How can we involve those students NOT attending WYD?
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School Newslettero count down
o Each week questions
o Information with maps
o Student to create content
o Reminder
o Anything to do with WYD statistics
Assembly – on going WYD item
Website – put WYD map
Mufti – with Spanish dancers
Breast plate of St Patrick in Spanish- or other prayer.
T-shirt – sign for a gold coin
Disco – to find raise
Pilgrim profile
Cross to travel around the school
Blog of experience
o Two-way blog- so that students can ask questions from home.
o Students update blog every few days- perhaps bring one school computer
Blank cross – for each student to sign and write a message on the cross, moves
between homerooms
Choir – to learn the song
Digital Copy- to e-mail the whole school – Art Ad
Interview pilgrim – record video to be played at an assembly during WYD
Skype into classrooms
WYD pilgrims speaking at Year Assembly
Involving other students in CEO/ Youth Ministry/ School Initiatives:
o catechise;
o Music with Gary Pinto
CYS Camps/ Activities
Year 12 connections with university Chaplains- support/ pastoral
Video: 25 years of WYD (Pope John Paul II)
Forming a Catholic Youth Club:
o improve spiritual life;
o knowledge of sacraments;
o Develop their faith.
Culture Night- Spanish theme.
WYD Mass Live Stream.
o At school (BBQ Dinner)- replay on Monday: xt3.com
SRC Fundraising
Update the whole school:
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o Assemblies
o Newsletters
o Noticeboards.
School assembly updates
o School or year group assemblies to share mass and parts of the pilgrimage
Farewell mass for pilgrims and school community with a blessing
Mass could be streamed at cathedral
Daily notices with countdown and information about the pilgrimage- each pilgrim
could be responsible for one daily notice
Year 10 slide show- difference between a pilgrim and a tourist so that school
community realise that this is a pilgrimage. This way the school community can be
educated about what is involved in a pilgrimage.
Pilgrims speak to younger pilgrims (years 7-8) because they are the future pilgrims
(succession planning)
TERM 3:
o RE classes to learn about it during WYD week – where are they? Why have
they gone?
o Newsletter - profiles on school pilgrims going to WYD- share with
community.
o Students to write reflections on preparation to be publicised in newsletter
o Celebrating v at school while pilgrims are away
SCHOOL COMMUNITY:
o Year group/ parents to open on the plane
o WYD space in the school library (visual) display of religious artefacts;
 WYD colours,
 Spanish stuff
o WYD display in each of the classroom
Support from younger RE classes:
o SMS;
o e-mail;
o YouTube message
o Twitter
Catechise nights with CYS
School commissioning mass
Banner; shirt; poster competition
Host: Who wants to be a millionaire
Sleep out and watch the mass live
Google flyovers- created by students
Brochures/ information on places
Countdown
How can we involve our primary School Students?
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Looking at demographics and seeing possibilities via Skype
Connect with primary REC’s and teachers
Pilgrims going back to their own primary
Principal take some pilgrims on school promo visit
Invite to morning teas
Pilgrims talk to kids at assemblies (Post WYD) share experience
Pilgrims to design a picture book on their trip suited to primary school students- read
their stories to students
Talking with Primary schools- pilgrims going to assemblies
Open Day- v awareness
Itinerary of pilgrimage shown to primary schools though PPT
Draw focus on the saints from the pilgrimage destinations (for example, St Francis)create lesson plan for the primary schools
Mini pilgrimage for Primary students around the Parish area then share a lunch.
Work it in established monitoring programs
Work it into community service initiatives
Talk at assemblies or mass
Teach the primary school students Spanish
Copy to newsletter at Primary school or Local parish
Fundraising activities: For example, Night Patrol- raising funds at primary level
through multi-day
Find out any local primary schools learning Spanish
Each primary schools donate pins/flags for High School students to swap at WYD
Pilgrims lead primary students on journey- significance of places to be visited.
Provide a resource for learning:
o Google earth
o Reflection
Go to school and share before and after
Colouring in competition
Invite representatives to be involved in the commissioning mass
Press up in Spanish when visiting
Walkathon Pilgrimage stations with different activities: prayers, reflections, etc
Multi-cultural day with food
Ideas for the Formation of Student Pilgrims
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Prayer groups (once a fortnight). These are organised by the students
Walking with bags: start small, finish big.
Formation Day
Catechesis (Youth events)
CYS
Pilgrimage Book:
o Songs
o Prayer
o Information about the places
Travel journal
Blog- connected with the school internet
Catechesis- joining with other schools (evening sessions)
Bus group- meet the family sessions (dinner)
Give a prayer to pilgrims to leave/ pray in certain places
Training- improves theatre sports.
Prayer
Meetings
Talk from people who have visited destinations
Latin “Our Father...” new connections with God
RE Curriculum
Website- Wiki; Blogs
Formation nights with parents and students.
Meeting with REC/ Principal- pilgrims are doing reports, BLOGS to present to school
assemblies
YMC meets with pilgrims once a week to touch base on issues such as fundraising
and practical questions, integrating WYD into school assemblies, etc
Weekly mass- pilgrims organise prayers for the mass
Discussing WYD upon return- sharing with school and primary school
Countdown poster for how many days out from WYD
Rosary presented by pilgrims
Helping students to realise that they should be on-task for school work as they will be
missing 19 days of school- meet with curriculum Co-ordinator- check an assessment
tasks
Formation afternoons:
o activities and “getting to know you” activities,
o expectations,
o music,
o passport photos,
o prayer and reflection (meditations)
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Can we get a CD of the WYD songs by Gary Pinto and John Burland to use for
formation?
Spanish classes
Lunch time meditation
Youth masses- pilgrims attend
Retreat time
Short lunch time/ after school sessions:
o Explore itinerary,
o pilgrimage journey,
o significance of people and places we will see.
Local parish connections- visits, speeches, etc
Weekly meetings after school- group bonding time
Regional evangelisation events
Class masses- pilgrims have some ownership of organisation
School/parish commissioning mass
Good deed for the day
Meet pilgrims- go through itinerary/ significant people and places
Show parents virtual tour
Present pilgrims to school community: students present virtual tours
Updates on school blog when on pilgrimage
Encourage to participate in religious events
Youth masses
Attend CYS catechises
Link to bus chaplain to organise prayer evening/adoration
Mass with bus group
BBQs with pilgrims and their parents. Parents meet PGL’s also
Catechise at Miranda- “Behold the Mystery.”
Presentations of pilgrimage- link to feeder primary schools.
 What we have been doing?
Masses for WYD pilgrims
Rosary @ lunch led by the WYD pilgrims during the month of May
Morning prayer- where students lead prayer for the school community- WYD
students expected to attend
Information night led by Anthony Gordon- included:
o Prayer
o Itinerary destinations
o Religious/ saint associated with pilgrimage
Spanish lessons @ Miranda
 What we think we can do?
Organise a formation evening (for example, dinner, movie) with bus groups to
reemphasis students and leaders attending are pilgrims and not tourists
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Once a fortnight, catechise on the basics of the Catholic faith- for example, what is
Eucharist and all the Sacraments
Forming a catholic Youth Club within the school which could lead prayer sessions at
lunch, relating to the different liturgical seasons.
Resources:
o WYD Madrid website has a layout of how to lead these session resources (this
is for pre and post WYD)
o IACTIV8
o Once a fortnight or week
Organise communication overseas via Facebook/ twitter/ blog
Theatre sports (tackling different situations)