CSR in Larkin
CSR is a cross curricular subject that incorporates CSPE, SPHE and Religion.
CSPE stands for Civic Social Political Education
SPHE stands for Social Personal Health Education
and Religion
All Junior Cycle students do CSR. There is a state exam, the Junior Certificate, in CSPE at the end of 3rd year.
In some schools Religion is taught as an exam subject. We do not do Religion as an exam subject in Larkin Community College.
SPHE is taught in the CSR class. It is also delivered as part of the whole school ethos,in both in-school and after-school programmes.
Mandala
The Life and Death of a Sand Mandala (You Tube video - opens in new window)MANDALA: The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle,"
a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure
of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our
bodies and minds.
Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth,
sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.
A mandala is...
'An integrated structure organized around a unifying center'
Longchenpa
"The integrated view of the world represented by the mandala, while long embraced by some Eastern religions, has now begun to emerge in
Western religious and secular cultures. Awareness of the mandala may have the potential of changing how we see ourselves, our planet,
and perhaps even our own life purpose."
(From Mandala: Journey to the Center, by Bailey Cunningham)
Creating unity
Creating a group mandala is a unifying experience in which people can express themselves individually within a unified structure.