Catholic Schools’ Re-Entry Program – Post Covid 19
by Nemani Drova – Director of Catholic Education
1.0 Introduction
The document titled “Catholic Schools’ Re-entry Program – Post Covid 19“has been sent to schools by MEHA after the Minister of Education approved it.
2.0 Look, Listen, Love Bible Verse Sharing for Students.
2.1 One of the most important aspects of the plan is to use “Look, Listen, Love” Bible sharing for students. An example of it is given below:
With the help of the teacher, students are going to reflect on the problems in their lives, confined at home during the three months because of Covid-19 pandemic.
| 1 | Start with the teacher or a student praying inviting the Lord Jesus to lead the class in the bible sharing. Then show the class the video clip: What Is Love? https://www.youtube.com/watch?x=UOmx-gWI1jw |
| 2 | Share The Bible Verse below with the students:
“He said in reply, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself” [Luke 10:27] The teacher to make sure that all the students understand the meaning of each word in the above bible verse. Next, get students to sit in groups of 3 to 5 and share experiences which they found important or disturbing during the three months in which he or she was confined at home and the school was closed. One from each group to report to the class in relation to the bible verse. |
| 3 | Students then select one experience to discuss further from this list: unemployment, being hungry, lack of money, school work done, school work not done etc. Again one [new] student from the group report on their discussion relating it to a word or phrase clause from the bible verse or the opening video clip. |
| 4 | Taking a closer look at the problem.
Students then take a closer look at the problem they had chosen and one who was genuinely affected to share his/her experience with the rest of the class from each group. Students to volunteer. |
| 5 | Teachers and Students listen to God in silence.
Everyone to think about what God might say through the Scripture about the problem shared. Listen to God, meditate for 3 to 5 minutes. Each to put aside own thoughts and feelings – listen to God, think of words from the Bible. |
| 6 | Students to share what they heard in their hearts when they were silent and listening to God. Teacher to get a student to volunteer to talk – at least four students to talk.
(Timing – 2 periods of 40 minutes each) |
| 7 | Students to watch this video clip – WHO IS JESUS? From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOIMrXlM6u4
Then a student to pray for the final prayer |
2.2 Principals and Head Teachers are urged to use the Bible Verse Sharing in four ways from Week 2 to Week 5.
First during Religious Education Classes.
Second, during normal English classes and the sharing to be done by the English teacher.
Third during the Form Time at the start of each day.
Fourth, for the school to hold half day retreats for each class; staggered from Week 2 to Week 8.
3.0 Initially, it is crucial that the teachers themselves share their experiences using the “Small Christian Community” Bible Sharing. If ‘SCC’ has not been done, it must be done in Week 2 before attention is given to the students.
4.0 From Week 2 to Week 5 data will be gathered from schools by the Catholic Education Office on:
[a] the “new poor” students’ families.
[b] those students who may have witnessed domestic violence at home.
[c] those students who are not able to attend school.
Director Catholic Education will be visiting some schools in the Central and Western Divisions to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the plan.
Nemani Drova
Director, Catholic Education
