Patricia Aldred
Spiritual Care and Guidance and Community Involvement Animator
Email: paldred@lbpsb.qc.ca
Spiritual Animation is offered to students two and a half days a
week and encompasses a variety of activities and services. The
service seeks to be sensitive to the traditions of the school. At
the same time, the Spiritual Animation Service strives to promote
activities geared toward mutual understanding and self-awareness in
the multi-faith tradition.
Mrs. Patricia Aldred is the Spiritual Animator at PCHS. Mrs. Aldred
has a background in World Religions and holds her Master of Arts in
History and Philosophy of Religion from Concordia University. She
has also worked in the field of education since 1997 with the
inception of the Lester B. Pearson School Board.
The government guideline states that the Spiritual Care and
Guidance and Community Involvement Service would be offered to all
students, regardless of their religious persuasions, and would not
be affiliated with any particular denomination. It is perceived as a
service that takes into account the trends and influences that shape
the life of young people, and it will use all the resources that the
school and community can offer to promote the human and spiritual
growth of students, while respecting their freedom. Under these
government guidelines, the activities of the service may be
humanitarian, spiritual, interfaith or religious and may focus on:
-
young people’s search for meaning
-
the development of social conscience
-
the humanization of the environment
-
community involvement
-
student’s needs with regards to their own
religious affiliation
(The above is an excerpt from the Ministère de
l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport document on the definition of
Spiritual Animation in Quebec primary and secondary schools.)
Spiritual Life Projects
The primary responsibility of the animator is to offer activities
that open students to the spiritual dimension of life. The idea is
that the animators would offer activities that would both empower
students and encourage them to identify the important elements of
their lives. Ultimately the common goal of the activities offered
would be to have the students become more self-aware. By being more
conscious of who they are and what they stand for, we open the door
to students to help them find meaning in their lives and hope for
the future. Issues that could be explored include definitions of
personal conviction, exploring the reality of death, and the
development of solid values. Starting a good dialogue with the
established Moral and Religious Education Department, and other
teaching staff where appropriate, is also the role of the animator.
The staff and administration have a clear picture of the religious
and spiritual make-up of the school and, hence, an idea of what
activities would be appropriate. Possible activities that could be
put together in collaboration with the M.E. Department or other
departments include visiting classes and offering workshops around
areas of common educational concern.
