Sister Mary Lynn FlettToronto, Ontario

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.

– Kahlil Gibran

For Sister Mary Lynn Flett, that quote captures how she sees her role as an educator. Sister Mary Lynn is Vice-Principal of an all-girls high school outside of Toronto, and the only woman religious in a position of leadership in her school district. The area is home to many new immigrants, and the school population reflects that. Many of the students are Portuguese or Filipino, and an increasing number are from Central and South America.

“I believe in the goodness and the possibility present in each child,” says Sister Mary Lynn. “Throughout my teaching ministry, I have felt a keen call to awaken within each student a sense of wonder and an understanding of possibility. And so, whether in my 32 years as a classroom teacher or my three years as an administrator, I have always felt that my greatest call was the call to LOVE – to journey with each student in their coming to know and accept the goodness that is present within them.”

Those journeys are not without challenges. In her role as Vice-Principal, Sister Mary Lynn has found that the majority of the discipline problems she sees are related to drug use or bullying. And both of these issues have taken on a new form in this age of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Tackling such large non-academic issues is mainly outside of the school’s budget. These issues do, however, affect students’ ability to learn and grow academically. Through your generosity, you can help Sister Mary Lynn educate students about bullying and drug use, to help ensure that those issues don’t create barriers on the path of her students’ education.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.– Mahatma Gandhi

Sisters of Charity –Halifax have a long history of serving others, and of welcoming partners to join them in their work. The Congregation’s newest volunteer project is a fine example of that spirit of service.

Living Charity is a two-week outreach program that invites people to participate in the mission of service to those in need. The project was organized by a committee of Sisters and volunteers from the Halifax area. Living Charity participants live in community with Sisters at the Seton Spirituality Centre in Terence Bay, just outside of Halifax. During their stay, participants have opportunities for hands-on experiences of service at a number of charitable organizations where Sisters have connections. There is also time set aside to reflect together on justice implications and strategies for change, and to share in community and prayer.

The first Living Charity program was held this Spring and included participants from Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, Texas and Jamaica. The two Nova Scotia participants are

The Living Charity ProgramHalifax, Nova Scotia

currently attending university in the province, but originally hail from China and Ontario. Plans are already underway for 2013.

Your donations can help the organizing committee make this program more accessible. Funds raised will go toward providing travel assistance to participants from outside the province. “This year we had several people who were interested but in the end couldn’t afford to take two weeks away from their jobs and also pay the traveling costs,” explains Sister Evelyn Williams, a member of the organizing committee. “We would really like to lessen the burden of travel costs, to open up the program – and our spirit of service – to a wider range of individuals.”

Living Charity 2012 organizers and participants.

Sister Fleurette SweeneyVancouver, British ColumbiaI have no special gift. I am only passionately curious.

– Albert Einstein

In January, Sister Fleurette Sweeney saw the first group of students begin their journey toward a Master of Arts degree at the new SelfDesign Graduate Institute, an organization she helped found.

SelfDesign Graduate Institute started with Sister Fleurette’s vision of creating an institution of higher learning that is “...a self renewing learning community of care” offering people the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in an environment that takes their life experience into account.

“We are all learners,” explains Sister Fleurette. “We believe that optimal learning occurs when all---students, faculty, support staff and administrators--work collaboratively; generously share their knowledge, skills and expertise; are respectful and committed to the well-being of all.”

The Institute is the newest of the educational programs of SelfDesign Learning Foundation of British Columbia. Its innovative, learner-directed educational program provides unique support for families who choose to educate their children at home, reaching more than 1,200 students from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve within British Columbia’s school system.

Since many potential graduate students are working parents of small children and often already struggling to make ends meet, this institute aims to keep fees as low as possible. To that end, for example, faculty and administrative staff are paid under contract rather than positioned salary, and several are retired academics who either volunteer their services or offer them at a reduced rate.

Your donations can help make learning more accessible by providing loans with low or no interest to help learners with their education costs. Recipients can design the rate and method of repayment that accommodates their particular family needs.

Advancement OfficeSisters of Charity Centre215 Seton Road, Halifax, NS  B3M 0C9Ph 902-406-8114 cflemming@schalifax.ca

For more information on the work of our Sisters, please visit www.schalifax.ca, or contact: