Press Release For Catholic Education Week

Education Week Activities and Related Information

1. The Program for the Education Week
   1. Opening Mass – Monday 15^th March. Each Parish is being requested to conduct the opening Mass.
   2. The Education Week program is based on the current, normal Religious Education lessons. The lesson and the theme are focused on the poor and the needy children in schools and the theme for Education Week is “Share a Meal” to address the devastation of COVID-19 and the Cyclones.
   3. Each class in each Catholic school is being requested to make a special collection for the students affected by Covid – 19 and the Cyclones and the money will be sent to the Director of Catholic Education, Nicholas House, Suva. Later the money collected will be given to St Vincent de Paul, which will distribute the necessary food packages bought by the money to the needy students in our schools.

1. Education Sunday
   1. All Heads of Schools and Religious Education teachers are requested to collect good quality essays, poetry, painting, images, etc. and display them on walls of their Parish church on Friday [19/3].
   2. A student is to be chosen by the Parish school to talk for five to ten minutes before each Mass on the theme. In some Parishes, there may be more than one Mass per Sunday. This would mean choosing two to five students to talk on each Mass.
   3. Schools have been encouraged to create and produce a three to a twenty-minute video clip on the activities of Education Week. Each School/Parish is asked to play up to three minutes, a video clip on the activities before the student chosen talks before each Education Week Mass.
   4. A special Sunday Collection will be made on Education Sunday to help run the Catholic Education Office.

1. Production of Video Clips
   1. Video clips on activities during Education Week are to be produced by each Catholic School. The video clip should run from three to twenty minutes.
      1. At least a three–minute video clip to be presented in the local church of the Parish before the student chosen to talk on the activities of the Education Week, actually talks before each Education Sunday Mass. In the last few years, someone gives a talk only before the Mass starts. Now, we are urging schools to show a short video clip about the week before the talk commences.
      2. More importantly, the video clips will be assessed and evaluated, the good ones posted in the Facebook page of the Archdiocese of Suva.
      3. Moreover, four best video clips will be posted on YouTube. Please note carefully that 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 are being done according to his Grace’s policy and I quote – “The internet and social media are now considered the church’s front door … the internet is now the new mission field.” [Newsletter for January 2021 for Archbishop of Suva].
2. Other Details
   1. Suggested Hymns to be sung on the opening Mass is included as a separate link to this Press Release statement. Also included as links are the Poster for Education Week, Suggested Hymns; Prayers and Sample Lesson Plans

1. 1. Students with Disabilities

You are urged to give special roles to students of disabilities or special students as such falls within the Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese derived from the Synod [2018 – 2019].

I take this opportunity to wish you, your staff, and particular your students, all the best for the 2021 Education Week and Education Sunday.

Sincerely

Nemani Drova

Director Catholic Education