Spirituality
Spirituality is a term which may confuse you. The word will often make people think of religion and faith; however spirituality has a wider meaning than that. It actually refers to our ability to find meaning and purpose in life, a connection to something larger than oneself. Of course, it can relate to a belief in God, but it isn't solely connected to faith. We may feel spiritual when watching a sunset, sitting at a beach, holding our new born child, or sharing a moment of triumph with thousands of others in a sporting arena. Spirituality involves a feeling that we are part of something larger, whatever that may be, that our life is not isolated but rather that it is connected to the wider world.
Developing the spirituality of our children is a fundamental element of the St Peter's Way. We don't want our children to be insular. We want them to be aware of the world around them and of how their life is connected to that of others, to their communities and to the world in general. We try to help them to see the connections between their happiness and success, and those of their friends. Our goal is to make them reflective of their life and of their place in society.
Windows, Mirrors, Doors
We ask our children to notice the world around them, be that through reading, by observing others, by watching the news, what they learn in lessons - through all of their experiences! We ask them to have a window onto the world.
From there, we ask them to reflect on what they see and experience; to question how that affects them, how they feel about what they witness. We ask them to consider these things as if looking in a mirror.
Finally, we want our children to think about how this reflective approach might change and develop them as individuals and how they interact with others, as they go through the doorway and out into the wider world.