Reflections on Faith 

Confirmation:

On the weekend of the 3-4th of September, Bishop Michael Kennedy will be joining our Parish to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Year 5 and 6 students eligible for this Sacrament have been invited to meet with Father Gleeson. Leading up to the Sacrament students need to attend four Catechesis sessions, which will be held after the Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses. 

At St. Joseph's we are also actively preparing our students for the Sacrament of Confirmation and currently in the Stage 3 Classroom we are working through the Religious Education unit of Confirmation: Celebrating the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Using  Church teachings and doctrine, this unit revisits the Pentecost experience in the Scriptures. It also explores the sacrament of Confirmation: the symbols and rituals, the liturgical structure and theology. 

2022 RE Test: 

Last term Year 6 sat the RE test, along with all year 6 students across the diocese. Our students are to be commended for their outstanding results. As the students have not received their individual certificates as of yet, will receive at the next assembly, individual results will be posted in the next newsletter. However, on average our students achieved an average score of 22.4, compared to the diocesan average score of 21.2. Fantastic effort by our students!

Religious Education in Other Stages: 

Stage 2:

Due to Stage 2 students completing their First Holy Communion last term, they are revisiting Pentecost with the unit exploring the courage needed to bear witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. They will identify the Holy Spirit, as alive and active in our lives, who gives us the courage to follow Jesus.  The unit also focuses on exploring examples of people (apostles, saints and heroes) who demonstrate courage in their lives and how they model for us the courage to live as witnesses who speak the truth.

Stage 1:

Stage 1 are reflecting upon God's goodness through their unit which explores the concept of living as a follower of Jesus. It introduces Jesus’ commandment to love others as Jesus loved us. It draws on the children’s knowledge of stories about Jesus and of their experience of people who reflect God’s love. The unit introduces saints as ordinary people who reflected God’s goodness to the world and brought God’s love to others.

Early Stage 1: 

Kindergarten are exploring God's Family through their unit, being introduced to new people. The unit begins with the story of Abraham and Sarah. It is a story of promise and trust and formative to our identity as the People of God. The second part of the unit introduces Jesus’ family and tells two short stories of Jesus as a boy. The story of the people of God begins a new chapter in the person of Jesus. This unit focuses on belonging both in the family and with all the people of God.