Education in Faith
At St. Mary’s, Altona the focus for the education of students is directed towards the development of the whole person, and the curriculum is the basis for the understanding of values, life, culture and faith within a Catholic framework.
Our focus is on the faith development of our students and ensuring religion and the gospel values are integrated into the teaching of all learning areas.
The curriculum draws from Scripture and the Catholic tradition of the Universal Church. It fosters an understanding of young people as they grow and mature in contemporary society. Its content includes a strong social justice focus. Religious Education is also woven into the daily life of the school through formal Religion lessons. The integration of Christian attitudes and values are linked into all curriculum areas and the encouragement to live fully Christian lives is promoted.
Our work in Religious Education is very much integrated and interwoven in the life and learning of the school. Integrated units of work for example, often bring together the learning we do of our religion and faith, with the learning we do of the world around us. Scripture and the stories of the faith tradition are key elements of our units of work across a range of areas of the curriculum.
School Liturgies
Celebrating our faith through liturgy is an important component of school life at St. Mary’s, Altona. Opportunities for experiencing prayer and celebrating liturgy are regularly provided for the whole school community. Our school choir is also very connected to enhancing our celebration of the Mass, particularly at whole school celebrations.
Each class is regularly rostered on during the school year to attend, participate in or host Mass at 9.15am in the parish church; Mary, Help of Christians. Parents and families are invited to share in these celebrations. There are also many occasions throughout the year in which we gather as a whole school and parish community to celebrate feast days and important liturgical events such as:
During the important liturgical seasons of the year such as Lent and Advent, there are weekly prayer liturgies. Parents and families are welcome to join with us in these celebrations and are notified in the weekly newsletters and on the school web page.
Sacraments
At St Mary’s Altona, Catholic students are prepared for the Sacraments as part of a class program. There is an expectation of significant parental involvement.
Students receive the Sacraments in the following years:
Reconciliation – Year 3
First Eucharist – Year 3
Confirmation – Year 6.
We celebrate the students’ reception of each sacrament as an important stage in their faith journey.