Education in Faith
"Religious Education as a particular curriculum area is critical to education in a Catholic school. It deliberately attends to the spiritual development of each person, acknowledging and celebrating the Holy Spirit at work, inviting a relationship with God and a Christ-like stance towards others. At the same time, it is a disciplined process of ‘faith seeking understanding’, where the questions of God, beliefs and life are articulated and explored in dialogue with the Catholic Tradition to develop students’ faith lives and stimulate a search for meaning and truth."
(Horizons of Hope - Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools)
Religious Education at St Robert’s embraces diversity, enhances personal
faith and promotes discipleship - all central to building God’s Kingdom.
It is both explicitly taught through mandated lessons each week and
intrinsically taught in our relationships and everyday interactions, where
we model the teachings of Jesus.
Scripture
All key learning in Religious Education is underpinned by scripture - the Good News. As such, teachers and students read from the Bible to determine the main messages, values and teachings of Jesus. Acknowledging, understanding and enacting these teachings equip our students to be true disciples of Jesus in their daily lives.
Prayer and Liturgies
All classes begin and end their school day with prayer. These sessions provide an authentic opportunity for students to praise and thank God for their families and friends.
Throughout the year, either at our Chapel or at St Mary’s Basilica, we gather as a faith community for liturgical celebrations such as Masses and non-Eucharistic Liturgies. Whole school liturgical celebrations include Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, our Feast Day (7th of June), as well as, our Beginning and End of Year Celebrations. An invitation to attend our liturgical celebrations is always extended to our families.
Sacraments
St Robert's School works with families and the community of St Mary of the Angels Parish, Geelong, to assist students through their journey of faith. Sacraments are the festive, ritual actions of the church in which Christians assemble to celebrate their lived experience.
The preparation and reception of the Sacraments: Reconciliation (Year 3), Eucharist (Year 4) and Confirmation (Year 6) form a major aspect of our Religious Education Program. Each sacramental year level participates in a variety of school and home-based tasks. These aim to enrich the unique faith journey of each of our students so they can experience: forgiveness, spiritual nourishment and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Social Justice
St Robert’s proudly raises awareness and funds to support our Partner Parish of Viqueque - Mary Immaculate. Viqueque is a city in the south-east of Timor-Leste and the combined efforts of our Parish and Cluster Schools have helped to build its churches and schools. Our annual commitment to Caritas through Project Compassion and other community-based organisations such as the Parish Pantry organised throughout the year are some examples of our ‘local’ and ‘global’ actions. These year-long efforts enable our school community to act justly and love tenderly - just as Jesus and our Patron Saint did.
