Christ is the foundation of Religious Education at St Joseph's School. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps us to direct our thoughts, actions and will, according to Gospel values.
Parents are the primary educators in faith. St Joseph's School endeavors to work in partnership with families by offering a broad Religious Education program.
As they experience the Religious Education classroom, our students are invited to deepen their understanding of how Catholics believe, live and celebrate. The Catholic tradition is presented as being close and relevant to our lives and culture, rather than being remote and apart from it. It is embodied in the values, beliefs and rituals which have their foundation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are continually being reinterpreted in every setting in which the Gospel is embraced.
Using a range of teaching strategies, Religious Education encourages our students to understand and critically evaluate ideas, values and beliefs from the Catholic tradition. A primary aim of Religious Education in a Catholic school is to invite students into a meaningful and positive encounter with the Catholic tradition, but it also respects the insights available in other religious traditions, both within and beyond Christianity. Religious Education interacts with the skills, attitudes and knowledge developed in all curriculum areas.
The inspiration for our approach is found in the Gospels. Significant among these values are:
- truth
- hope for the future
- justice & equity
- love, compassion and concern for those in any kind of need
- acceptance of each person
- celebrating life and joy
Celebration is a significant part of any community. As a Catholic School, we have many reasons to celebrate:
- our togetherness
- the joy of living, our communion with God
- our relationship with Jesus
- our belonging to this community
- sharing our human experiences
Our celebration takes many forms:
- praying together as a staff
- praying with children in a variety of ways
- on-going sacramental preparation
- class and school liturgies
- community involvement in the school and the school's involvement in community life and festivities
