Parish Episcopal School's daily "Chapel" is a
behavior setting that reinforces
certain non-academic values and behaviors among the students by presenting
short, non-denominational homilies accompanied by prayer and sacred music.
March 21
2014
PES is a
private school in North Dallas, affiliated with the local Episcopal Diocese. serving grades k-5 in a lower school and grades
6-12 on an upper school campus. My observation was made at the upper school on
Sigma Drive.
"Chapel"
is a daily event during the school year here. It is the responsibility of the
upper school's chaplain (Episcopalian). I had learned of the Chapel from Ann
Harris, one of the school counselors, on a previous visit, and she graciously
invited me back when I expressed interest in the event as a part of my little
study of such rituals.
All 350
or so high school students are expected to attend this event, which is scheduled early each day. This day's Chapel began with a Christian hymn and procession of the
vested Chaplain and two student-acolytes bearing a large crucifix to the front
of the assembly room ( a converted parking garage). The students sat in rows
assigned by grade level, in chairs arranged to the left, right and center of a
raised lectern.
PES
students are required to wear a school uniform, but this was a non-uniform day,
and so, as my host related "...it's a little noisier than
usual". The decorum seemed to me to be much he same as you'd expect of any
adult audience. The students filed in and sat, and all side conversation ended
once the Chaplain began to speak.
The
Chaplain welcomed everyone with a brief prayer and then invited a teacher to
the lectern. She made a few announcements and then read names and college
destinations of seniors who had been recently received acceptance letters. The
audience responded with spontaneous applause for each one. I'd assume these
announcements continue throughout the "acceptance season" of early
Spring.
The
Chaplain returned and led the group in another hymn, "Praise to God".
During the hymn, perhaps half of the students and teachers seemed to be
singing, and I did not get the impression many were familiar the piece. I
understand that the majority of the students are from "Christian
backgrounds", but there are many Jews and non-church attenders. The largest
single denomination represented is Catholic.
The Chaplain read a scripture from St. Matthew, which was flashed on the video monitors around the room. He then introduced a Mr. Rais Bhuiyan, (http://worldwithouthate.org/) who spoke
(quite eloquently) about his experience as a victim of hate crime and how it
affected the course and mission of his life. The core of his fifteen-minute
speech was that forgiveness is the only productive response to evil, and that
one can make good come out of it if one chooses to do so. The students
responded with rapt attention and a half dozen or so had questions after he
finished.
The
Chaplain returned and read a passage quoting St. Francis of Assisi ( Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon, etc.) before dismissing
the group. Students filed out in no particular order after the Chaplain's
recessional.
PES Daily
Chapel has some of the values-bearing aspects of the Lyceum event I saw at
BOMLA, but was less interactive. In Barkerian terms, the PES setting would be high
in occurance and inclusion, but low in terms of penetration (the students and faculty are attending but passive) and behavioral diversity (prayer, quiet listening, and singing). Where
BOMLA enshrines striving and personal responsibility in a secular context, this
setting, at least in this instance, seems to promote personal virtue and service in a
decidedly religious context.
At BOMLA,
"Lyceum" is followed by "Success Hall" for those students
who are having seen as having problems with compliance ( inappropriate
behavior, not doing homework, etc.).
PES Chapel is followed by breakout sessions of 20 or so students for
additional "guidance activities" for all students. I understand that
these revolve around academic issues more than personal or behavioral ones.
Both
settings reinforce "non-cognitive" messages and values systems deemed important by the school, albeit
in subtly different ways. BOMLA Lyceums, at least in the Spring semester, may
feature intellectual or academic content, but overrall, the principal there
speaks to the "social and emotional needs of boys". In the case of PES, the homilies stress humanistic themes. I've reached out to the schools to get a list of speech topics and homily titles.
TBA: Attachment
Program
materials from both schools
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