Faith

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

St Finbar’s is a Parish Primary School and families are encouraged to take an active part in the life of the Parish community. In collaboration with the parish St Finbar’s School strives to be visible and active within our community. Parents are regarded as the first and most important educators of their child in faith and in partnership with the staff of St Finbar’s school will continue to have opportunities to nurture the faith of the home.

St Finbar’s Religious Education program aims to lead the child to faith in God, by encouraging a personal growing relationship with Jesus Christ and an openness to the Holy Spirit, within the context of the Catholic tradition. The Religious Education curriculum incorporates each child’s developmental stage and levels of maturity as it sequentially builds skills and knowledge from Prep to Year 6.  

Religious Education Program

Religious Education is fundamental to the overall development of the child. We aim to build on each child's experience of living the faith, leading them to a deeper understanding of their life in the church, as well as providing opportunities for the students and their families to grow closer to the wider community of the parish. Religious Education is explored within a modern context in Faith Life Units from Prep to Year 6.  The students are encouraged to question and wonder as they grow in relationship with Jesus and the world around them. The ‘Pedagogy of Encounter’ approach invites students to move through thinking routines that incorporate their own views, others’ views and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Students are encouraged to question and wonder within the world they live in. At the heart of this approach is developing informed knowledge and lived experience in relationship with God through: celebrating liturgy                                                                      

• receiving Sacraments
• responding to the spirit of God in their lives and in creation
• celebrating the mystery and life of the Risen Christ
• developing factual knowledge to inform their faith
• understanding the scriptures and the traditions of the Catholic Church
• participating in Family Faith Nights at each year level and Reflection Days when participating in a Sacrament

Sacramental Celebrations

While the school incorporates the Sacraments within Faith Life units,  the celebrations occur within the Parish community. Acknowledging the importance of family at this sacred time, the Sacramental Program includes an opportunity for parents and their child to develop a deeper understanding of the Sacrament. Children are prepared for the Sacraments in the following Year levels:

• Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Year 3
• Sacrament of Eucharist (Communion) Year 4
• Sacrament of Confirmation Year 6

Social Justice is at the heart of our school and parish, grounded in  the Catholic Social Teachings.  Social Justice leaders from Prep to Year 6 in partnership with Father Ian, the Religious Education Leader, the Faith Team  and members from the Brighton East Conference of St Vincent de Paul lead our school community in the Feast of the Sacred Heart Winter Appeal and The Christmas Hampers Appeal. Throughout the year there is a focus on actively supporting Caritas Australia promoting  initiatives such as;  Project Compassion,

where our community learns about poverty, how to promote justice and uphold the dignity of each person.