Orthodox Christian Studies

In Middle School, students have been focusing on the Sunday’s preceding Great Lent in Year 6, the pillars of Lent and their purpose in assisting us in renewing our relationship with Christ, Christ’s words from The Cross, in Year 8 and an in-depth biblical focus on Holy Week in Year 9. Our Year 10 students have focused on Ethics from an Orthodox Christian lens and how we make ethical decisions in line with our faith.

We would like to encourage our students and their families to take part in Holy Week and other activities around it. Please note the following opportunities:

Lazarus Saturday

(Day before Palm Sunday) Palm Cross Making from 11:30am – All welcome

Palm Sunday 

Fish Lunch following Divine Liturgy – limited places 

Easter Activities 

Tuesday 11 April from 10am-12pm in the small church hall please register by emailing ddamatopoulos@oakleighgrammar.vic.edu.au

Wishing you all a blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

Dean Damatopoulos

Orthodox Christian Studies Leader 

In Junior School, the students from Engage, Explain and Elaborate phases have been learning the about the Easter story. 

Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, is the most sacred time of the year. Easter is a great reminder that Christ died and rose for all and each one of us. 

The Year Prep students decorated palm leaves and cheered ‘Hosanna’ as they re-enacted the scene of Palm Sunday. 

The Year 1 students realised the importance of serving others when in their Bible study they learned that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet before the Last Supper, they discussed different ways that they can practise serving others in their daily lives. 

Through the study of the Last Supper the Year 2 students made the connection of the sacrament of Holy Communion and the last meal that Christ shared with his disciples before his arrest. 

The Year 3 students had the opportunity to understand deeper the nature of Christ as both divine and human when they learned about Jesus’ moments before his arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane. 

The Year 4 students focused on the feelings of sadness, gratitude and repentance that come along with Holy Friday and helped them to process these feelings. 

The Year 5 students had a deeper understanding on the meaning of Christ’s Resurrection, how Jesus redeemed us, how He reconciled us with God and how He restored us. 

Finally, integral part of Junior School’s study of the Holy Week was the study of the Lent period through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Varvara Pavlidou Varvara Pavlidou 

 Junior School Orthodox Christian Studies Teacher