Chaplaincy
Full Time Lay Chaplain: Miss Samantha Downes
The team consists of students from Years 9-13 who are interested in helping to work towards continuing to make St Augustine’s School a welcoming, caring and supportive place.
Individual members of staff, along with Father Paul Smith, our Catholic Chaplain take an active part in the work of Chaplaincy in school. Fr Mike Bartlett, our Anglican link Chaplain from St Peter’s Church, Crabbs Cross also takes a part in the wider spiritual life of our school community.
We enjoy strong links with our main feeder school St Bede’s.
St Augustine’s School is;
“A Christ-centred learning community committed to the
Development of the whole person”
Chaplaincy feels that there are many reasons for
celebration.
At the heart of our existence is a love of God that spurs us
towards caring for all students and staff, whatever their need and belief.
All are welcome to join our Chaplaincy Team whatever your faith and beliefs.
There is the opportunity to help in so many different ways.
1. Peer Mentoring
We have trained student Peer Mentors working within our school. Each Peer Mentor, from Years 11-13 receive a half-day’s in house training session using materials from CHIPS- ‘CHildline In Partnership with Schools’ . Additional support and training is also given to Peer Mentors through regular monthly lunch time meetings. The work of the Peer Mentors is co-ordinated by the Peer Mentor co-ordinator together with other members of staff, and student co-ordinators from Years 12 and 13.
The work of Peer Mentors can be defined in the following ways:
(a) Tutor Group:
They support each Tutor Group in Year 9. Two Peer Mentors are
assigned to each Tutor Group. Therefore, as there are 8 Tutor Groups, 16 of our Peer Mentors are assigned to work within Tutor Groups. Peer Mentors carry out their work during Form Assembly time. They run the daily drop-in and ongoing student support.
In addition, several Peer Mentors also act as “Specials” for students who require extra support and mentoring outside of Form Assembly time.
(b) Day to day work in and around school.
The Peer Mentors are there to help, support, advise and encourage anyone who needs any kind of support at lunchtime. They also help to build relationships between students. We are hoping to begin a weekly chat club and game zone with fun, games music and chat, run exclusively by Peer Mentors. This is a new Chaplaincy venture and all will be welcome to participate.
c) One-to-One Mentoring:
‘Special’ Peer Mentors work one-to-one with vulnerable students on a regular basis. Such students are assigned a ‘Special’ Peer Mentor after being
referred by a friend, Head of Year, Form Tutor or the Principal. Individual students can also request that a ‘Special’ be assigned to them. The student and Mentor arrange to meet together at a mutually convenient time. There is a formal programme of 6 weeks duration including a personal plan with goals to be worked towards over the 6 weeks and then reviewed at the end to provide support for the young Person being mentored. There are slips of paper and a Peer Mentor Box for requests available in the Chapel for any student who wishes to set up a meeting with a Peer Mentor.
Some typical reasons for students needing support include:
Bereavement
Bullying Issues
Family problems
Low self esteem
Relationship difficulties
Time management & organisational skills
Frequenty Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ’s
Q. How do I join the Chaplaincy Team?
A. You can join at any time. In September, there is a presentation made by Sam in RE and PSHE Lessons about Chaplaincy; who we are, what we do and how you can be involved. If you decide to join, towards the end of September, there are special Masses celebrated for the Chaplaincy Team where new members can join and current members commit to serving the team for another year.
We come together to pray for our work, and each other as we ask for God’s blessing on another year. Each member says the special Prayer of Commitment in which we ask our Patron saint, St Augustine of Canterbury to pray for us. After a month’s trial period members will receive a badge.
Q. How long can I be a part of the team?
Each member commits to serve within the Chaplaincy Team for one year. You can leave if you wish after this time, and, if you’d like to continue for another year, your commitment can be renewed each year at the Chaplaincy Commitment Mass held each year.
Q. Can I join the Chaplaincy Team if I’m not a Catholic?
A. Yes, please do! We welcome any student or member of staff who wishes to become a member regardless of their faith tradition. We have members who are from other Christian denominations and other faiths.
If I decide to join the team, what sorts of things can I be involved with?
There are many different kinds of work that you can do. You can do something to help the environment and help with the recycling and eco-schools project, or be involved with helping to organize social events and be involved in Marketing. You might like to become a helper in the Library or a member of a community group like Justice and Peace.
You can also train to become a Reader or a Server at Mass.
Have a look at the questionnaire on the next page to see what you like doing and discover where your talents lie!
Rainbows Programme
This is a 12 week voluntary programme for students who have, or who are experiencing any kind of loss either through death, divorce or separation.
Diocesan trained Co-ordinators and Facilitators organise this programme during Friday lunchtime in Room C6 from 1.25-2.05pm. At the end of the 15 week programme, each child is personally invited to go on a special day out for the ‘Celebrate Me Day’. This is a special day for each child to be themselves, celebrate life by having fun and enjoyment. This brings the programme officially to a close. It is a fun-packed day out, with social time, games and activities. This is provided free of charge for each participant.
Community Group/Justice and Peace
This is a new group in school which will look at ways in which we as a School Community can get involved with Justice and Peace
issues worldwide with CAFOD and at a local Diocesan Level as we have links with the Justice and Peace Forum within the
Archdiocese. We can be a force for good through campaigning, fundraising, prayer, reflection and action.
School Masses
The Chaplaincy Team supports all School Masses with Form Masses for Year 9 in the Chapel, Masses for Year 10 groups, Year Masses in the Theatre and Whole school Masses for the Feast Days which take place in school in the Sports Centre.
Students help with and support all Masses in school by setting up and putting away for the Mass. Students are also involved as Readers, Servers, Choir/band members, Eucharistic Ministers (in Yr 11-13) and greeters.
School Charities
Chaplaincy provides much of the support for raising money and
awareness of the various charities held during the year. As a school we actively support many charity events, including CAFOD, Children In Need, Operation Christmas Child with the shoebox appeal, Acorns, Jeans for Genes, Make a Wish, Oxfam, The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, The Pattaya Orphanage in Thailand and Macmillan Cancer Relief. Each year, during Lent and Advent, there are designated charities which we support as a school by each form group
helping to raise much-needed funds. We also have a fundraising board next to the Chapel which highlights our efforts as a school community.
General Support with the School
A great deal of general support is also provided.
Such support can include cleaning of the Chapel, caring for the plants and flowers, updating the display boards around school and other basic tasks. However, Chaplaincy tries to enrich the lives of our young people by organising Bowling, Cinema and trips to the Pantomime at Christmas and other special treats to places such as McDonalds.
The Spiritual Life of the School
Daily prayer, the celebration of weekly and monthly Masses and the richness of the Church’s Liturgy is an important part of the fabric of our school life here at St Augustine’s.
We have our own Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and which is available at all times throughout the school day for Form Assemblies, prayer and quiet reflection. The Chapel is also used for all Form masses, meditation group and prayer meetings.
Prayer Group
Each week, every Tuesday lunchtime there is the opportunity for students to come together and have Bible study, discussions, prayer, quietness and
Meditation. In May and October the Rosary Group meet, and during Lent and Advent there is Meditation and Taize worship available. This group is known as
The “Ignite” group as the Holy Spirit motivates us to deepen our relationship with God. All welcome.
The Future
In the future, we hope to build on the achievements highlighted above, and develop new projects such as supporting environmental ideas in school such as the creation of a meditation garden and being more
involved in the weekly recycling/green eco schools action campaign.
