The Prayer Tables in Classrooms Project at Marymede Catholic College South Morang, was envisaged as a meaningful activity which would reflect our belief in “faith in action”. According to Judeline Wadhwani, Head of Faith and Mission (P-12), “Whilst we could have purchased the required number of prayer tables for each of the classrooms, we decided that we had enough talent and commitment from our students and staff to make these tables at school as a way to engage students and enhance our daily morning prayer.”
Mr Ronan Kennedy, Woodwork teacher, suggested that one full school day be dedicated to making thirty prayer tables in our Design Technology room. The students he recommended be invited to participate in this project are known to be passionate about Design Technology – Wood and have shown remarkable giftedness and the ability to create a design brief and execute it to perfection. Mr Kennedy commented, “the project was “a great opportunity for all these students to showcase their talent and contribute to Marymede in a positive way. It has provided the opportunity to show the strengths of these students in a practical based subject and enable them experience success”.
The day dawned on 15th August, the Feast of the Assumption of our Lady, when the thirty students from across the Guilds arrived at the Woodword Room and greeted Mr Kennedy, full of enthusiasm to participate, produce and proudly parade their skills.
Soon a thick carpet of wood shavings spread across the floor as the team continued to work in a calm but indescribably urgent manner for the task to be accomplished at the stroke of 3.03 pm. They had pledged to deliver on Mr Kennedy’s expectation of thirty prayer tables at the close of day.
So impressed were our Year 12 Media students with the “Pied Piper” effect that Mr Kennedy had created with the project, they offered to film the beehive of industry and conduct interviews.
Year 9 student Jamie Perta said, “I am enjoying making the tables. It is good pressure to try and finish the thirty tables in 1 day and we are having a lot of fun working on them.”
Another Year 9 student Joel Crocitti said, “I like building stuff and the project has provided a lot of fun.”
Vincent Doherty, a new member of the teaching staff commented that the project was “a great opportunity for students to identify with the Catholic ethos of the school in bringing together all their skills to see the completion of the tables within a day.”
A pizza lunch was provided to the thirty strong team who relished it, but got back to work in no time.
Ms Wadhwani commented, “Regular visits to the Woodwork room provided several moments of awe-struck wonder as I beheld student engagement at its height : every student owning the project, working with the utmost concentration, attending to precision as they sawed and chiselled and worked the machinery, with the clock ticking away to the end of day”.
Marymede Catholic College invited Archbishop Rev. Denis Hart for the Blessing and Opening Ceremony of our new VCE Centre on 16th September. During the Blessing Ceremony, Archbishop Hart blessed the prayer tables which are now ready to be rolled out to each of the classrooms.
We are very proud of our team of Woodwork students and staff for the commitment they have shown, to see the project to its successful completion.
To view a video surrounding the project, please click here.
