Teach Me

Several Jesuit colleges and high schools across the US take time out of each academic year to experience, reflect, and act upon certain aspects of their Ignatian identify. Mr. Sam Deitch, the Prep's Director of Ignatian Service, chats about our own Ignatian Heritage Days.

Our theme for Ignatian Heritage Days this year is Teach Me. All members of the Prep community are encouraged to partake in any of the programs being run throughout the week. Pins will be distributed (see image to the right) to the entire school community as a symbol of our faith and Ignatian identity. These pins are an outward sign of our constant need to learn more about ourselves, others, and God. Take a look at some of the things we are doing this week and next:

• The ThanksgivingFood Drive will continue all next week until November 26. Each student is asked to bring in at least 5 items of his homeroom's assigned food product. Our homerooms then deliver the baskets to the local community at the end of Mass on the 26th.
• 8 students and 3 adults attended the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice this past weekend in Washington, D.C. The Teach-in is a conference run by the Ignatian Solidarity Network focused on social justice issues.
• Each morning during homeroom, our Teachers Being Taught series will take place. One teacher, each day, will talk for few minutes over the PA to the school on a prompt that begins with Teach Me…  
• A Prayer Service for the Philippines will take place on November 21 immediately after school in the Chapel. We will pray on the two-week anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan making landfall and in solidarity with those who have suffered and died. Afterwards, a conversation will take place about what we can do to assist those in the Philippines.
• A Dress Down Day on November 22 will support My Brother’s Keeper, an organization dedicated to helping those dealing with homelessness and substance abuse in Camden, NJ. The desired contribution is $5 for the Dress Down Day and the entire community can wear t-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, jeans, shorts, and sneakers.
• Ignatian Lunches for faculty and staff will be offered in the Xavier Room during a different lunch period each day. This will be a time of prayer and reflection in order to give thanks.

This blog post was written by Mr. Sam Deitch, Director of Ignatian Service.