to the Spanish assistant in fluent Spanish. Apart from being momentarily distracted by the photographer, the children were disciplined and quickly focussed on their teacher. Academic director, Marilyn O’Brien, says they saw the need for an alternative. “This is the first bilingual school. I don’t know if it’s the only one, but it’s the first,” she said. The pupils are taught Spanish by four assistants whose native tongue is Spanish. “The Spanish assistants speak only Spanish to the children,” Ramsaran said.

In turn, the children respond in Spanish. Even during break time, the Spanish assistants speak their native language. When asked about school violence, O’Brien said: “There has been no incidence of school violence. They have learnt to look out for each other.” The children are also taught how to carry out daily chores and are taught how to be mannerly, which forms part of the school’s learning situations programme.

A few of the daily learning situations:
• Incidental action
• Tasks
• Neuro-development
• Music auditions
• Knowledge bits

With these situations, such as incidental action, they are taught to raise their hands before speaking.

O’Brien said Arbor sought to develop citizens of T&T and the world who would contribute more meaningfully to the society. Parents also get their fill as the school hosts a parent enrichment programme once a term, when different topics are discussed. They even offer baby-sitting for those who need it while attending the programme. “It’s normally filled.” Ramsaran said Arbor had a vibrant Parent/Teacher Association as well. “Each class has a parent representative. We cannot have the school without the input of parents.”

Some of Arbor’s assurances
• There will be no discrimination on social, cultural or financial grounds. On the contrary, any differences should be seen as a means of mutual enrichment.
• Our schools will share their resources with the wider community. Our schools will be social and educational centres for the community which they serve through family enrichment programmes, teacher training programmes and other social and civic initiatives.

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Religious freedom

July 29th, 2010 2 Comments

Religious freedom

Pope will address religious freedom in the World Day of Peace

“Religious freedom, the path to peace.” This is the theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the celebration of the 2011 World Day of Peace. The World Day of Peace — celebrated since 1968 on the first day of every year — will be therefore dedicated to the theme of religious freedom. As is well known, in many parts of the world there exist various forms of restrictions or denials of religious freedom, from discrimination and marginalization based on religion, to acts of violence against religious minorities. Religious freedom is rooted in the equal and inherent dignity of man, it is oriented toward the search for “unchangeable truth,” and thus can rightly be presented as the “freedom of freedoms.” As such, religious freedom is authentically realized when it is experienced as the coherent search for the Truth and the truth of man.

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A religious freedom-related item that has made a lot of waves lately is the news about Dr. Kenneth Howell of the University of Illinois.  Dr. Ken Howell taught classes in Catholicism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In the context of these classes, he taught that the Catholic Church teaches–based on its adherence to natural moral law–that homosexual acts are inherently disordered. His teaching what the Catholic Church teaches in a course on Catholicism was deemed to violate University rules of inclusivity, and his position was subsequently terminated from UIUC.

Related articles:

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Jacobean Jubilee Year – Año Santo Compostelano

July 19th, 2010 5 Comments

News from the Forum:

Openning of the Jubilee Door at Santiago de Compostela

Holy Year of St James ushered in on the eve of new year 2010

“A Pilgrimage Toward the Light”

Starting on New Year’s Eve, 2010, at 16:00 hrs, with the opening of the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago, the Jubilee Year of St James was ushered in. In the afternoon of the last day of 2009, in one of the most beautiful places in Europe ―the Plaza del Obradoiro de Santiago de Compostela, a symbol of the European continent’s identity―, the Archbishop of the City, Monseñor Julián Barrio, and the President of the Galician Board, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, inaugurated the St James Holy Year 2010.

Año Santo Jacobeo (or in Galician language Ano Santo Xacobeo) is the holy year of St. James. It takes place the year when the 25th of July (day of St. James) falls on a Sunday.

This happens with a fixed period of 6-5-6-11 years which implies that there are fourteen Años Santos Jacobeos every century.

During the St. James holy year, Catholics can get the Jubilee indulgence. In order to obtain it they must:

1. Visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, where St. James the Great was buried.

2. Pray some prayer (at least the Credo, Our Father and pray for the Pope’s intentions). It is recommended to attend to mass.

3. Receive the Sacraments of Penance (it may be between 15 days before and 15 days after) and Communion.
In summary, the Jubilee grace consists of a plenary indulgence for the forgiveness of the eternal punishment due to sin.

The first Año Jubilar or Jubilee Year was granted by the Pope Calixtus II in 1126, although, there are some doubts on the beginning of this tradition: For more information, see: Holy Years in Santiago de Compostela – AMAWALKER Blog
The last Jubilee Years were in 1993, 1999 and 2004. The next ones will be in 2010 and 2021.

The tradition for pilgrims is to walk the road, frequently from Roncesvalles to Santiago.

At the Cathedral, they will “hug the Apostle”, from the back…

Here are a couple of images:

St. James

"Hugging" the Apostle

El Camino de Santiago - The Jacobean Road

The Puerta Santa (Holy Door), which gives access to the Cathedral from the Plaza de la Quintana is opened on 31st December on the eve of each Holy Year, and walled up again a year later. As in the past, pilgrims reaching Santiago during a Holy Year, and fulfilling the conditions for it, are granted a plenary indulgence. (This means that you can get remission for all of your worldy sins). The plenary indulgence is given, not only in Holy Years, but also in ordinary years on Easter Sunday; 21st April (the anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral); and on St James’s three feast days. (25th July, 30 December and 23 May).
On the eve of St. James’ Day (the 24 July) a magnificent firework display is held on the Orbradoiro facade of the cathedral called the “Fuego Del Apóstol”. An impressive statue of St. James as a warrior is taken from the cathedral and carried through the streets. Further celebrations are held to commemorate the removal of the remains to Spain on 30 December.

Over 12 million pilgrims are expected to visit Santiago in 2010.

Hundreds of thousands (250 000 has been suggested) of pilgrims are expected to walk to Santiago in 2010 – not only because it is a Holy Year but because the next Holy Year will be eleven years later.

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Cross

July 17th, 2010 2 Comments

The Crucifix

In his July letter, the Father suggests: “On your desk or in some inconspicuous place that nobody notices, you perhaps place your CRUCIFIX to awaken in you a contemplative spirit and to act as a textbook for your mind and soul where you learn the lessons of service.” (Friends of God, 67)

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In several news channels, we’re told the sad news that the European Court of Human Rights “found that the exhibition of a crucifix in the classroom of a public school violated the rights of (secularist) parents to educate children according to their own philosophical convictions, as well as the religious liberty of those parents’ children”.  :-(  ”What we are again seeing is a monolithic European court overreaching into the sovereign affairs of a nation that simply wants to manage cultural issues according to its own laws. … That reason together with the considerable concerns over the protection of religious liberty from outside courts are why Italy’s case is so important and why its appeal, currently in motion, should prevail.”

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A friend of ours has gone around encouraging his friends to put up the Cross once again, especially in places where it’s been taken away. You might want to join him in doing the same…

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Other related or interesting items:

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The Eston way

July 13th, 2010 2 Comments
A few days ago, my sister sent me this article from The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, and a note: “We hit the papers.” Do pray for all these activities.

Trinidad and Tobago Guardian

The Eston way

Study centre helps young women develop intellectual and moral virtues

CAROL QUASH,

Published: 28 Jun 2010

The Eston way

Members of the Eston Study Centre team: From left, Siobhan Bereaux, Monica Joseph, Chrelle Moses, Cecily Petzall and Rebekah Chin Lee. Photo: Andre Alexander

The expression “its a man’s world” has become obsolete, since women have infiltrated spaces that were previously dominated exclusively by their male counterparts. And Director at the Eston Study Centre in St Clair, Cecily Petzall, is all for women excelling in their career preferences, while maintaining their values, spirituality and femininity.

For years Petzall and her team at the centre have been offering the young women who use the facility the opportunity to make their mark while simultaneously enjoying life to the fullest, as they engaged in constructive activities—academic and otherwise.
The centre is owned and run by Projects in Education, and is a corporate apostolate of Opus Dei, a personal Prelature of the Catholic Church.

And according to Petzall, its goal is to help young women develop a wide range of intellectual and moral virtues. “At the Eston Centre we provide a comfortable study environment for schoolgirls from ten to 18. It is a supplementary educational centre dedicated to the academic and character formation of young women. Through academic programmes, service projects, and outings, we help them to seek excellence in their studies and to be women of service,” Petzall said, adding that one of the highlights of the centre was its annual Summer camp.

Now fashioned after a camp in Venezuela, Petzall said the Eston Centre Summer camp ceased to be traditional since 2004.
She said a team of young women no older than 25, among them Monica Joseph, Siobhan Bereaux, Chrelle Moses and Rebekah Chin Lee, took on voluntary leadership roles as leaders, monitors and mentors at the centre.

She said some of them had joined the team as monitors, while the others had moved up the ranks after being campers. “Tradition has played a great role at Eston. We have the same campers coming every year, and when they become too old to be campers, some of them volunteer their time as monitors. “The friendships that are forged break many of the artificial barriers we find in society,” Petzall said.

According to Joseph, a 21-year-old Fashion Design student, the camp offered an opportunity for her to express her creativity, while it fostered an environment of unity and instilled virtues and morals in all those involved. Joseph is responsible for the running of the “girls’ club,’” which is a year-round programme for girls between the ages of nine and 12. She said it involved different sessions, including arts and craft and cooking.

“This is a little different, though, because between sessions we have talks about things that the girls want to talk about.”
She said this created an opportunity for respect and bonding, which usually held throughout and long after the sessions had ended. Bureaux, a 22 year-old Economics graduate, said her first encounter with the centre was study related, and the rest was history.

“I began going to Eston Study Centre after being invited by a friend to study there while I was a Form Three student at Providence Girls Catholic School. What impressed me was the comfortable study environment,” Bureaux said. “Its what we use to reel them in,” Petzall quipped in. Bureaux said she eventually got involved in other activities, including the Summer camp, where she offered her services as a camp leader.

“I discovered things about myself that I didn’t even know I was capable of. It was a big commitment, but it was very rewarding, especially when you see the big changes in the girls in your care. They learned how to be more generous, orderly and creative,” she said.

For 21-year-old Moses, a final year Speech and Language Science student at the University of the West Indies, the Eston experience had worked its magic on her. She said her participation in the Hands On Training in Hospitality programme was what got her hooked. “I learnt so many things during those two weeks. Catering basics, etiquette, event management and housekeeping. Even my parents were impressed, because after that our house became more organised,” she chuckled.

“We think its important to help women to learn to express their femininity. Women are generally good at things like cooking, cleaning and nurturing, and just because they are professionals it doesn’t mean they should not embrace their feminine sides. These are things that should be appreciated as much as any masculine trait,” Petzall added.

And Chin Lee, a 20-year-old Biochemistry student at North-eastern University in Boston and outdoors person, has served as camp monitor and leader at several of the centre’s Summer camps.
She said one of the things she appreciated most about the camp’s activities was the friendly competition and team spirit.

“There are a range of activities and everything involves a competition. And not just for regular activities like kayaking or horse back riding. Teams get points for cheerfulness, courage, politeness etc. You name it and there is a competition for it,” she explained. This year’s camp runs from July 5 to 16 and, in keeping with the World Cup fever, the theme is Eston’s Summer Cup.

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