As every year, our schools in Chile come together to participate in the “Summer School,” an event that brings together more than 200 people in the last days of December.
This important training activity aims to deepen the topics that the Pious Schools of Chile wish to promote through their strategic objectives, as well as to align with the training interests of the participants themselves.
Several keynote lectures were given, and workshops on various educational topics were organized. A discussion forum was also included.
On the first day, Piarist Juan Carlos Gómez invited us to reflect on the theme “To educate is to accompany.” He pointed out that this important experience and element of Piarist identity consists of helping students encounter God. Accompaniment is the “encounter between two humanities to cooperate in the construction of the other as a person.” We appreciate the closeness and depth with which he addressed this very important topic.
Another of our guests was Antonio Amado, professor of Philosophy and Metaphysics, who gave a lecture entitled “Illuminating life through affectivity and sexuality.” The professor invited us to delve deeper into “God’s initial plan for humanity” through some passages from the book of Genesis. In this divine plan, human sexuality is a gift that should be shared; man and woman were created for communion. Therefore, educating about sexuality means reaching out to others, rather than focusing on impulse or desire.
The third talk was given by Professor Ángel Martínez, from the Cristo Rey school in Zaragoza. He spoke to us about how to move towards a “successful school,” which involves breaking down certain ‘walls’ built into institutional dynamics, such as the lack of time and the historical obstacle of “it’s always been done this way.” He pointed out four keys to bringing about change: a culture of care, security, radical consistency, and the family-school alliance.
The discussion “How to make the charism sustainable in schools today” was attended by Juan Carlos Gómez, Ángel Martínez, and our Calasanzian sister, Maricarmen Gonsalves. It was moderated by Professor Claudia Mayorga. Among the most important topics mentioned for sustaining the charism were the need to form communities that collaborate together, accompaniment, charism, and our identity as Pious Schools.
We are grateful to those responsible for the “Peralta Formation School” for organizing this meeting, and especially to those responsible for the Calasanz school, who prepared each space with dedication and care.
