Religious Education at Rosary School in 2008

Religious Education at Rosary School in 2008

"Rosary School works in partnership with the community to educate young people to take their place effectively in the Church and the world."

This, Rosary's school vision, highlights the integral way in which Religious Education filters through daily experiences of life, education, behaviour, growth and celebration to foster the building of positive personal relationships between all students, staff, parishioners, parents and friends within the community and therefore with God. It is therefore important to realise its complexity, which bases itself on the Dominican charism where a vibrant enthusiasm for new educational trends are sought and a mission to outreach to others is apparent in their vision and ethos generated for today and into the future.

"These three human values of resourcefulness, solidarity and imagination shared in common, characterise different approaches to education around the Dominican world." In essence it is to "capture the imagination of all of those who believe that another world is possible and that Dominicans who have been involved in different approaches to Dominican education in a wide variety of settings around the world are participating in the coming of this better world."

Margaret Ormond, OP

May 18, 2007

As the REC it is my role to promote and nurture the faith formation of all members of the school community, which is through a multifaceted avenue of areas as highlighted below:

Prayer

* Classes participate daily in prayer with opportunities to plan and conduct meaningful prayers with relevant sacred spaces and accompanying liturgical/contemporary music.

* Each weekly assembly commences with prayer which is meaningful and relevant to all students.

* Staff prayer continues twice a week and is a wonderful way to connect with each others needs, enjoy staff company, reflect on issues and concerns, and to relax, refocus, reenergise, review and rejoice.

* The International Year of Planet Earth has generated a focus on environmental issues and a ceramic pot with a cactus plant, presented at the Ash Wednesday Mass, has become a focal to class prayer tables and staff work stations for the year to promote our role as stewards.

Masses and Liturgies

* These are very special times for individuals to learn Catholic traditions, rituals and develop active participation as a gathering community which is essential to the spiritual development and liturgical life of students, staff, parents and parishioners at Rosary. It is an opportunity to partake of the Eucharist and to open the Gospel Word enabling us to make meaning of it and connect it to our lives which creates for us our Christian identity.

* Parish policy highlights the developmental ways students enter a worshipping community with understanding. Within the North Adelaide Parish students are gradually introduced to Catholic worship. During term one the students celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with a buddy class or in a year level. These are opportunities for students to develop appropriate gestures, responses, reverence, reflection and start to understand concepts of celebration, personal and social awareness as well as spirituality. Through term 2 each class will have a class Mass with the opportunity to become role models as they prepare and celebrate a Mass with other classes attending, if they so wish. Throughout the year there is a whole school celebration Mass each term focussed around feast days or special events. Whole school celebrations and liturgical seasonal foci are memorable occasions. This year our 100 Year Celebration will be a momentous occasion which will have a continual focus throughout the year. The grotto is being constructed with Our Lady of the Rosary as its centre piece. This completion will be celebrated with a whole school liturgy and reverence ceremony. The blessing of the school crests, traditional and contemporary, and the official recognition of the hall as the original school site will be in term 3. This will be a significantly historical occasion with invited guests and dignitaries.

* It is with pride that I have the opportunity to work closely with our dedicated, knowledgeable staff to help plan, prepare and rehearse Masses and Liturgies which reflect commitment to creativity, song, dance and art making each a unique and valuable part in the spiritual development and liturgical life of our worshipping community.

Curriculum

* Staff developed further confidence to use the Religious Education Framework planning units in 2007. 2008 we will re-look at this through the new "Crossways" programme, just completed and launched after 8 years of writing, trialling and reworking to create a very user friendly, succinct document. The mapping of the key ideas over two years has been drafted as useful guide to ensure that all are covered. This will be trialled, evaluated and adopted with appropriate changes over the year by classroom teachers.

* Assessment and Reporting will be a focus for 2008 with our POR focus in this area.

* Staff professional Development

* Staff Day in term 3 provides a range of RE focuses which contribute to the faith formation of staff. 2007 was a staff retreat and 2008 is yet to be decided.

* Eleven teachers have completed their Graduate Certificate in Catholic Studies

* Those who have completed