15th May X Catechism

Good Morning !🙂 

On the 12th May we had the function of the Internal Awards in the Middle School - congratulations to those who got the awards 👏 👏👏

Trust that you and all at home and all your friends and loved ones are well! 🙏🙏🙏

• Do practice the covid-19 safety behaviours - we need to do this until we can be vaccinated against the virus - so
• try not to touch your mouth, eyes and nose with your hands
• wash your hands before and after meals, after using the washroom, after you have done some work in which your hands have touched various surfaces
• use a handkerchief for sneezing, covering your mouth while coughing, scratching your face - was this handkerchief every day.
• if you need to go out, wear a mask and keep a safe distance from other people - do not touch others
• build up your commitment to these behaviours - by doing so we will sooner get to getting back to what was sort of the 'normal' life we were used to
• be caring for those who have contracted the corona virus - but realize that they need to physically isolate themselves
• pray for our political leadership to take the wise and caring decisions and pray for doctors, police, civil servants and teachers who are trying to help us live meaningful lives in a challenging situation.

Reminder - for those of you haven't given me your admission / registration number (you use it to pay your fee) please enter it (if you want to get attendance !) , those who have done this - please enter your name in the "Comment" space - kindly do this each time you log into the blog post for the class - Thank you 🙏.

Once again, a reminder that when you are on social media (and this interaction is the use of social media for education), we are reminded that this is a public space and that we are called on to be our best selves - so kindly communicate appropriately at all times - in doing so you are respecting yourself and all of us. Thank you!

The last day we began our reflection on 

• how our choices regarding our sexual awareness from the time we were born to the present time. 
• We also got in touch with certain misuse of the internet / social media and we began the process of choosing to use these in a way that would be positive to our hearts, minds, relationships and our healthy growth and development by reflecting on us being created sexual beings.

Because we have to use the internet and social media while we develop these attitudes and behaviours, we need to immediately take some affirmative action, which will be helpful for us here and now.

We have spent about a month having these blog classes - for catechism and all our other classes.

While these classes help us to cope with our present and unexpected situation, there is a lack of

• a sense of visual interaction which is a very important aspect of teaching and learning when this is unaccompanied by visual interaction with the teacher and our classmates (we learn through healthy interaction) - some teachers have used "zoom" and "google meet" - but we need to be safer! 
• in an age when we are used to seeing people and being interactive - this forced physical distancing has suddenly come in the way!

Therefore, as a school we have decided to build our online relationship by 

• giving each student a school email ID to interact officially with the teachers teaching you
• learning to create essential boundaries between work relationships and other social relationships in a very important lesson for life
• when we interact at work there are behaviours which we observe which are more formal than in interaction with my family relatives and friends.
• for instance, I have 4 email IDs
• one as Principal - which I will use while I am Principal at St Columba's and which I will hand over to the next Principal - from the day I hand over, I will expect that the new Principal will change the password as I no more have the duty and thus the right to access those emails.
• one as a teacher at St Columba's School, which I will use for interaction on a teacher-teacher (not as Principal-Teacher) basis with other teachers at St Columba's and possibly with students I teach and the parents of the students I teach. I will use this email ID when I teach in another school - with those teachers and with my past-pupils who will relate to me as my former students.
• one as a Christian Brother ! I relate to a wider number of people, as a Christian Brother, than those I relate to as Principal of St Columba's and Teacher at St Columba's e.g. acquaintances since I became a Christian Brother.
• one as me - e.g. when I interact with the members of my family, relatives, my friends from school, all those whose were part of my life before I became a Christian Brother and all those persons who I relate to as me and not necessarily as a Christian Brother or as Principal of St Columba's or as a teacher.
• So I separate the emails I use and I ask those in those different categories to interact with me using a specific email address.
• I am not 4 different persons, but I have 4 roles and I acknowledge that there are differences in the way I am expected to relate with these separate groups of people.
• As you grow older you need to know that to cross boundaries in these roles may in certain cases even be a criminal offence!
• e,g, you've read about a prominent movie director who has been accused of misusing his position to give women a job with having a personal relationship with them !
• this is the crux of the problem
• he is accused of misusing his power to be able to give them a job with his relationship with them on a personal human basis; he is accused of sometimes misusing his position as CEO of relating inappropriately (abusively) with those who ere employed by him
• so, use this email ID only for
• interacting with your teachers on your school subject related matters
• keep the words and expressions as you would if you were interacting with us as a Columban student
• seek written permission from the teacher (through the teachers' official email) 
• use the google meet facility connected to this email ID only for google meets organised with the permission of a teacher 
• you should have a copy of the permission given - when and by which teacher and for what purpose
• do not access any of the other facilities connected with this email address unless you first seek the permission of a teacher
• you should have a copy of the permission given - when and by which teacher and for what purpose
• Please note that Google and St Columba's have legal obligations by giving you access to this email address 
• you will need to sign an agreement when creating this email ID - please read it and follow the same.
• your history of use of this ID shall have a digital footprint 
• you are accountable for any action connected with the use of the email ID.
• I hope that what I have written
• is seen as teaching you how to use the digital world well - helping you set up necessary boundaries 
• please be warned against people who tell you that we don't need any boundaries - they are leading you falsely 
• some boundaries are necessary - those such as we are talking about. 
• There are unjust boundaries which need to be dismantled 
• but remember they have become unjust and probably irrelevant 
• before dismantling the same know the reason why they were created in the first place - don't 'throw the baby out with the bath water' !
• helps us relate more responsibly
• has given you confidence in using this means of communication - knowing that you are in a safe environment.

• As a first stage, your teachers might / would have sent to a form which registered your agreement to the school to abide by the fundamental rules of interaction when using the internet / social media.
• The teachers may have even informed you as to how do you set up your school email address. To do so, please follow these steps :
• 1. Go to Gmail www.gmail.com
   2. Follow the steps for using a new Email id 
  
        Note : -   registration no@stcolumbas.edu.in
                      Example: - If your Registration Number/Admission No of the student is 26408. then your email id will be ;-26408@stcolumbas.edu.in (always type full email id in gmail while accessing the email account)
  
  
  3. Now enter the PASSWORD 
       Note : - Password is the Date of Birth of the student and can enter in the given format only:-
                      Example 1 :- If your Date of Birth is 3rd January 2008, then your password as follows: - 3-Jan-08
                      Example 2 :- If your Date of Birth is 10th of May 2011, then your password will be as follows: - 10-May-11
  
  
  4. After entering the Password,  now you are in your Email Account. As soon as you enter in your email account it will give you an Agreement page, 
      Accept it, now it is ready for work.

Kindly create this email address today, if you haven't done so already 

Please reflect now, on how you use the internet / social media

• are you respectful to all persons you interact with on the internet / social media? (remember the world sees/hears/knows what you're saying - your reputation is ON THE LINE !
• what behaviour (ways of saying things/hosting material) would you need to change
• how can you develop a healthy inner wisdom ? [The more you listen to your inner wisdom - the more your inner wisdom finds its voice and can be heard stronger] 
• invite Jesus to sit with you and think and feel and make the decisions with you!

At the Ascension, Jesus gives his disciples (and us) the command - "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation !" Mk 16:15 - we are given the opportunity. as never before, through our interaction on the internet to proclaim the Good News - are we as Christians doing so in our use of the internet and social media ? 

Even if you did not get the award, there's always this year !!! Set a target to get an award for the year 2020-21! This is very necessary for you for your future career - you need to show your achievements - and these awards are given for all sorts of effort! All the best! 👍👍👍