Religious Education at St Bernard’s
Religious Education is one of the 8 Key Learning areas in a Catholic School. The Religious Education Curriculum (P-12) has the following strands.
Sacred Texts comprises three distinct yet interrelated sub strands of Old Testament, New Testament, and Christian Spiritual Writings and Wisdom.
Beliefs has three distinct yet interrelated sub strands of Trinity: God Jesus the Christ, Spirit, Human Existence and World Religions.
Church compromises three distinct yet interrelated sub strands of Liturgy and Sacraments, People of God, Church History.
Christian Life compromises three distinct yet interrelated sub strands of Moral formation, Mission and Justice, Prayer and Spirituality.
Religious Education is broken into two distinct but mutually supporting dimensions, Teaching of Religion and Faith.
Teaching of Religion
This is the knowledge and skills component, The classroom learning and teaching of religion in the Archdiocese of Brisbane has been characterised by a reconceptualist approach. It operates from an educational framework and Brisbane Catholic Education's Model for Religious Education. Classroom religion becomes a place for dealing with the critical religious issues and concerns of life. There are three key considerations for teachers using this approach: the Avoidance of Presumptive Language, Teaching ‘about’ the Tradition and Powerful Pedagogies.
Faith
The practise of all Catholic rituals and traditions is conducted in an accepting and invitational manner. All students, whether catholic, secular or of another faith are invited to participate. Catholic schools invite people to move towards commitment to, and involvement in, a Christian community. People are invited to share in a more conscious and deepened way the Christian community’s experience of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through this invitation we hope that all students that attend Catholic Schools grow spiritually and become better people.
If your child is catholic their Faith development can be further supported by: Teaching your child to love and include God in their life involves things like:
waking them in the morning with a prayer,
talking about how you experience God,
including God in your conversation,
seeing God in nature,
saying a prayer as you settle them into bed at night,
asking for God’s help,
taking them to mass.
Within school life there is a blending of the two dimensions of religion. St Bernard’s has a very rich liturgical life. We incorporate faith development when we engage in morning prayers, assembly, year level masses, liturgies, and secular events such as Anzac Day and Harmony Day. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are celebrated through community prayer and then with hospitality.
© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Bernard's School (2023)