Religious Education Update

'Religious Education enables learners to encounter God in their lives and to articulate what this means, in an environment that welcomes multicultural and multi-faith world views.'

Prayer spaces in Schools

This series of 9 prayer spaces and activities co-created by teachers, leaders and their classes will help pupils to reflect on and engage with the Easter story in a fresh way.

Stories are more than entertainment. Good stories invite us to join in. These prayer activities invite pupils to participate and engage in the Easter story as it unfolds, to consider Jesus' thoughts and feelings, and to reflect on their own thoughts and feelings as well.

Good stories enable us to see our own life-story in new ways. These prayer activities invite pupils to reflect on the events and relationships in their lives, and encourages them to express their thoughts and feelings, ask questions, and if they want to, try praying.

Nine ideas for reflection and prayer are included in our creative sacred spaces:

Palm Sunday - Joy
The Last Supper - Friendship
Gethsemane - Big Questions
Carrying the Cross - Worries
Simon's Help - Helping Others
The Cross: "Forgive Them Father" - Forgiveness
The Cross - Saying Sorry
The Resurrection - Hopes & Dreams
The Great Commission - Making the World a Better Place

You will see these spaces evolving over the week and will be invited to attend the spaces with your children before and after school next week.

What does Lent mean to you?

Every year throughout Lent, many people pray, fast and give alms. These are the three pillars or traditions of Lent.

During Lent, we take time to think about how the Holy Spirit can help us be more like Jesus. We take time to think about how we can care more about others.

Through Project Compassion, we can learn about the ways that Caritas Australia is working with local partners around the world and people who live in poverty.

In the classroom we hear stories of hope in Bangladesh, the Solomon Islands, Tanzania and Indonesia.

We focus on how we can BE MORE in our family, our school community and with our global family. There has been a lot of change around the world over the last year so the idea of reaching out and supporting each other is more important than ever.

Excerpts from Caritas Project Compassion Resource

Prayer

During Lent, Christians pray for themselves and others. We encourage you to pray for the people and communities you learn about through the stories we share during Project Compassion.

Fasting

Fasting is about giving something up for a time. Many people give up something they love to eat. This can help you understand a little more about what It's like for somebody who is different from you. You can also give up something you like to do, like spending time watching television.

Almsgiving

Almsgiving means donating money or items to people who have less than you. It is a way to show that you care for others and that you are thankful for all God has given you. Caring for others is part of many faiths. Let’s be brave enough to give generously this Lent. What can you go without during each week of Lent? Maybe it’s a snack or treat that you have each week. We can place the money saved in our Project Compassion boxes. Your support of Project Compassion is a way of saying you care about creating a fairer world.