Religious Education

Francesca Palmer-Brown

St Edward’s, as an authentic Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition, has fostered and nurtured the Religious Education of our students in a year of uncertainty. Religious Education plays an integral part in educating our students theologically and holistically. The study of Religion is also about appreciating the value of our students as individuals, so in turn they can appreciate and live the values of Jesus. During this pandemic, the students have lived the Gospel teachings of love, compassion, and forgiveness, shown through their perseverance and resilience, every day in every lesson.

2021 has been a year where our students have been living witnesses of Jesus’ teaching of love and patience, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”

Teachers have, through the COVID 19 pandemic, worked tirelessly with their students, to build positive relationships both within and without the structure of the school. There have also been many challenges that both staff and students have faced during this past 12 months but also so many positives. Religious Education at St Edward’s, attempts to challenge students to be a religious voice in this current climate, to protect the planet, fight hunger, foster education worldwide and promote equality.

Within the constraints of the teaching and learning spaces of 2021, the teachers in the Religious Education department, have engaged students to think critically and authentically. Students have become religiously literate, as they continue to develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to interpret and use language confidently in and for faith contexts and the wider society. By developing skills through analytical essay writing to being critical thinkers using the 21st Century Literacy skills model.

At St Edward’s this year, the Religious Education department had 25 dedicated, enthusiastic staff, committed to the education and formation of the students in the light of the Gospel values and the EREA Touchstones. Our classroom Religious Education teachers engage with our students on moral issues, present the Church’s understanding of the sacraments, read the scripture, invite student to think critically and are committed to exploring ways and means of nurturing a faith dimension within each of their students. They work hard trying to make Religious Education more relevant and meaningful for students. It is a critical time in the lives of our students, when patterns of thinking and behaviour are established and the authenticity of my staff, the relationships and connection made, and making the curriculum relevant, in the student’s world, is of the utmost priority.

Religious Education

Student Work Sample: Mason Holliday, Year 8

Icon of Jesus Christ The effects the crusades had on Europe was that they were colliding with the Muslims which spread parts of each others beliefs through the community. The crusaders were exposed to new inventions that eventually made its way back to Europe eg they learned new methods of mathematics. There was also the Feudalism which was like a government but was controlled by a king. The Feudalism was affected because trading had gotten some merchants, who would often be poor, a small future and eventually lost a grip on the ever changing society.

If the crusaders were never taken, then England would have had a much slower shaping into what it bacame, eg the trading would have started later delaying the ideas of certain equipment that helped it sand out to the rest of the world.

Icon of Jesus Christ

Our 2020 HSC results in Studies of Religion 1 unit continued to be strong with substantial learning gains achieved. As the Studies of Religion Course is quite rigorous in content and application, it is important the student work consistently to implement and develop their writing skills. We continue to achieve band 5 and 6’s each year and have achieved considerable learning growth. It is through the professionalism and commitment of Mr Beacroft, Mr McCauley and our students, that this is achieved.

The 2020-21, Studies of Religion 2-unit course has developed rigorous and determined students, who have worked extremely hard, in very challenging times, to achieve their personal best. With the impact of home-based learning, the students have had to become autonomous learners and critical thinkers. In the Senior Studies of Catholic Thought course, the students are provided important opportunities for spiritual, personal, and moral development as well as opportunities to be reflective of their own lives. The students are given opportunities to develop an understanding of different concepts and issues, reasoning in decision-making, exploring morals, ethics, values and to act in an informed manner. Their reflection at the end of their Year 12 aptly gives the students the

ability to consolidate their own spiritual journey. Many students wrote detailed and thoughtprovoking responses and produced very memorable reflections. They are fortunate to be led by such experienced and knowledgeable team of educators in the senior course.

The staff have worked extremely hard this year in developing our program on Canvas. New initiatives within the programmes are developed and implemented and have been openly critiqued, evaluated and developed. The programs are engaging, interesting, spiritual, and reflective, with challenging assessments tasks. I thank each Religious Educator at St Edward’s, as they have risen up to every challenge, they have faced, with the increased use of technology and development of Course modules.

In the junior years, work has continued to develop the 7 to 10 programs and assessments to provide students with a variety of opportunities to explore and experience the Christian tradition through the person of Jesus Christ and other religious traditions. The assessments that the students are producing are very sophisticated and show thorough research. The quality of work from our students is so astute.

Our Year 7 students started the year with a unit on Belonging to help with their transition to secondary school. This was followed by a study of our founder Blessed Edmund Rice and a study of the bible: skills, covenant people, and Jesus and Family. The students excelled themselves with their interpretation of our Edmund Rice icon and media and IT displays of Abraham and his covenant with God. Their creativity and reverence in these areas are a credit to our students. The Core teachers have displayed the students work within their classrooms, reflecting that we are an authentic Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition. I wish to personally thank all the Core teachers for their ability to continually engage our students throughout HBL.

In Year 8, the boys studied a variety of subjects concerning the Early Church, sacraments of initiation, what it means to be Catholic, Woman of Christianity, relationships and the importance of prayer and quiet times in their lives. Many teachers engaged the students with their creative teaching strategies. Mrs Evans’ creativity has been very well received by the students and have displayed many of these projects in the Learning Centre.

Year 9 studied both contemporary and historical modules, relevant to Catholic Social Teaching, including the challenge of Discipleship in today’s world, transitioning well with the Sacraments of Forgiveness and Healing module, Luke’s Gospel, the Prophets and Catholics in Australia. Year 9 were set the challenge to develop their 21st century literacy skills by demonstrating their ability, their knowledge of a particular person or event of Catholicism in Australia.

The Year 10 course challenges the student’s values and moral understanding on several issues concerning relationships in their lives and how they can apply Catholic ethical teaching to an

Religious Education

ever-growing secular world. The students work on Laudato Si was very impressive. They took on the challenge with contemporary issues to ‘Care for The Common Good’ and developing their knowledge and understanding of writing Analytical Essays.

Our Social Justice program is coordinated by Mr Pat Dell and is ably supported by the Religious Education teachers. I would like to thank the staff for their support and enthusiasm encouraging and motivating the students to undertake the numerous volunteer initiatives. Time in class was set aside to discuss the many experiences the students had with their Waterford Project and reflection on the time they had spent volunteering. The students were introduced to writing their reflections on our new Learning Management system, Canvas and made the change with very few issues. The number of students receiving Edmund Rice Honours of over 100 hours grows each year.

Liturgy, Retreats and Mission masses, are such a focal point within our school and Mr Beacroft, our Director of Mission and Identity inspires many students to challenge and reflect on their own lives. The students have many opportunities to become involved in the liturgies and retreats and personally reflect on their relationships with other students. A strong liturgical presence is very much a part of St Edward’s tradition.

Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) is an International network of Catholic schools educating young people from many different faiths and cultures. In over 20 countries EREBB endeavor to promote global solidarity and offer a transformational education for justice and liberation. Our students this year have not had the ability to participate in their program due to the COVID pandemic but have constantly engaged in discussions and developed knowledge and understanding of EREBB in their classrooms.

Mrs Brenda Donnelly has worked humbly behind the scenes, developing booklets, formatting assessment tasks, revamping programmes and the time and effort is so much appreciated. Mrs Sue Kane in the book room is always willing and available in providing textbooks, bibles, and resources for the engagement of the students in the classroom. To the librarians, for their dedication and enthusiasm to the research and assessment tasks the students undertake.

The Religious Education department at St Edward’s is the result of committed and dedicated staff who go above and beyond within their classroom to engage the students daily. I would like to personally thank each one of the Religious Education teachers for the time and effort they give to the teaching and learning of their students.

I am looking forward to 2022 and the challenges that it brings to provide opportunities to open the doors of faith to our school community!