Japan Retreat and Assembly.
The annual retreat and assembly of the Brothers of Japan took place in Sendai from the 26th to the 30th of December. The topic was Circular 466, "They Will Call Themselves Brothers". Each of the communities took charge of one chapter and was also in charge of the liturgy/prayers of the day. The Brothers of Kagoshima handled chapter 1, "A Life Centered on the Gospel", on December 27. The next day, the Hakodate Community gave their reflection on chapter 2, "An Integrated Spirituality. Sendai handled the last day, December 29 and shared their reflections on chapter 3, "Offering Others a Way of Life". The morning were devoted to the presentations and the afternoons were devoted to group sharing. On the morning of December 30 the sector had an assembly and tackled some pressing issues.
In attendance also were Br. Thomas Lavin, Auxiliary Visitor and Br. Jorge Gallardo De Alba, General Councillor. I wish to thank the brothers and Br. Rodrigo for the well organized retreat and assembly.
SJI International – Top value-add International IB School in Singapore.
“The Class of 2013 at St Joseph’s Institution International ( SJI International) have achieved the best International Baccalaureate (IB) results ever attained in the short history of the school, and has soared to the top of the list of international IB schools in Singapore.
“Out of the 146 students who received their results earlier today, 37% of the students achieved 40 points or more out of a total of 45 points. This is up from a previous best of 25% in 2012. The school average was 37.5 points – making SJI International the top performing IB Diploma international school in Singapore. This is higher than the Singapore average of 36.5, and is significantly higher than the World average of 30.0.
“SJI International Scholar, Lim Dao Han, who is the top academic achiever of this year, scored a perfect 45 points. The School also saw 8 students who attained 44 points and another 8 obtaining 43 points.
“Dao Han says, ‘SJI International provided an excellent environment for students to thrive, both academically and with the other elements of IB, such as the Creativity, Action, Service programme. The student-teacher relationship in our school is like nothing I’ve seen before, and this close relationship meant that it was easier to learn from my teachers.’
“Mr Bradley Roberts, Principal of SJI International says, ‘We are very, very proud of our students, particularly because SJI International does not just focus on academics. We strive to develop people of integrity and people for others. Our students learn to recognise international and global issues, conduct meaningful action in the local and regional community, and develop qualities of leadership which will help them make a real difference in the world. The academic programme at SJI International is only one part of our holistic programme, which sees all our students fully involved in the very extensive programme of activities, sport and community service.’” (http://www.sji-international.com.sg)
CIL 2014.
“The CIL program on Animating Lasallian Communities officially began last 7 January 2014, here at the Casa Generaliza in Rome Italy. With the theme "Creating a Spirit: Faith, Community and Mission and the Work of Animation," almost 60 Lasallians --- Brothers, Lay Partners, Headmasters and Teachers from all over the world gather to take part in the discussions, reflections, sharing and dialogue about the evolving themes on Community and Animation.
“The first week of the program focused on giving the participants a panoramic view on Community and Society. Initial discussions also talked about the theological dimension of community. For the this week, the program will focus on the Lasallian Community Experience: Mission, Faith and Communion with Br. Antonio Bontana FSC as the main resource person.”
New Year Readings.
I am attaching the following documents of interest:
Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools: Living in Harmony for a Civilization of Love. This is a publication of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education. It stresses the need for education in deepening understanding of other cultures and thereby promoting peace.
The Gateway 50. This is the 50th issue of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family Bulletin. Aside from the new look and lay-out, I wish to congratulate Brother Patrick Tierney and Mr. Paul K. K. Tam for the impressive and informative articles on the beginnings of the Hong Kong Lasallian story and their experiences during World War II.
La Salle Center Newsletter. Volume 3, Issue 1 Newsletter of the La Salle Center in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Fraternally,
Br. Edmundo L. Fernandez FSC
Philippines
