COP26 Visit with Edmund Rice Network
We were delighted to have the opportunity to visit the COP26 Green Zone in Glasgow during the most important climate conference of world leaders in our generation.
Members of our Eco Group, Harry Leaver, Michael Nwaiwu, Itua Ehimwenma, and Jacob Karinitan, along with our new Chaplain, Mr Murray, joined members of the Edmund Rice Network and students from St Anselm’s College at the public events.
The students learnt so much from the experience, attending workshops on sustainable design and productivity, youth-led campaigning, and social innovation and climate justice. They are really motivated to make big changes back in school and have already met with Mr Rainey to urge him to ensure the school eliminates single-use plastic from our canteen!
Forest of Promises
As part of a big push to promote the importance of COP26, our ERI and Eco Group members coordinated our involvement in WWF’s Forest of Promises campaign, challenging world leaders to listen to our climate concerns, and offering our own suggestions for how they can change the world for the better!
All students from Year 7-13 were involved in producing over 200 leaves which were sent to COP26 for display during the conference. It was amazing to see them at the Green Zone when we visited with the Edmund Rice Network!
To promote climate action further, some of our students delivered a ‘Teach the Teacher’ workshop to staff, highlighting their climate concerns and shining a spotlight on climate anxiety amongst young people.
Interfaith Week 2021
The diversity of our faith community is very important to us, and is something we are very proud of. To mark international Interfaith Week 2021 (14th-21st November), we invited our students who practice non-Christian faiths to attend a gathering aimed at encouraging interfaith dialogue.
It was amazing to hear the voice of a Muslim student, Abdul Kafagi, as he shared his experiences of joining a Christian school as a devout practitioner of his faith. The students were very honest and open about the great work done at St Ambrose to make them feel welcome, but they were just as honest about the challenges we still face and the changes we still need to make in order to cater for those with different views to our own!
We will be inviting representatives from this group to join our Chaplaincy Committee meeting to ensure their concerns are heard and that we remain mindful of the traditions and festivals which mark their religious calendars.
Black History Month
Our Head Boy, Michael Nwaiwu, organised a series of events in school to mark Black History Month in October. Our main focus was a series of documentary films in the Lecture Theatre showcasing the lives and impact of prominent people of colour.
Walking in the Footsteps of Edmund
It was brilliant for our Year 7 pupils to get their induction into the Edmund Rice Network from the ER Network Team in September!
To supplement these sessions our Chaplain, Mr Murray, has begun a programme for the whole year group which aims to develop their understanding of the Eight Essentials. Involving eight short workshops in the Chapel, we have already delivered the first of these, ‘Hearing Our Calling’.
It is so important that our new intake understand that the Eight Essentials are a tool for them as much as one for the school!
Year 7 and Year 8 retreats
All our Year 7 and 8 students went to Castlerigg retreat Centre in the Lake District for a retreat in October. All our new students get this opportunity every year except, of course, last year’s intake due to Covid! So, this year saw a bumper two weeks of retreats led by Mr O’Neill and Miss McCrory and supported by so many of our staff.
The pupils get a chance to explore their own faith creatively, and to learn what it means to be a pupil at St Ambrose. Of course, some of the highlights are actually away from the retreat sessions; the boys loved mealtimes, their walking tour of Keswick and the shores of Derwent water, muddy games of football in the evenings and, of course, dorm time!
We believe retreats are such an important part of the boys’ early formation and certainly live up to the principle of Concern for the Whole Person. It is incredible to see them coming out of their shells just weeks into their time with us here at St Ambrose!
O God, we thank you for the life of Edmund Rice.
He opened his heart to Christ present in those oppressed by poverty and injustice.
May we follow his example of faith and generosity.
Grant us the courage and compassion of Edmund as we seek to live lives of love and service.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.