Leading to Learn

Creating a Compassionate Fund in your School (Bernadette Stockman, St Mary's College, Auckland) http://www.stmaryak.school.nz/ Mercy Story links very closely with compassion Voluntary donations to the fund - current families, alumni, Mercy Day. Funds sits at around $40,000. $100,000 provided for pastoral care over the past two years. part funding only - a hand-up, rather than a hand-out only for families already enrolled - not used as an incentive to enrol offered, not applied for confidential prioritised - final decision with principal only for attendance, programmes, donations, in-school fees (not hardware, like laptops) externally audited funds also audited for Mercy values, compliance with policies

Catholic Schools and the Possibility of God Professor Br. David Hall, NZ Catholic University What is going on in the minds in the minds of the young people we are educating? Michael Sandel (Author of 'Boy in the Bubble'): From a market economy comes a market society/ "There is nothing money can't buy"     If we continue on our current trajectory, what will be in our future? Pope Francis challenges us... Michael Paul Gallagher: Secularism = individualism What sort of worl have we left our young people? Self-esteem has become "all about me" - sugar-coating, polyanna-ism, 1:1,000,000 message. But the problem with specialness = If I'm special, others must be less special. Everyone is made in the image and likeness of God: Ubunto - I am, because we are.   We are losing our Religion: Kiwis are loosing the faith in record numbers. People are still craving spiriruality - just not organised religion.   Mindfuln

Shoulder My Yoke and learn from me: Catholic Education and the Art of Accompaniment David Wells, director of Adult Formation and Youth Ministry, Diocese of Plymouth “ The spoonfool of honey” – take aways from this convention Why Now? Life wasn’t meant to be loved on our own. Accompaniment – pastroal approach of Pope Francis. “ We need a healthy dose of self-criticism” (Pope Francis) – it could be better than this. “Healthy dose of self-deception” (photo) Beware of Idealisation   - Be Careful - It’s too perfect “Excessive Idealization...has not helped to make vocatin more desireable and attracive, but quite the opposite” Pope Francis The world thinks – that we think...that those of us who go to church are better than them (even though we don’t think that) – means to them, that those who go to church are good. I’m not here because I am holier than you, better than you – I am here because I love it. Someone gave me the opportunity to be here. If we are a

Dealing with Conflict: Hammers of Harmony Task Focussed conflict – leads to a better or improved performace Relationship Focussed Conflict   – leads to reduced performance and needs to be dealt with High-Stakes (Hammer) – needs to be dealt with firmly, and quickly Low-stakes (harmony) – make most of window of opportunity that occurs straight after situatiom – and build practice. Plan for conflict ahead of time Conflict is: 1.       Part of life – inevitable 2.       Pervasive – can spread very quickly 3.       Potentially damaging Neuroscience: ·         Limbic System (feelings) – lights up (fight / flight / freeze) - switches off the prefrontal Cortex (thinking) ·         Prefrontal cortex not fully developed until about 25 ·         David Marx (Author of Whack a mole ) – we have a tendancey to want to whack a mole when conflict comes along. May or may not be appropriate. 70-90% of the time, when things go wrong, leaders l

The Joy of Catholic Foolishness Responding to Christ’s Call to Discipleship in the Age of Pope Francis Daniel P. Horan, OFM, PhD (Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, US) Take seriously the spiritual witness to foolishness – how can we become fools for Christ? Foolish? Jesus – everything he did turned expectations upside down, the suffering messaiah, perplexing, people misunderstand. Parables – take familar contexts and flip them upside down. Loving the unloveable? Forgiving that which was unforgiveable? Paul – in his first letter, outlines the absurity and foolishness of faith he is proclaiming. I   will destroy the wisdom of the wise... Has not God made fololish the wisdom of the world? God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. Difference between what human-beings (who is, what is important, wise and logical) and what God decides is wise and logical. St paul refers to the wisdom of the world. Paul – what we proclaim as Christians will make absolu

How Catholic Education Leaders can Tame the Media Crisis Communication Plan – have a “kit” ready to support any eventuation in a crisis 5 Steps to be Ready Roles ·         be clear about who is the spokesperson, speak the media, manage online forums (FB) ·         Need someone who is going to manage the media response – project manage to situation (not the spokesperson) – normally DP / AP ·         Writer / media liason  Predications and Statements ·         Communication key – sharing appropriate and correct information ·         Have statements ready for possible scenarios (holding statements), eg: ·         Explain role in the school ·         We’ve just be made aware of... ·         We are not sure of all the details at this stage, but what we do know is... ·         We are doing all we can to sort this out... We are... ·         Three Rs: 1        Regret / empathy 2        Response 3        Reassurance (you will either be seen as a victim