RENews
Families in Catholic School Communities
.....What is the role of Families in Catholic school communities?
The three major contexts in which children learn are the family, the school, and the community.
In choosing a Catholic school, parents enter a partnership focused on faith formation, learning, and wellbeing.
Families are honoured in a Catholic school community.
Encounter through partnership- reverence for the innate dignity of the other
Activating engagement- leaders, teachers, families, and children each have a role to play
Three-way learning relationship- parents, teachers, and students working together.
(www.cem.edu.au/Our-Schools/Curriculum/Horizons-of-Hope)
Family Faith Evening
This year the Sacramental Program for students in Year 4 will begin this week. Students will participate in a weekly school-based program focusing on the elements and Catholic traditions associated with the Sacrament of Penance- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. The evening's workshop will be held on Thursday 12th November at
5 pm via zoom. The evening will focus on the importance of the Sacraments and our commitment as Catholics to continue on a faith-filled journey that was initiated at your child’s baptism. A scheduled zoom link for the meeting will be provided to the families on Thursday via skoolbag.
NAIDOC Week
Always Was, Always Will Be.
Recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.
We are spiritually and culturally connected to this country.
NAIDOC stands for
National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee.
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.
We as that you as a family take some time out this weekend engage in dialogue with your child about our nation's first people. We ask that you take time to pray together as a family acknowledging the Indigenous culture, human dignity, and care for our land.
Reconciliation Prayer from Wontulp Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group, 13 March 1997
Holy Father, God of Love,
You are the Creator of all things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history and the sufferings of Our peoples,
We ask for your forgiveness.
We thank you for the survival of Indigenous cultures.
Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus to reconcile the world to you.
We pray for your strength and grace to forgive, accept, and love one another, as you love us and forgive and accept us in the sacrifice of your Son.
Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history so that we may build a better future for our Nation.
Teach us to respect all cultures.
Teach us to care for our land and waters.
Help us to share justly the resources of this land.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities,
Especially the disadvantaged.
Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations on which we build
our families,
our communities,
and our Nation.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.