Dear Principal, Head of Pastoral Care, Head of Senior School, Head of Middle School, Year 9 Co-ordinator, Interested staff

This evening, ABCTV’s program 7.30 (the ‘new’ local version of Stateline) is screening a segment on a significant new educational initiative that has come out of South Australia called The Rite Journey.

It is a program which is being implemented in schools around Australia and NZ and has been deemed by one principal to be “the best educational initiative I have been involved with in my 35 years of teaching”.

The program guides students into a respectful, responsible and resilient adulthood by creating a memorable process at year nine…and it is proving to create cultural change in schools with students stepping into the senior years with a newfound responsibility which has been carefully crafted intentionally through the program.

The program is proving to have success across schools in all sectors including Government (both metropolitan and rural schools), Independent and Catholic Schools.

Tonight’s telecast (which focuses on the boys’ program (there is also a partner girls’ program)) includes interviews with the program’s creator, Andrew Lines along with Steve Biddulph (a strong supporter of the program) and staff and students from Rostrevor College, one of the Adelaide schools who are already implementing this new initiative with their entire year 9 cohort.

The program is receiving accolades from experts in the field of child psychology (Biddulph, Maggie Hamilton, author of What’s happening to our girls? and What’s happening to our boys?) and preferred futures (Peter Ellyard, author of Designing 2050) and also from Principals, staff, parents and students from the schools in which it is being undertaken.

“This is the most important teaching I do – moreso even than VCE” – Director of Wellbeing, Luther College, Melbourne.

A sample parent letter to the Deputy Head of a Rite Journey School regarding the girls’ program:

Hi Karen,

We just want to say how much we were impressed with last night ‚’s meeting about the Rite Journey program.   What a wonderful program to have at the school!   We are so pleased that you have a program, which focuses on the holistic development of our teenagers, and caring teachers who seem so committed to it.   Your presentation was also excellent.   Not only did it give a clear overview of the program, but if reaffirmed our views and made us feel supported and encouraged in our roles as parents.

Our daughter is already really enjoying what she has done in this program and is looking forward to what is ahead – even the camp, which looks quite daunting!

Thanks so much for your input into this program and for your impressive presentation last night!

Regards,

Sharon and David S.

I encourage you to take the opportunity to have a look at the program tonight on ABCTV at 7.30 (or catch up with it on http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/sa/ in the next week or so).

Further information can be found at www.theritejourney.com.au and a recent piece on Radio National’s ‘Life Matters’ can be heard at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2011/3132767.htm

This initiative from South Australia appears to be the only program for schools like this in the western world