Stage Two: Catholic Perspective

We are all special because everyone is made in 'God's image and likeness' (Gen 1:27). This is something we should remember all the time. See Strengths and personal identity.

There are times that we are sad, times we are happy, times we are excited, and times we are worried. Through all of these times, we should know that God is always with us and looking after us. Some people say nice things to us and some people can say nasty things to us at times. It is always important to remember that we are special in God's eyes and just because someone says something nasty does not mean that this is true. We should be a gift to others by saying and being nice to people so they know how special they are.

Sometimes we get scared of things. We might be scared of moving to a new school, scared of swimming, scared of saying a speech in class, scared of doing maths questions because we don't like it. But once we have the courage to give things a go by being brave, thinking positively and even saying a prayer for help, we can learn that we can overcome our fears and do the things we were scared of. Once we do that, we feel confident in ourselves and not so scared anymore. This helps us feel better and that is what God wants. He wants us to be happy and confident.

Humans are different to the rest of creation. We have a body (like the animals) but also have a spiritual soul (which allows us to love, choose, create, think, imagine, reflect). Only humans are made in God's image and likeness (Gen 1:27).

God has given us a body so that we can be a gift to others and so that we can visibly show friendship and love. Due to us having a body and a spiritual soul, we not only change physically as we grow, but also socially and emotionally (see Feelings and emotions).

We change physically as we grow. Our bodies grow, we get stronger, we can run faster, we can jump higher, we get taller, our face changes (see Boys and Girls). It is also normal for our feelings and emotions to go through changes as we grow. We might not understand all these changes but it is important to remember that these changes are normal and important. Changes occur because we are no more babies but are maturing so we can look after ourselves and each other. (Also see Private and public body parts). It is really important that we talk to our parents about the changes we are experiencing and also take time to pray to God when we need strength, comfort and guidance.

Our friendships change as we get older too. As babies we used to play with our toys and couldn't really form friendships with others because we didn't really understand how to be friends and we couldn't talk. But as we grow, we understand how to be good friends, we understand how to choose the right thing to do and how to be selfless in our actions and words. We understand how to be a gift to others. Good friends are important as we grow, as we want people to help us be the best possible person.

We all have feelings and emotions. God created us this way. If we had no emotions or feelings, we just would be like boring robots. As we grow, we can be more aware of our emotions and feelings. Sometimes its good to act on our emotions and feelings. An example of this can be like when you feel sad to see a student sitting there with no friends, so you act on this sadness and ask the student to join you to play. Or when you feel happy when Mum or Dad has baked your favourite cake, you can act on this and thank Mum or Dad and give them a hug. But sometimes its better not to act on your feelings and emotions. You might feel very angry if your little brother takes your toy, but its better not to scream or hit him, but go for a walk to calm down and then ask him nicely if you can have it. These are ways to control your actions when you have strong emotions and feelings. As you grow, its important that you understand your emotions and feelings and learn when to act on them and when not to.

As we grow, it is important to stay positive and put our trust in God. Listening to other people's negative voices is a way that we can get down and not remember that we are loved by God and made in his image and likeness. Praying to Christ and asking him for help and guidance and seeking advice from your parents, teachers and family is the best way to live, be truly happy and help others.

We are created by God to love him and then love others (Mt 22:37,39). God loves everyone equally so therefore we must show love to others, as that is what God wants. We are all the same on the inside, all of us have a body and spiritual soul. That is what makes us human. On the outside, we might look different, we might act different, think different and speak different. But we are all human.

We must appreciate everyone's differences. It is wrong to not include someone in a game just because they look different to us. They are still a person. It is wrong to tease someone if they speak different to us. They are still a human. If we see someone being teased or left out because they are different, we must show them empathy and help them feel welcomed. This is what it means to be a Christian.

See Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Country

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have wonderful cultures. They have a close family connection and have special cultural celebrations.

There are also many other cultures in Australia, each with their own unique way of life. Each culture has its own language, food, music and celebrations. Each culture is a gift and should be appreciated. Multicultural Australia is what it is due to the wonderful gifts of each culture.