Religious Education

RE is taught in the first period of each day (HANDBOOK for Boards of Trustees, Principals and Staff of New Zealand Catholic Integrated Schools)

The “core” curriculum of RE, literacy - writing and reading and maths should fit in the morning session.

Key Ideas in Religious Education - why we're doing it this way

The RE curriculum is a progressive curriculum which year by year adds knowledge and understandings so that in 8 years, the student can cover an extensive knowledge and experience base to help them understand the teachings of the Catholic Faith.

In recent years this has provided some challenges for students and teachers. Many students do not start at Catholic schools in year 1. Many come during their schooling with no prior experience. In the past, knowledge of the Faith was nurtured within the parish and family. Now, many families do not have an active life in the parish or have not had the benefit of religious education themselves and the school is the sole transmitter of the faith and the content of the faith.

This makes it very difficult for children to retain the vast treasury of information that is within the RE curriculum.

Our staff meetings in 2013-14 were focused on exploring the theology behind each strand and developing 3-4 key ideas which remain constant throughout the school so that as the children return to a strand their starting point is the key ideas which they will encounter each year as they move through the school. Specific teaching is based on strand curriculum guides with learning activities chosen to best explore and build on understanding of the key ideas. When decisions have to be made about what learning objectives to cover we aim at quality rather than quantity and tie the learning in with our key ideas.

Planning for teaching. The key ideas drive the planning. Planning is based on the Religious Education Bridging Document which is levelled similarly to the NZC. We track our teaching from year to year to ensure full coverage of the strands. Planning will include curriculum learning from the year level being taught. This curriculum learning will be chosen by the class teacher to match the needs of the students identified in the initial stages, and to support the development of the key ideas.

RE Planning Format. The process of planning is on our DRS site.

Bearing in mind the “Cone of Learning” we choose learning activities in order to help students retain their learning.

Children will celebrate their learning through sharing it. We look for ways they can do this.

DEVELOPMENT OF NZ RE CURRICULUM

The development of the New Zealand RE curriculum began in 1994.

It is made up of 6 learning strands:

God

Jesus

Holy Spirit

Church

Sacrament

Communion of Saints

These form the main teaching strands and cover the teachings of the Catholic Catechism.

There are 4 learning modules:

The Liturgical Year

Prayer

Myself and Others

Sacramental Celebrations

These supplement the program and should be used as required throughout the year.

We usually start each term with a week of learning from the prayer module.

Sacramental celebrations and the liturgical year are used as appropriate e.g. for teaching on specific feast days.

Myself and Others is the accompaniment to the NZ Health Curriculum. It is expected that teaching in the Health Curriculum is taught through the lens of "Myself and Others."

There are other picture and music resources supplied to support the curriculum.

The Family-Whanau book was traditionally given to families when their first child started school. It is a resource which guides parents through a basic understanding of the RE curriculum. This resource is now available online:

http://www.faithalive.org.nz/assets/Resources/Family-whanau-book.pdf

Faith Alive

Faith Alive is an online resource developed to support teaching and learning in RE.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - OUR KEY IDEAS

These are the key ideas that we would like our year 8 leavers to leave with. We worked together as a staff over 2014 to develop these ideas based on the theology for each strand and the key concepts taught at each year level in the strands.

Many children come into our school at middle or senior levels with no prior religious knowledge. We needed concepts which would be accessible by a 5 year old, a 12 year old with no faith background or a 13 year old with a strong religious education and faith background. We wanted key ideas that would grow with the students.

GOD

God is the Creator of everything

God loves people

Ways we can know about God

What we know about God

JESUS

Jesus is fully human

Jesus came to show us how to live and to save us

Jesus is God

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit acts in people and in the church

Stories of the Holy Spirit in the Bible - Pentecost

The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity

Images of the Holy Spirit

SACRAMENT

Grace is God’s love and strength working with us and the world

Sacraments bring grace

Know the seven sacraments

Know the signs and symbols of the sacraments

CHURCH

The church connects people and God.

Responsibilities of ordinary people in the church

Formal responsibilities/roles in the church

The church’s mission

COMMUNION OF SAINTS

Mary is our first and most important saint because of her special relationship with Jesus.

The Communion of the saints is the whole church – living, in purgatory and in heaven.

Saints can teach us how to be holy through their life example.

The decisions we make on earth affect what happens to us when we die.

Setting up classrooms for Special Character

Classes should reflect first and foremost our mission as a Catholic school. Our vision is Reach for the Stars as Lifelong Learners in the Catholic Faith and it should be immediately clear that Christ is the centre and reason for our school.

Classes should have a prayer table/altar/space permanently set up and a display area for religious education learning.

Prayer table/altar/space

In a prominent place

Permanent

Not obscured by anything else or used for any other purpose

Attractive and thoughtful display

Prayer cloth should change with the liturgical season (starting the year is green)

For class prayers, items from the prayer table could be moved into a central area that the children gather around.

Bibles and prayer books should be readily available and well displayed

PRAYER IN CLASS

Prayer weaves through the school day. We start the day with prayers, say grace before lunch and end the day with a prayer.

Starting the day prayer:

Use artifacts to help pray - gather around the prayer table or move items into a central space. Prayer cloth, maybe a statue, or flowers, or a natural object e.g. flowers/shell etc. Candles or incense may be used (safely).

A straightforward outline is:

Sign of the cross in English or Maori

Reading of the day

Reflection on the reading

Personal prayer opportunity

Closing prayer

Song – there are lots of Christian songs with lyrics on You Tube

Sign of the cross in English or Maori.

There are many variations - use the Prayer module books for further ideas for prayer.

Sign of the Cross

English: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Maori: Ki te ingoa o te Matua, e te Tamaiti, e te Wairua Tapu. Amine

Our Father

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed by thy name,

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us,

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary

Full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

Blessed are you amongst women,

And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God,

Pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen

Grace Before Meals

Bless us o Lord for these your gifts, which we are about to receive, through your goodness, through Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayer at the end of the day

Prayer at the end of the day can be a quiet reflection, or a traditional prayer, or a thanksgiving prayer.

An option is:

Kai tau te rangimarie e ranga ia koe – (Blessings and go in peace).