Catholic Life & Reflection
What are students learning about?
Teachers are working to ensure our conceptual inquiry units are fresh and engaging. The final parts of the new Brisbane Religious Education Curriculum are being added. This has generated a lot of discussion about how Science and Religious Education can be taught in the same lesson.
In his 2016 encyclical Laudato si, Pope Francis encourages us to use science as a way to understand the world around us. Notably, his encyclical has urged people to care more for the environment and climate change.
Today, Pope Francis is quite open about his belief in evolution, albeit as a means by which God created humankind.
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God gave us the earth “to till and to keep” in a balanced and respectful way.
We want to help our students understand that creation is a continuing cycle, begun by God, and our responsibility is to care for it. Science and faith can work together to deepen this understanding.
In Sustainability lessons, with Mrs Lock,Years 3 - 6 looked at the Amazon rainforest. They were excited to find out information that included statistics on oxygen generation and land size. Learning about precious resources all over the world helps students to understand the importance of balance and harmony in our environment. Using scripture as a starting point, students see that we are called to be stewards of Creation.
Catholic Life and Reflection
This is the first reading from last Sunday. It is a familiar story, Noah and the rainbow. Fr Kimi drew our attention to the word covenant. He suggested that we were, in that very moment, connected by a covenant to God for all eternity. That our work, especially during Lent, but actually throughout the whole year, is to establish, build and maintain our own covenant. For each of us it is different. Each day we need to be aware of and work towards maintaining it.
The children make a Lenten promise each year, write it down and put it in an envelope. The staff use that terminology too. Sunday reminded me that we can’t live our faith the same way we did when we were children. Moving from Lenten promise to covenant is another step in the journey of growing our faith.
Genesis 9:8-15 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.[a] 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
May God continue to bless all of our students and families.
Stephanie Stewart
Religious Education Coordinator