The JOPAR of the Agustinian Recollect Schools of Brazil was an event filled with learning and reflection. With the theme "Aspire, Conquer, Inspire. From Small to Great," it aimed to prepare educators to lead in a constantly changing world.

The DICAR - Competency Dictionary for EDUCAR Network Schools was one of the central tools explored, highlighting the importance of establishing standards for competencies, knowledge, and skills. It goes beyond "teaching to read maps," it’s about "teaching to use the compass" in a rapidly changing world. During group dynamics, values such as good treatment, respect for differences, empathy, solidarity, humility, and the capacity for continuous learning were reinforced.
Fr. Nicolás, director of CSA-NL, and Fr. Juan Manuel, Secretary of the Santo Tomás de Vilanova Province, shared insights on Saint Augustine’s trajectory in education, from Hortensius to the City of God, inspiring participants to follow his example.

Thematic workshops addressed topics like artificial intelligence, soft skills, self-regulation, conflict mediation, and positive discipline, providing deep reflection on the importance of preparing to lead in a constantly changing world.
The "Policy of Good Treatment" was also a significant focus. Fr. Antonio Carrón, directly from Rome, emphasized the importance of relationships based on respect and empathy and the school’s role in protecting minors. Brazilian psychoanalyst César Ibraim discussed the importance of boundaries, conflict mediation, the hierarchy of power, emphasizing the development of socio-emotional skills, essential for resolving peer conflicts.
A lecture on the LGPD and the right to privacy highlighted the need to teach how to avoid overexposure. Educators also participated in lectures on misbehavior in the classroom, preventing risk situations, and improving teacher-student relationships, as well as discussions on connections, empathy, and good treatment, emphasizing creating safe spaces and improving relationships within the educational community.
The event also emphasized meeting the new demands and real needs of students. Researcher in the field of Applied Neuroscience to Cognitive and Emotional Learning in Human Development, Dr. Marta Relvas, presented the lecture "What Brain Has Arrived at School?!", focusing on neuroscience techniques to promote cognitive and emotional growth.
Santo Agostinho School in Novo Leblon celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2024, and we took the opportunity to commemorate this significant milestone as a family.
Arcores, the social arm of the Order of the Agustinian Recollects, also played a part in this journey, emphasizing and highlighting the spiritual formation of students, promoting values and the meaning of life.
The roundtable "From Early Stimulation to Multiple Intelligences - Learning Pyramid" discussed the Agustinian Recollects’ Institutional Educational Project (PEI) and the Agustinian Pedagogical Bases that aim to educate the mind and heart globally, centering the student as the protagonist of the educational process. The pyramid presented at the VII EDUCAR in Guatemala was highlighted daily to help concretize many meanings.
Fr. Javier Tello, Provincial Prior of the Santo Tomás de Villanueva Province, concluded the event with an emotional closing, speaking about love.
The JOPAR was marked by deep reflections, significant learning, and the strengthening of the Agustinian educational community, preparing educators to face the information age, the value of knowledge, technology, the speed of changes, and the role of our schools in this scenario.
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