Welcome back to Term 2. This term I will be using some of my space in the newsletter to provide you with information about our new Archdiocesan Religious Education curriculum.

Some of us were brought up in a time when Religious Education was something that you were taught to believe with no questions asked. Religious Education is no longer taught that way in the classrooms across our Archdiocese. Students are invited to share ideas, connect with their other learning and ask questions to deepen their understanding. Probably the biggest change that we are experiencing is that children are encouraged to form their own points of view while respectfully acknowledging that other people may not share their point of view. Sometimes, through listening to others’ points of view and critically reflecting on them, we come to a new realisation or, alternatively, we strengthen what we believed in the original instance.

Through involvement in thinking routines such as I see, I think, I wonder, the students are able to bring their own ideas to a discussion by sharing their own life experiences. Thinking routines are often paired with provocations. Provocations can be images, videos, phrases, pieces of writing, quotes or other things that are designed to engage students in thinking about a topic more broadly. Every student response to a particular provocation will be different but no response is wrong. Each student brings different life experiences and strengths with them to the learning and therefore will respond to the provocation in a different way. Using these thinking routines, with provocations, allows teachers to support genuine, active and authentic student engagement in Religious Education, no matter what the student’s religious background might be.

I will be sharing more about the new Religious Education curriculum in coming weeks. Next week I will also include some of the student responses to the ‘I see, I think, I wonder’ task that some students from different classes engaged in this week.

This week my thoughts turn to those who have family members in nursing homes, in hospitals or who are especially at risk of contracting the Corona virus.

Dear Lord,

We lift to You our concern for people who are more likely than others to become severely ill from COVID-19 — the elderly and people with chronic health conditions. Protect them from harm and be their comfort in this time of uncertainty and, for many, preventive isolation from loved ones.

Amen 

Prayer retrieved fromhttps://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/prayers-people-affected-new-coronavirus 

As a school, we have prepared something special for the residents of the MPS. We understand how lonely it must be for the residents now that their families are unable to visit them and they are unable to take trips out into the community. We are sending them some remote but heartfelt hugs and messages.

Stay well and be kind to one another in these challenging times. Please know that we are only a phone call or email away if you need support for any reason.

Many Blessings,