PAREF ADs learn from Redfield College December 2, 2022 PAREF ADs learn from Redfield College on integrating Christian doctrine As part of PAREF’s initiatives to form partnerships with foreign academic institutions, the PAREF Schools’ Academic Directors virtually met with Matthew Aldous, Headmaster of Redfield College in Australia, last November 18, 2022 to share best practices in integrating Christian doctrine in curricular and co-curricular offerings. This is a joint initiative of the PAREF Academic and Personal Formation teams to gather and share best practices in the seamless integration of Christian doctrine across curricular and co-curricular offerings. Aldous shared on the importance of service learning and adequate faculty formation as key components in character formation. He acknowledged that both Redfield College and PAREF Schools, inspired by the teachings of St. Josemaria, provide good intellectual and spiritual formation for students and their families. While Aldous and the PAREF Academic Directors identified the strengths of their Religion programs respectively, they share in the challenge of designing experiences where students could have a personal encounter with Christ. “It is one thing to know the faith but it has gotta go beyond church doors,” Aldous said. He also stressed the importance of having individual professional mentoring with faculty members on how they can integrate Christian values in their classroom lessons. As a best practice, he pointed out and appreciated non-Christian faculty members who actively consult their Academics team on pre-identified concerns and difficulties in teaching content and methods. Ms. Kathleen Pineda, Associate Director for Academic Standards of PAREF Woodrose School in Alabang, also shared their best practices in designing and implementing their service learning programs saying that the program should be cascaded to the teachers before the school year starts for consideration in the teacher’s lesson planning.
