The Religious Education curriculum acknowledges and supports the parents in their role as the children’s first educators in faith.
The curriculum is designed to sequentially develop the student’s growth in, and understanding of, the wonder of a faith relationship with God our Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Through the curriculum the children are invited to participate in this faith relationship by learning about the history and traditions of the Catholic Church and the Scriptures. The curriculum content supports the family’s instruction in the children’s preparation for the Sacraments.
Integration of Catholic Values Across the Curriculum:
Within each of the Key Learning Areas teaching/learning programs are developed to make explicit the Gospel values relevant to each area of study. In this way, the values of Catholic Education are taught not only in formal Religious Education (RE) lessons but also integrated within the other Key Learning Areas. At St Cecilia’s our core values have been identified as Respect, Hope, Justice, Service and Celebration.
Syllabus
Our ES1 and Stage 1 syllabus is grounded in the early learning approaches of Maria Montessori and Sophia Cavalletti. It acknowledges that people are both spiritual and physical beings. Students are presented with works using concrete materials and given time and space reflect on what has been presented, connecting liturgy and Scripture.
Our Stage 2- 5 Syllabus provides the essential components of knowledge and understanding, skills and an appreciation of our rich Catholic tradition. It uses a similar structure to new approaches to curriculum development in other Key Learning Areas. The 5 strands of the syllabus include God & Religion, Jesus & Scripture, Morality & Justice, Church and Community and Prayer, Liturgy & Sacraments. A distinctive feature is the integration of Youth Ministry Principles of Connection, Proclamation and Response. Stage 6 curriculum is a choice between Studies in Catholic Thought or Studies of Religion.