A Global Partnership Initiative of the Jesuit Schools Network
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Dear Global Companions:
"Slow me down Lord", this month's prayer says it all. Are you on high speed overload? Slow down and savor the moments of grace in your day, with your students, in the midst of your lessons and conversations with colleagues. Take a moment to read a book, watch and discuss a short video or a movie, contemplate a visit to China, consider walking the Ignatian Way. Prepare yourself a cup of tea or coffee and read through this month's Hemispheres with peace and companionship in your heart.
We share this Hemispheres issue with you with respect and admiration for all you do.
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"To act as a universal body with a universal mission"
GC35, D.2 #20
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Catharine Steffens
Director of Global Partnerships
Jesuit Schools Network
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International Faculty Book Club
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At
Loyola School
in New York City, our librarian, Ms. Hailey Watkins, has been running a Faculty Book Club for a few years now, and a collection of our faculty have been reading several international books to learn more about the world around us and the amazing authors from across the globe.
We would like to expand this club to more schools in the network and then to connect those faculty involved with discussions over Educate Magis through the
Connected Classroom
platform.
It is our hope to not only read some amazing books, but also build bridges across curricula through the power of storytelling. At this point, our club has focused predominantly on non-fiction to explore historical issues and current events in the world around us. We are currently reading
I Will Always Write Back
(pictured below), but are considering the books below as future contenders.
If you have any questions or potential interest in joining this program, please contact
Harry Egner
.
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The JESEDU-Jogja2020 Virtual Colloquium has begun!
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From January 15th to March 11th you have the opportunity to be a virtual delegate by discussing the themes which will be presented in Indonesia at the
II Colloquium JESEDU-Jogja2020 in July. Share your experiences and opinions on these themes and engage in a conversation with the global community.
Visit the Virtual Colloquium page here. Additionally we would like to encourage you to spread the word about this important global event by sharing this
informative article. Thank you!
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Lesson Plans and Resources
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Jesuit leaders called on the Catholic community to support and advocate for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. “What does that mean? It means putting our own credibility on the line and saying, ‘I believe in this,’” says Jesuits West Provincial Fr. Scott Santarosa, SJ. In this new year, Jesuit leaders reaffirm their commitment to fighting for those who seek refuge and
encourage the Ignatian family to join these efforts
. For more educational resources, visit Ignatian Solidarity Network’s
Campaign for Hospitality
and their
Virtual Teach-in on Migration
.
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The new film,
Just Mercy
is based on the true story of Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson. It follows Stevenson as he overturns the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit.
Catholic Mobilizing Network
has put together
a study guide and reflection resource
for educators to discuss the film with students in the context of Catholic social teaching.
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This Lent, put Pope Francis' Laudato Si' into action and fast from food waste! Learn more about why food waste is an environmental issue and register for the Lenten Food Waste Fast
here
.
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In December my Spanish 3 Honors students and I at
St. Ignatius College Prep
in San Francisco were exploring the topic of Community. For an authentic experience of tapping into our global Jesuit community, I tasked students with investigating potential classes on the
Connected Classrooms
site through
Educate Magis
. With coordinating help by
Ciara Beuster
w
e had a very positive response from
Luis Miguel Morales
, teacher of grade 8 students of English at
Sagrado Corazón
in Logroño, Spain. Our students researched and presented about their school in anticipation of our exchange. In addition, students of both schools prepared questions and answers to the following topics:
1. Presentation of our school and the daily routines of the students.
2. Presentation of our city and way of life.
3. Ways students are taking action to combat climate change.
This last conversation point coincided beautifully because the day we had our live video exchange, December 2nd, 2019, was the week of the
United Nations Climate Change Conference
held in Madrid. Our classes connected using Zoom through
CoCla.
Each group could see and hear the other. One student went up to the microphone at a time to ask and answer questions, the Sagrado Corazón students got to practice their English and the St. Ignatius students got to practice their Spanish.
This was a purely joyful experience for everyone!
The video exchange lasted an hour, and students left the class glowing and asking when we could repeat the exchange. Several students reported that it was the best and most memorable class of the semester!
Luis Miguel and I plan on continuing the relationship in 2020.
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Global Engagement Contests
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For those of you who are involved in
making videos
with your students, or have colleagues who are, here is an interesting contest for you to participate in!
BGreen
is an ecological film festival, now in its 10
th
year, hosted by
a Jesuit school in Portugal
and aimed at raising young people’s awareness towards caring for our common home in a creative way. This year’s theme, “
Earthability
” looks at sustainable consumption and the skills we must develop to interact with our planet in a sustainable way. Deadline for the submission of videos is April 12
th
and
more information can be found here
.
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Would you like your students to participate in a global
creative writing
contest? Check out
Tales for Peace 2020
. This contest, hosted by
a Jesuit school in Mexico
invites students from around the world to share their creative stories, re-imagining history. Students are asked to choose an important moment in history and ask themselves what the world would be like if that moment had been touched by a loving gesture and be as creative as they like to re-write history. Deadline for the submission of stories is February 10
th
and
more information can be found here
.
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Tag your photos with
#JSNGlobal
and SHARE your global journeys in & out of the classroom.
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For the past three years,
Loyola Blakefield
has run
The Ricci Experience
, an interdisciplinary summer program designed to expose students to Chinese culture. The heart of the program is a two-week excursion to China in collaboration with
The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies
, a Jesuit-run study abroad program based in Beijing. Students receive credit on their Loyola transcript in Theology (Chinese Religion) and History (Chinese History). In order to receive this credit, students need to attend classes prior to departure and submit a research paper about a week after our return.
We hope to invite another Jesuit high schools to partner with us in this program. This would mean that students would take classes online in Chinese Religion and / or Chinese History in partnership with the
Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute
and would join our trip to China. We invite any Jesuit school to join us! Please take a look at our
proposal
and our
presentation
if you are interested! You might also view the
blog
that we kept during our inaugural trip. Please contact
Brian Maraña
for more information!
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Connecting Spirituality and Sport
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Both my brother and I attended and wrestled at
Gonzaga
in the 90s. After a 4-year college wrestling career at Howard University, I landed back on Eye Street to take over the program as head coach. The furthest I had ever traveled while in high school was Allentown, Pennsylvania to Lehigh University where the National Prep Wrestling Championships were held and still are today.
And it wasn't until my 18th year at the head of a wrestling program at a Jesuit school that the opportunity arose for us to make a trip to Spain. We, I, had no idea what was in store. Our goal was simply to help connect Spirituality and Sport leading us to strong personal growth in real life.
First, Gonzaga's community is built on Ignatian Formation. An example of this is that each incoming freshmen at Gonzaga reads "St. Ignatius of Loyola: In God's Service" prior to attending any orientations or classes. This is especially important because our great institution draws its inspiration from the spiritual vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the apostolic and educational tradition of the Jesuits and it is critical that students understand the context and history of these methodologies.
A few things made this trip to extra special.
Having the unique opportunity to learn more about the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola up close and in-person was life changing for all us. To stand where he begged, to sit where he meditated and wrote, to worship where he shared the word of GOD, and to walk a portion of his 408 mile journey gave us an entirely new light and connection to what is being taught in the classroom, on field of play, and in the service and social settings on Eye Street.
Being able to train with wrestlers from another part of the world and growing the greater community of our sport was amazing. It would be great to have other teams share this experience with us, the next time we are able to make the trip.
As the coach of a youth wrestling program in Washington, DC, seeing how impactful the sport has been in the local communities of Barcelona was extremely humbling. It is our intention to have a similar impact in our home city through this sport. Gonzaga's program donated gear to the local wrestling club and got to sit and talk with a young Senegalese gentlemen who migrated alone from his home land (by way of Morocco) at 15 years old and two years later ended up in Barcelona, with a new family, the wrestling team.
All and all, we loved everything about our experience. We bonded, we prayed, and we learned more about ourselves and our relationship with GOD.
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In December we shared the incredible journey of
Ariel Laguilles running the Ignatian Way, with a faulty video link. Please watch the updated link to share in his journey.
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El Camino Ignaciano: A Video and an Opportunity to Walk in the Footsteps of St. Ignatius 2020!
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Would you like to
Walk in the Footsteps of St Ignatius 2020
? Please join other faculty and staff from the Jesuit Schools Network, July 16-28th, as they go on pilgrimage from the home of St. Ignatius to Manresa.
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JRS/USA's 2020 Advocacy Day
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Do you have students interested in being an advocate for the global refugee community? Consider joining
JRS/USA’s Advocacy Day
on
April 2
n
d
in Washington, DC. Not able to make it to Washington? Stand in solidarity with JRS by having your own day of action. Need ideas? Check out JRS/USA’s
Refugee Action Team Toolkit
or contact
Josh Utter.
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Registration is open for 2020 Summits:
MARYLAND | Feb. 28-March 1, 2020
OHIO | March 20-22, 2020
Join high school students from around the country for social justice leadership training grounded in the witness of Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
Register here
!
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We are living in tumultuous times. But we hear God’s call to “be strong and take heart”—to work with radical hope toward the promise of peace and justice, the vision of equality and dignity. Join with voices from the Ignatian network each day during Lent 2020 at the hope-filled intersection of faith and justice.
Subscribe here.
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The Jesuit Schools Network promotes the educational ministry of the Society of Jesus in service to the Catholic Church by strengthening Jesuit schools for the mission of Jesus Christ.
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