The Catholic school aims to provide all children with a total learning environment in which students experience what discipleship of Jesus means.
We offer a Catholic Education which is based on Catholic Tradition, Gospel Values and child-centred pedagogy. The children participate in daily prayer, special liturgies and celebrate Mass at our parish church.
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is a faith community where the Religious Education curriculum brings together many other disciplines and aspects of life.
K-2 Religious Education Curriculum
Our Religious Education Curriculum, K-2 was successfully implemented and executed in 2022. The new pedagogy aligns with the Early Years Framework and is a significant tool to assist with the understanding of the new approach to Religious Education in Kindergarten and Stage One. This new pedagogy highlights:
We want our learners at St Mary’s to experience:
Belonging: “Experiencing belonging – knowing where and with whom you belong is central to human existence.” (EYLF, p.7)
The new K-2 approach invites young children and their families to understand more fully what it means to belong to their Catholic school and parish communities.
Being: “Childhood is a time to be, to seek and to make meaning of the world.” (EYLF, p.7)
The new approach offers children time to be, to engage in their own seeking and to make meaning when they are ready.
Becoming: “Becoming reflects the process of rapid and significant change that occurs in the early years as young children learn and grow.” (EYLF, p.7)
The new approach enables children to grow in faith and awareness of God’s presence in themselves and others.
The new pedagogy has been well-researched and as a result, an established scope and sequence of experiences has been developed and excellent resources provided to allow for best practice. The Religious Education programs and learning environments have been designed to be age appropriate and to meet the developmental needs of all children. The children are provided with opportunities to respond to the stories of Jesus with their hands, hearts, and minds. Importantly, an essential aim of this thinking and learning is for the children to be active participants who are engaging their whole person (head, heart, and hands) in a systematic synthesis of faith and life.
This is continuously achieved through the Religious Education sessions, where the children listen to presentations, engage in response tasks (e.g., practical life activities, play using concrete materials, painting, and prayer) and respond in their student journals. These experiences allow the children to be drawn into the mystery of God and strengthen their relationship with Christ and develop an understanding of the significance and meanings of scripture and liturgy for their lives.
There are 12 foundational presentations which are repeated in Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2. They are key scriptures or Mass moments. These presentations are crucial in gaining knowledge and understanding of our key doctrine. These are:
Epiclesis and Consecration
Preparation of the Chalice
The Offering
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Jesus
Presentation in the Temple
The Last Supper
The Empty Tomb (Resurrection)
Ascension
Pentecost
Assumption of Our Lady
Years 3 – 10 CSBB Religious Education Curriculum
The draft 3-6 curriculum at Catholic Schools Broken Bay offers students the opportunity to develop a deeper and more personal relationship with God. Through engaging with the Scriptures, participating in both personal and communal prayer, and living according to Catholic social and moral teachings, students are encouraged to grow in faith. This approach invites them to explore the core principles of Catholicism in a way that is both intellectually and spiritually enriching. Religious Education is a required subject for all students in these schools, ensuring that faith development is central to their academic journey. Our purpose is to inspire hearts and minds to know Christ, to love learning, and to use their talents to be the very best they can be, fostering both spiritual growth and academic excellence.
The draft 3-10 Religious Education curriculum aims to help young learners understand and respond to Jesus’ great commandment to love God and love others. This framework encourages students to ‘see, judge, and act’ in ways that reflect their faith and moral understanding. By emphasising the application of these teachings, students are guided to live life to the full, embodying Christian values in their daily lives. This holistic approach to education not only fosters academic growth and spiritual formation but also nurtures a deep sense of purpose, helping students become individuals who strive to use their talents for the greater good and to contribute meaningfully to society.
The five strands are:
Stand A: Scripture and Jesus
Strand B: Church and Community
Strand C: God, Religion and Life
Stand D: Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament
Strand E: Morality and Justice.
Prayer
The school community welcomes each school day by saying the school prayer together. Parents are encouraged to pray regularly with their children. Both formal and informal prayers are said at school, such as ‘The Angelus’.
Sacramental Program
All sacramental programs are parish-based. Children are prepared for the reception of the Sacraments by their parents, with the assistance of the Parish Sacramental Team, which includes the Parish Priest and Sacramental Coordinator, Sr Jiji. A support program is taught at the school in Year 3 and Year 4 and older grades when required. The parish number for all sacramental enquiries is (02) 4396 4455.
Confirmation – Year 3
Reconciliation – Year 4
First Eucharist – Year 4
Sacramental Program 2024- 2025