The Year 9 Rite Journey 2019
The Rite Journey provides a unique educational program designed to support the development of self aware, vital, responsible, respectful & resilient young adults.
This program encourage adolescents to reflect, discuss and develop strategies around transitioning into adulthood.
The year long program uses a Rite of Passage Framework to deepen the students' experience of this important life transition.
Part of PCACS' own 'Compass' Pastoral Care Program, the Rite Journey is designed to support boys and girls to connect with their own strengths, identity and sense of self. There are various elements to the program:
The Calling
The Calling is a ceremony in which the students are ‘called’ on their journey to young adulthood. The journey also involves acknowledgement of the end of childhood and a show of gratitude to those people who influenced the student’s through their childhood.
The Departure
‘The Departure’ ceremony is celebrated at the same time as ‘The Calling’. The essence of this ceremony is to receive the parent/s/carers blessing and support to work with their child during the Rite Journey year. Student’s will receive a letter from their parents to help reflect on their childhood and commence their journey to young adulthood.
The Following
The following is the essence of the programme. Students will engage in a weekly Rite Journey session and be guided by a same sex mentor teacher. This time is dedicated to exploring the topics of ‘Who am I really?’, ‘How do I get on with others?’, ‘Is there something more?’, and ‘What do I have to give? What is my purpose?’ These topics guide our students on a journey throughout the year to shift from a childish way of thinking to ultimately develop a greater sense of what it means to be a responsible and respectful man or woman.
The Challenges
Students will be presented with challenges throughout the year. The challenges span the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual realms and are designed for students to recognise that life will present many challenges and they will need to be prepared to tackle them.
"Today we live in a culture that promotes comfort, not challenges. Everything is about finding ways to escape hardship, avoid pain, and dodge duty. In the past, young people were expected to make significant contributions to society. Today, our culture expects very little from teens - not much more than staying in school and doing a few chores. A sad consequence of such low expectations is that life-changing lessons go unlearned." ‘Do hard things’ – Brett and Alex Harris
The Abyss
This will take place on a night of the Year 9 camp in Term 4. Each Rite Journey group will navigate their way to a camp site with a tent each, and all the resources they will need to camp overnight. Students will then make an area of the campsite their own, set up the tent and have a solo experience without the distraction of technology, or other people to distract them. This experience will provide the students with a significant challenge in which they are required to rely on themselves. This will be an ideal opportunity to reflect on the Rite Journey year and look forward to what life may present them with in the future.
The Homecoming
The homecoming is a ‘graduation’ from The Rite Journey and a celebration of the wonderful progress students have made toward adulthood. This is also a time to remind them they now hold some of the ‘secrets’ of adulthood and it is up to them whether they choose to apply them in their lives or not. This ceremony is a forum for students to show and communicate gratitude to their parents/ carers/ teachers and mentors, and for parents and carers to reflect on their child’s journey throughout the year. Students will be presented with a symbol to acknowledge the completion of The Rite Journey.
