Aplicacions Bluetooth Low Energy

Champagnat College documentation clearly specifies not only the priority given to Catholic practices within the school but also outlines the nature of those activities. The right of the school to worship in keeping with Catholic tradition is a central aspect of the agreement between the school and the State and is unequivocally outlined in the school's Integration Agreement:

It is agreed by and between the parties hereto that as Rel igious observances and Religious instruction form part of the Education with a Special Character provided by the school, Rel igious observances and Religious instruction in accordance with the determination made from time to time by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of XI shall continue to form part of the School programme in accordance with Sections 3 1 and 32 of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1 975 (CCD#26:7).

Champagnat College is clearly committed to an overt demonstration of its Catholicity. The promotion of worship, prayer and other Catholic Christian practices frequently heads the lists of goals and purposes listed in Board and Religious Education documentation. Whilst tolerant of other religious traditions represented amongst the staff, student body and

families, student and staff attendance at school worship and other Catholic practices is compulsory .

Catholic practices at this school fall into two categories. Those which constitute a part of the fonnal organisation of the school include weekly assemblies; weekly liturgies; celebration of Eucharist at special times of the school's year, for example, Founder' s day and at the beginning and conclusion of the academic year; during highpoints of the Catholic Church's religious seasons such as Easter, Special Holy days, and Christmas and Retreat experiences for students provided by the Religious Education department. Infonnal, but still integral to Champagnat' s commitment to Catholic tradition, is the daily practice of prayer with students in ordinary classroom situations.

Formal worship

The pre-eminent focus for fonnal worship for the school as it is in the Catholic Church generally, is the celebration of the Eucharist or Mass held in the spacious college chapel. Champagnat schedules three school Masses during the school year attended by the whole school community, including parents and visitors as invited and available to attend. The school ' s multi cultural nature is nowhere more clearly illustrated than at these celebrations. Visitors, often representing the college' s Pacific Island network, past and present, are given a fonnal Maori welcome and process into the college chapel to the sound of Pacific Island drums. The Mass then begins with a welcome in many languages prepared by students. The tapa cloth, conch and flowers that adorn the altar highlight the Polynesian nature of the school ' s Special Character. The freedom of worship illustrated by such features raises some eyebrows as the following comment from a parent reveals:

During the Mass they play drums in there and do all sorts and I think 'Crikey!' We weren 't allowed to do that when we were going to Church. You know, I mean ... they get some messages through to the young ones (CClP# I : 1 2).

Student participation in the Eucharist is high. The enthusiasm and energy with which they sing the school song and the National anthem in both Maori and English is quite moving as young voices, spontaneously and quite naturally break into three or four part hannony.

Respect for, and the unique quality of, worship at Champagnat is apparent in this comment from the Principal:

I think that they way they attend the chapel, we don't have too much trouble keeping their attention and in Masses, there' s a total respect on most occasions. You know, there's always been one or two, and the student teachers here at the moment find, remark quite often the kids will actually say the prayers (CCIA#4C : 1 ).

This is supported by observations during a prizegiving celebration at Champagnat as this extract from fieldnotes illustrates:

It seemed to me that the students really 'owned' the ceremony, that it was theirs. Arthur replied 'I hope so, because we try to make it so' . This impression of m ine was also confirmed by the young teacher 1 met outside the chapel. She commented that she had never experienced anything l ike it (CCOS#5 : 8FN).

After a similar experience during the Mass of Founder's Day, this researcher finds herself in agreement with the staff member who observed with some humour that these students may, in many ways, behave like 'ratbags' but when they sing, "they sound like angels" (CCOS#2 :6FN).

Students play a significant role within the worship itself; as ministers of the Eucharist giving communion to their peers, as readers of the Scriptures and as leaders of the prayers. A liturgy committee consisting of student representatives under the leadership of the Director of Religious Studies provides opportunities for student input in the preparation of the Masses and is also perceived as fulfilling a double purpose in preparing the young people as liturgical leaders within their own parish communities.

Until the introduction of the four-term year in New Zealand schools, Easter was a major focus for school worship at Champagnat. However, the inclusion of the Easter break by the Ministry of Education into the first block of school holidays has had a limiting influence on the school's ability to provide a coherent and meaningful celebration of the maj or days in Easter Holy Week.

Prayer at Champagnat College

Prayer is perceived as _{such a fundamental element of the Special Character of Champagnat}

College and an important aspect of its Catholic practice that it has its own school policy. There are several purposes in promoting prayer as a normal part of the school culture:

1 . To emphasise the importance of God. Christianity and Cathol icism in the life of the school.

2. To ensure that the prayer aspect of the Special Character of the school is being fulfilled.

3 . T o encourage the students to accept that prayer i s an important part o f their life as a person.

4. To demonstrate to students that prayer is not restricted to chapel, but is integral to all classes in the school.

5. To ensure that there is prayer at the start of morning class, at the start of afternoon

class, and at the end of the day (CCD#2 1 ).

The policy clearly illustrates the significance of regular prayer for the development of personal spirituality, the Catholic Christian identity of the school, and the integration of these within the whole school culture. Parent newsletters contain many examples of the school as a praying community. Readers are urged to pray in times of personal distress for members of the school community, both internally and externally. For example, prayers are requested for families who have suffered bereavement; students who are sitting examinations; on one occasion for the safety of two Marist Brothers missing at sea and during local community crises. Special Chapel times for communal prayer are also a common practice as the Principal recalls in his own research thesis:

These 'special visits' occurred on three occasions in this case study period. On each of these occasions, the whole school was interrupted and called to the Chapel. One occasion, it was to announce, with prayer, the sudden death of a well known member of the wider community (CCD# 1 :78).

Students and staff also relate their experience of spontaneous prayer as _{part of the daily}

routine and before the beginning of sports events and festivals.

Champagnat is different from other colleges. They use to pray every day (CC#57). I like the prayer which we do for one minute at noon every day (CCD#6:8).

We pray at lot here, before sports matches, even at sports practices. Ah, before we do anything (CCISF#3B: 1 ).

Students are familiar with and comfortable with praying. Classroom prayer is a normal facet of their daily life at school. They understand and practice the 'norms' of praying, such as appropriate form and content. My own observations of a class at prayer illustrates this:

Bill began with a reflection on the Book of Wisdom and the students all bowed their heads in respect. There was no chatting or mucking about, although Bill used the occasion to develop their understanding of the word ' reverence' . One student whom Bill had called to the front of the room, asked him ' is the prayer finished then, Sir?' Bill replied 'No' and the student observed that they had not yet made the Sign of the Cross. Bill told him and the others to remember that they should stay in 'prayerful mode' . They remained fairly settled then until he 'officially' told them that the prayer was over (CCOSTS#8:2NF).

It was also apparent however, that routine also has the potential to dull the practice of praying. Without innovation, an over-familiarity with routine prayer can result in loss of spontaneity and depth as observed on two or three occasions when prayers at the end of the class were 'rattled off by students and staff alike.

Board of Trustees meetings begin with prayer, as do morning staff briefings and meetings. Prayers are offered, for example, for the friend of a staff member, during times of bereavement and as an exhortation to staff to serve others. Such reflections and their

sincerity made a deep impression on one visitor to Champagnat who equated this experience to his earlier experience of the school as a 'family' :

Wel l, primarily that impression came from the staff on the first day, where I think it was William had a reflection, and the whole process of having reflections and speaking from his heart and opening himself up to everybody else (CCISF# 1 4 :6).

Retreats

Each year, students at Champagnat have the opportunity to expenence retreats, which support the formal Religious Education programme provided by the school. The Staff handbook describes retreats as an experience:

Where a more experiential approach is given to teaching the values of Jesus (CCD# 1 1 : 1 2).

Students are taken off-site to a local community centre for a programme of reflection, prayer, group and individual activities, designed to encourage personal thought about spirituality and relationship with God. Retreats are prepared and conducted by the Director

of Religious Studies and other members of the Religious Education Department. As Brother Martin, one of the Retreat organisers and a former member of the Religious Education department, explained to a group of students:

You know how it is with some teachers ... who want you to go at l OOmph all the time? Well today we wil l be going at about 20mph ! (CCOSTS#S :2FN).

The school retreat offers an opportunity for personally affirming and supporting students in their spiritual, social and religious development. The following comments by students, who represent a range of ages and maturity, clearly illustrate their appreciation of the retreat expenence:

Let me tell you this now, it was a thril ling experience (CCD#3 :60).

The purpose of the retreat was to affirm one another and to grow in self-knowledge. The opportunity to pray together was enjoyed (CCD#6:7).

Remember the good times with friends at retreat (CCD#6: 8).

After the retreat you have more friends than you had before and that's more than you can ask (CCD#6:8).