Religious Education Curriculum
Education in FaithLearning & practicing the Catholic Church values
Education in Faith
At St Mary’s, the Religious Education Curriculum promotes education in life and faith and provides students with an opportunity to learn and practice the values that the Catholic Church teaches. Students develop their knowledge and understanding of Christianity in the light of Jesus and the Gospel. Children come to know the traditions of our faith through a variety of innovative and engaging methods which supports our commitment to an Inquiry approach to teaching, through the Pedagogy of Encounter. This is done through recontextualising, so that students can engage in an open narrative and dialogue between the richness of the Catholic Traditions and their personal experiences, in a contemporary context. It is our goal that all our students become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens. Religious Education makes a significant contribution to these goals.
Sacramental Program
At St Mary’s, we acknowledge and support parents and families as the primary educators of their child’s faith and their child’s sacramental journey, which begins at Baptism. It is through the Sacraments that God’s love and presence are made real and celebrated. Most children prepare to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation during their primary school years.
The Sacramental Program incorporates workshop and faith evenings with both parents and children, family masses and other parish events and celebrations. The school supports this program with the implementation of the Religious Education Curriculum and Sacramental Reflection Days which ensure that the children are properly prepared for their Sacraments.
St Mary’s celebrates the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Year 3, the Sacrament of First Eucharist in Year 4 and the Sacrament of Confirmation in Year 6.
Prayer and Liturgy
Prayer is an integral part of our daily life at St Mary’s. Each class begins the day with a class prayer and we celebrate major feast days and events together through whole school and class level liturgies on a regular basis.