S. Peter s Collegiate School Christian Ethos Newsletter

Transcription

1 Dear Reader, S. Peter s Collegiate School Christian Ethos Newsletter Here at S. Peter s School our Christian ethos is part of everything we are and do here. This is summed up in our Mission Statement that says, Our Academy seeks to be a worshipping Christian community built on Agape (unconditional love), Courage, Trust and Forgiveness. Our mission is to educate the whole person so that each may be enabled to unlock their full God given potential At S. Peter s we try to encourage our students to recognise the importance of faith and the values that religion can teach us. At the core of our pastoral care are our Five Learning Keys; Be Respectful; Be Responsible; Be Supportive; Be Reflective; and Be an Active Learner. These have been linked to the teachings of the world s six religions; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. We believe, as a faith school, that students have an opportunity to become aware of their spiritual selves, and reflect upon our core Christian Values of; Love (Agape), Courage & Perseverance, Compassion, Faith, Hope & Trust, Forgiveness, Fellowship, Friendship & Community and Humility. We hope that this newsletter will give you a flavour of our Christian community.

2 Our Core Christian Values Here at St. Peter s student have identified core Christian Values that they feel are important to them. They are: Love (Agape), Courage & Perseverance, Compassion, Faith, Hope & Trust, Forgiveness, Fellowship, Friendship & Community and finally Humility. Students have depicted these in the following ways. These Silk Screens were done by our students during a Spirituality Day to reflect our core Christian Values.

3 Our Reflection Walls Each Form has its own Reflection Wall. This is some of the work that the students have produced.

4 Our Five Learning Keys The Academy has identified Five Learning Keys. These are:

5 The 5 Learning keys have been linked to six of the world religions; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism & Sikhism and some of their core teachings and values.

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8 Our prayers for the school, ourselves, our families & the world Dear God, Thank you for all my friends and family who are always with me no matter what I m going through. Thank you for the support you have given me through the hard times I have had. Please Lord, bless the people closest to me to have a forgiving heart and give me another chance to prove myself. Amen Dear Lord, I thank you for my food, water, shelter and warmth that you give me. Thank you for helping me through tough times and thank you for forgiving me when I ve done wrong. We thank you for looking down and protecting us. Thank you for giving us Jesus, your Son, who died on the cross for us to repent our sins. I thank you more for the wonderful gifts we will receive this Dear God, Please protect people from all the bad things in the world. Save lives and don t let them be taken. Please save lives and help people who have lost their loved ones. Amen. Dear God, May all the children in the world suffering from poverty be safe and secure during this time of family. May all the wars stop, so the soldiers can go home to their families and enjoy this joyous time of year. Amen Dear Lord, Thank you for forgiving us when we have taken things for granted and maybe not acting the way we should. Thank you for sharing your love with all of us here on earth. Amen Christmas day. Amen.

9 Heavenly Father, Thank you for being there for us in our times of need and in our times of trouble. Please keep watch over us. Amen. Dear Lord, Forgive us for all the bad things we ve done in the past. Help us to move one and forget all the hard and unforgettable memories. Thank you for this day. Thank you for giving us life. Thank you for everything. Dear God, Please help us to respect each other no matter what religion, or colour we are and let us spread happiness around the world. Amen Amen. Dear God, Thank you for friends and family. Thank you for everything we have. Please help those less fortunate than ourselves. Please help others to live out their lives. Sorry for the wrong things that we do. Sorry for not treating each other the right way. Amen Dear Lord, We thank you for giving us life this morning. We pray that you will protect us and keep us with the right mind towards our education. Help us get our GCSES. For those who have no family we pray you will help them and help us to be grateful. Amen

10 Reflections from our Reflection Diaries Students were asked permission to record some of their personal reflection from their reflection diaries. None of the students have been identified, nor the year group to which they belong. Friendship A friend would not walk all on me if I got something wrong. For example if I got into trouble he would still be my friend (I will try not to get him into trouble). By trouble I mean minor trouble, not serious trouble. A true friend would not turn their back on you because they are your friend. They might help you when you need help. Recipe for Uniqueness 1 cup of Goodness 1 cup of Love 2 cups of Happiness Unlimited Epicness and Awesomeness

11 Recipe for Uniqueness 1 Cup of Cheerfulness 2 teaspoons of Happiness 3 heaped cups of Joyfulness 4 tablespoons of Humour A dash of Funny A pinch of Understanding Equality Everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Even though we are all different, God treats us all the same. This is why I have chosen the quote, Men are born equal, but they are also born different. Erich Fromm Perseverance When bad things come your way keep going even though it is hard Don t veer off the track, keep going even when it is hard Be determined Don t let an obstacle overcome you

12 Why I like Form Worship Year 7 were asked to do a questionnaire on Form Worship. This is a brief summary of what they said I always like Form Worship. It is very relaxing and I get to write what I think about. I like it because some of it is quiet times. I think it is good because we get times to ourselves. I enjoy it all the time because it is nice to write down my feelings so that I can see them for myself and think about why I have those feelings. It feels relieving to write them down and not hold them in. I really enjoy Form Worship because I get closer to God. I like it because we reflect and we are quiet. It teaches me more about God and helps me to reflect on what I have done that week. In your reflection diaries you can write things down that trouble you. The silence is calming. Why I chose S. Peter s for my child to come to Parents were asked in a survey why they chose S. Peter s for their child to come to. This is a brief summary of what they said.. Our faith is important to us and by being a part of S. Peter s Christian school our child is learning alongside faith values. We love Jesus and this message is key at S. Peter s. As parents we feel the beliefs and values that a Christian school can offer are much more important than in a main stream school. It was important to choose this type of school as it was fundamental for my child to receive a good, positive Christian ethos which can be incorporated into our child s daily life. At S. Peter s a Christian education is provided in a safe, secure and respectful place. All members of the school are valued and expected to reach their full potential. The Christian ethos provides excellent values for later life. The biggest strength for me is having a chapel and Rev. Paul always at school. Added strengths are the Christian Union and the Burning Ones Prayer Group. The teachers are amazing and relay the message to be kind and learn well to be successful in life.

13 Our School Prayer Our School Prayer. This has been made by students from the thousands of prayers offered by students from all year groups. This version was presented for printing by the students of the school s Christian union on May 21st, Living God, Thank you for the family of Saint Peter s. Please help us grow in friendship with each other. Thank you for all the people who serve us. Fill them with your wisdom to guide us, your courage to keep us safe and your love to care for us. Help us show them respect. Thank you for all our fellow students. Fill us with your joy as we celebrate our successes and comfort us in our sorrows. Thank you for our friends, please help us to show kindness to all others equally. We are sorry for the times we've been unkind, please forgive us. Thank you for choosing Saint Peter and giving him the keys to heaven. Help us follow his example and keep trying, even when we fail and keep trusting even when we doubt. Thank you, Lord, for being our friend. Help us grow in faith through our school lives and be closer to you. These are our words, this is our prayer, we offer in the name of Jesus. Amen

14 The Lord s Prayer This is one of the most important prayers for Christians. It was taught by Jesus to his disciples and followers during the Sermon on the Mount. It can be found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6 verses 9-15.

15 The Grace The Grace is a name for any of a number of short prayers said before or after a meal. The Grace can be said as a thanksgiving to God. It is sometimes said at the end of a meeting or gathering as a form of blessing to those who have taken part.

16 Our Christian Values Love (agape) Courage & Perseverance Compassion Faith Hope & Trust Forgiveness Fellowship Friendship & Community Humility If we as students, teachers, support staff and parents practice these values towards one another then S. Peter s Church of England Academy will truly be a family.