‘RADIO’.

During their time at St Augustine’s Priory, pupils are allocated into the four school Houses:  St Gabriel, St Michael, St Raphael and St George which compete throughout the school year, for example in sports or during Charities Week.  The first three House patrons are the Archangels and, during the Michaelmas Term, on 29^th September, we celebrate the Feast of the three Archangels, St Gabriel, St Michael and St Raphael, otherwise known as Michaelmas Day. 

The Archangel Gabriel is God’s messenger and appears three times in the Bible, most famously in the New Testament to Mary at the Annunciation, as the messenger of the Incarnation.  St Gabriel is therefore, the arch-communicator and, among other things, the patron saint of messengers, communications and communications workers, broadcasting, postal workers and diplomats.

Fitting then that in this Michaelmas Term we launch our theme for the year, RADIO.  The radio, as a piece of communications equipment, is a common sight in homes and educates and entertains us.

Our theme for 2020 of RADIO is also used for communicating, to help us all to conduct relationships with other people and arose from the teacher training sessions attended by Mrs McDermott, Head of RS, run by the Faith and Belief Forum (formerly the Three Faiths Forum).  As a school we have been involved with the Faith and Belief Forum since September 2010. In the past we have linked with Unity Girls School, a small independent Muslim school in Hendon. We are now linked with the Jewish Community School in Barnet.  The Faith & Belief Forum has worked for over 20 years to, as they state, ‘build good relations between people of all faiths and beliefs, and to create a society where difference is celebrated. Founded in 1997 as the Three Faiths Forum, we work directly with people in businesses, schools, universities and in the wider community’.

The principles of RADIO are used when setting a safe space for students when discussing sensitive issues regarding, for example, faith and beliefs and will assist us all in holding effective conversations.

The acronym RADIO stands for:

R          Respect

A          Active listening

D          Dialogue not Debate

I           ‘I’ statements – I don’t speak for all Catholics, all black people, etc.

O          Oops and ouch – I am likely to say the wrong thing, help me get it right / that hurt or offended me, allow me space to say so.

This theme will prove invaluable to us all in the development of tolerance, respect and empathy providing guidance in reflecting, articulating and navigating significant and important conversations and issues.