Religious Education at St Gerard Majella comprises two complementary dimensions: The Religion Curriculum and The Religious Life of the School. The Religion Curriculum focuses on teaching people religion and The Religious Life of the School focuses on teaching people to be religious.
The vision for Religious Education for schools and colleges in the Diocese of Cairns is to ‘aspire to educate and form students who are challenged to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and who are literate in the Catholic and broader Christian tradition so that they might participate critically and authentically in faith contexts and wider society.’ (Religious Education Curriculum).
Religion Curriculum
At St Gerard Majella, teachers are implementing The New Religion Curriculum developed by Brisbane Catholic Education. The content involves four strands: Sacred Texts, Beliefs, Church and Christian Life. These strands are interrelated and each unit of work integrates at least two of the strands. The new Curriculum takes into consideration the changing demographics of our contemporary classrooms, aligns with the Australian Curriculum and incorporates ICT into the teaching and learning.
Religious Life of the School
The Religious Life of the School comprises four interrelated components: Religious Identity and Culture; Evangelisation and Faith Formation; Prayer and Worship; and Social Action and Justice. Through participation in these various activities, students learn about and celebrate Christianity.
Prayer
Prayer is an important part of teaching children about the Catholic faith and is practiced daily in classrooms. Formal and informal prayers are taught at different stages from Prep to Year Six. Christian Meditation as a form of prayer is practiced in each year level. Each class leads the school in prayer at assembly at least once a year.
Liturgy
The St Gerard Majella community celebrates Liturgies (Eucharistic and/or Non-Eucharistic) at significant times in the liturgical calendar throughout the year. A highlight of our faith celebrations is the feast of our patron saint, St Gerard Majella on October 16th.
Each year level celebrates a Liturgy once per term. Students in Years 4-6 are given the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at various times throughout the year. Parish Priest Fr Nathan McKay leads us in our liturgies. Each class is given the opportunity to take part in a Q & A session with Fr Nathan McKay.
We encourage and warmly welcome parents, caregivers, friends and siblings to participate in any of our celebrations.
Sacramental Program
St Gerard Majella is part of the Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. Families may choose to enrol their child in the Parish-based Sacramental Program. The Program assists families to prepare their children for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist/Confirmation. These programs focus on the parent taking responsibility for their child’s faith development. Students can enrol in the Sacrament Program from Year 4-6.
Social Justice and Action
Students have the opportunity to support the Social Justice teachings of the Church by learning about and participating in fundraising efforts initiated by Catholic organisations such as Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion, St Vincent De Paul, Catholic Mission Australia and Rosie’s. The School’s Justice Squad raises awareness about and fundraises for global social justice issues including White Band Day, Fair Trade, Blankets for Mongolia and victims of natural disasters such as the Nepal earthquake.
