The Essential Elements
Educating For Hope
An Invitation
The third Catalyst we welcome and invite you,
our Sion schools communities, into a journey of reflection, nourishment, sharing and growth around why we are called to educate for hope.
The Catalysts have a rhythm of inviting, preparing through centering, the catalyst stimulus, some reflecting and an opportunity to respond.
In this catalyst of the essential elements, the theme of curiosity is central to educating for hope. For Notre Dame de Sion schools, an essential element of educating for hope is dialogue and relationship and at the heart of this, is burning curiosity.
When students engage with those who do not have the same opportunities they enjoy, the possibilities for educating for hope are made possible. Curiosity in the life of the other opens up dialogue that may lead to a deeper understanding of the adversity faced by many in our world.
We share in this catalyst a painting by Naser, an asylum seeker, which represents the transformative power of his journey that not only opens the eyes of our students but also their hearts as relationships are formed. Could dialogue and hope be initiated through a respectful curiosity, and an openness to learn?.
This Catalyst invites us to ask….
What prompts my curiosity?
What do I want to ask? To discover?
Our Hope
Student Voices
Our journey begins by centering on our students…. our reason for being Sion Schools.
The voices of our students are our inspiration as they begin to share with us their hopes.
Centering
Take a minute or two
to centre into the catalyst theme
of educating for hope,
focusing or meditating
on the quotes and scripture passage.
My heart became hot within me.
While I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
The Psalm 39:3
Catalyst
World on Fire!
The Curious Incident of Moses at the Burning Bush
Fred Morgan, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Beth Israel, Melbourne
This Catalyst highlights the theme of curiosity, which is at the root of all educational endeavour:
Moses’ curiosity regarding the bush, and our own curiosity about the Biblical text that tells the story.
TRANSCRIPTS: English French Spanish Portuguese
Fred Morgan is Emeritus Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne;
Movement Rabbi of the Union for Progressive Judaism in Australia, New Zealand and Asia; and Professional Fellow in Interreligious Dialogue at the Australian Catholic University.
Reflecting
You are invited to take some time to reflect on what you have heard and to wonder with curiosity about “the other” in your life.
Draw on the wisdom emerging from your own truth and the artwork by Naser, an asylum seeker friend of Sion School Community in Melbourne. Naser is a Muslim who painted this piece of art while he was in detention.
For Naser, “The path through the centre of the painting represents the page to freedom, happiness and hope for the future.”
Centre yourself, then let your gaze settle on the image for a few minutes and allow whatever thoughts or feelings emerge from the experience.
Responding
Who am I?
…… the answer is to be found not in fleeing from life, but in engaging with life. Life is like a burning bush that is moulded and shaped but not consumed by the fire of his passion. This is his (Moses) calling, his hope.”
What prevents us from finding hope in our lives. How can we redirect the things which consume us in order to discover and know who we are?
“A burning bush in the hot desert, nothing to see here.”
What are the opportunities in our own lives that prevent us from seeing, but would allow us to be open to an encounter with God?
“What we do matters; we cannot be assured that we will be successful, but we must act. This is the essence of hope”.
What actions are we called to take in order to bring hope to others?
How might the understanding of hope presented by Rabbi Fred in this catalyst inform our work with the students in our school?
