Staff Religious Education Conference

This week, the St Mary’s staff were privileged to participate in a two day Religious Education Conference.

Day One was spent at the St Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, where we explored the inspiring life and legacy of St Mary MacKillop. We reflected on the many challenges and adversities she faced, and her remarkable resilience and unwavering commitment to ensuring that the poorest children could flourish despite difficult circumstances. As part of our learning journey, we participated in the St Mary MacKillop Walk, which included visits to significant sites such as Mary’s birthplace and St Patrick’s Cathedral. During the day, staff also engaged in discussions about our House Team names and explored ways to strengthen their connection to the values and spirit of St Mary MacKillop.

Day Two was facilitated by Dr Margaret Carswell, a lecturer from the Australian Catholic University. Margaret brought great enthusiasm and depth to our study of Scripture, particularly the Gospel of Luke. The day was filled with rich discussions about Scripture and the parables of Jesus, inspiring us to think deeply about how these teachings can be brought to life in our classrooms. Staff also worked collaboratively on developing a Religious Education scope and sequence to further enhance student learning.

Overall, the conference provided staff with an invaluable opportunity to engage more deeply with their faith, reflect on their teaching practice, and consider meaningful ways to connect these insights to student learning.

We look forward to sharing our learnings with the students throughout the term.