I received this email and letter today from the deputy at a Rite Journey school.
I wish we could give the general public the experience of how gorgeous boys really are…when we actually sit with them, spend time with them, listen to them, care for them..

EMAIL FROM DEPUTY:

Attached is a letter from a student that refers to a distinct moment of learning.
For those that have dealt with him over the years, he has often presented a very well worked and apparently sincere account of bullying issues and harassment directed at him. Because of his articulate nature, high academic ability and pleasant nature, his account of any event has often been given significant weight. However, over time, some staff have picked up that he may not always be giving a complete and accurate account of events! It became clear that he would deflect blame, accuse others, deny everything.

As a result of the past few lessons in The Rite Journey – focussed on the importance of your word as a man, admitting mistakes, apologising, etc. – it appears that he has had an epiphany.

LETTER FROM STUDENT

To Whom It May Concern

In the few years I have been at the school, I have been involved in more incidents than most people will witness in their whole life. In most of the events I have made out that I am the victim and am not at all responsible. This is (as you already know) not true, I often lie to get myself out of trouble and to avoid punishment.
In Rite Journey, we are currently learning that telling the truth is not the best option, but the only option. When you admit guilt, you understand that what you did was wrong. When you do this, your sentence is normally reduced by one-third.
Punishment is a way of placing criminals on the straight and narrow. By not ever receiving punishment, I did not register what I was doing as wrong and did not try to fix it.
I used to lie a lot at home, to the point where my parents were not able to tell if I was telling the truth. This damaged our relationship, but I have since overcome this problem and we have become closer than ever before.
A possible new motto for the school is “Turning boys into gentlemen”…I want to become a man, and the first step to doing so is to stop lying.

Yours Sincerely

MYSA Journal The Rite JourneyAndrew’s article in the recent Middle Years of Schooling Association Journal.

MYSA Journal The Rite Journey