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St. Mary’s C.B.S., Religious Education PolicySt. Mary’s C.B.S., Religious Education Policy As a ERST Catholic School, this Religious Education Policy will impact on the whole school community. The scope will reach:Board of ManagementTo approve the policy and ensure its implementation.ParentsTo be informed of and to support the policyPrincipal and Deputy PrincipalTo support the procedures of the policy and ensure its effective implementation.School StaffAs teachers in a Christian Brother school, the hope is that the whole staff embraces and safeguards the ethos of the school the cross-curricular nature of Religious Education.Teachers of Religious EducationTo implement and review the policyTo ensure a high standard and effective delivery of Religious Education.ChaplainTo assist in the faith development of studentsPastoral Care Personnel (Guidance Counsellor/Year Heads)To monitor the effects of the policy and to provide support and guidance to the students.Parents / GuardiansTo support the Religious Education Programme in the school and facilitate the faith formation of their children.StudentsTo participate in the Religious Education Programme and to cultivate an openness to other religious traditions.MISSION STATEMENT OF ST. MARY’S, BORRIS ROAD, PORTLAOISE.St. Mary’s C.B.S. Borris Road is a community of students, teachers, management and ancillary staff.The central purpose of this community is the religious, moral, intellectual and social education of the students. The school strives to maintain an atmosphere of Christian care and concern in which the students can grow to maturity. St. Mary’s C.B.S. promotes partnership, excellence in teaching and learning and the development of leadership skills across the school community.The school is committed equally to the following goals:Fostering excellence in all aspects of school life.Respecting the dignity of each member of the school community.Preparing our students to achieve the highest possible grades in state and other examinations while preparing them vocationally and socially for the world in which they live.The on-going professional development of the staff and promoting a spirit of co-operation and mutual support among staff.Enabling our students to develop a positive self-image and to establish good relationships with others.Promoting an atmosphere of positive discipline and good order in our school. Likewise the school is committed to: Seeking the support and co-operation of parents in achieving the aims of the school.Promoting good communications between the members of the school community.Providing a programme of Pastoral Care within the school that is relevant to all students.The development of Learning Support Programmes in the school.Pupil participation in appropriate areas of school life.VISION of an ERST SchoolGuided by the 5 key elements and inspired by the vision of Edmund Rice, St. Mary’s C.B.S:Seeks to live by Gospel values ;Recognises the dignity of each individual ;Has a special concern for the poor and under-privileged ;Is challenged to develop a curriculum which promotes the harmonious growth of the whole person ;Contributes to the building up of the local community ; Works for peace and justice in society ;Aims of Religious Education:To contribute to the religious development of our students.To develop care for the weak, co-operation between pupils, justice and fair play towards all, respect for truth, a passion for the environment and a love for learning.To provide opportunities to deepen sacramental awareness.To encourage our students to ask and seek answers to important questions.Deepen understanding and awareness of the relevance of morality to the questions, problems and aspirations of today’s world.Facilitate the search for God through the experience of prayer and the development of spirituality through the study of the Catechism as presented in schematic form in our text books. RATIONALE for the policyAs an ERST school we are committed to the importance of formal religious and moral education. This policy allows us the opportunity to reflect on, explore and articulate what it means to be an ERST school. It is our hope to harness the religious development of our students and to provide opportunities for them to know their God. We strive to be faithful to the founding intentions of Edmund Rice and the implications of what it means to be a Catholic school in this Edmund Rice tradition in third millennium Ireland.The GOALS or objectives of the policyTo ensure the status of Religious Education in the school.To promote the religious and overall development of the students.To appreciate the richness of religious traditions and to provide a framework to encounter these traditions.To lead to a greater degree of clarity in respect of aims, procedures and roles for Religious Education in the school.Staffing;We consider Religious Education to be such an integral part of our school ethos and school community then it is imperative that we give it the status it deserves. That means looking at the appointment and selection of qualified teachers and its place on the school timetable and the allocation of class periods.STAFFINGAt present the majority of our students are taught by teachers with specialist qualifications to teach religion. Those teachers are ;1 ) Katrina Foley B.A. Theology..Maynooth (Co –Ordinator)2) Pauline McCormack B.A. Theology…Maynooth3) Caroline Brennan B.Rel.Ed… Mater Dei4) Shelly Nerney B.A Theology/PGCE RE..Leiceister / Post graduate Diploma in Educational management .Maynooth / Post graduate Diploma in Special inclusive Ed…DCU5) Stephanie Buckley B.A.Ed…ThurlesThey are supported in the Department by non-specialist teachers.Fr. Patrick Byrne c.c. is currently our chaplain.Religious Education Department meetings occur frequently on an informal basis. Formal meetings with reports to the Principal are held on average every half term. These meetings are mainly focused on ;Organising liturgical anising the senior Religious Education Programme.Co-ordinating with the school chaplain.Monitoring progress.Resources.Although there is no formal practice of induction for new Religious Education personnel, the co-ordinator takes responsibility to clarify the programme followed in the school, to make the teacher aware of the resources available to Religious Education staff and to continue to assist and support that teacher.Curriculum and Resources.The status of Religious Education in a school is reflected in the organisation of a set Religious Education Programme at both Junior and Leaving Certificate level. The funding of resources may be a barometer of the priority “in action”. The religious identity of our school is not something that happened by accident. It is an identity that has evolved over time and is sustained by careful planning and the allocation of appropriate resources. The level of resourcing for Religious Education is on a par with that of other subjects. The school timetable is as much an expression of school culture and ethos as it is of school resources. It is not a question of packing everything in but of establishing priorities.CURRICLUM AND RESOURCES.1st Year classes attend 2 periods a week2nd Year classes attend 2 periods a week3rd Year classes attend 1 period a weekTransition year classes attend 2 period a week Senior students receive 2 hours of Religious Education each week. (3 class periods).The Fifth Year religion classes are blocked together to facilitate rotation of the classes between three teachers. This has enabled a modular approach to be adopted. The sixth year Religious Education classes are also blocked together but in a addition to this two of the classes are in sequence. This double class allows time for speakers, videos and simulation games.Junior Cert: All Classes follow the State Exam Syllabus in Religious Education, but do not sit the exam.The programme for Transition Year changes depending on time-table, teacher and resources available. Generally there is a focus on social teaching and issues affecting the developing world.Senior Students follow the “Non-Exam Framework for Senior Cycle Religious Education”Religious Education is a core subject on the school curriculum and an integral part of the ethos of the school. All pupils are expected to participate in Religious Education.In line with their legal rights parents of students of a non-Christian faith may request their son not participate in religious education / services. The practice in such cases is that the student remains in the classroom under supervision. If a parent decides to withdraw a student, it is the parents responsibility to organise supervision for the student while the programme is being delivered.Teachers reserve the right to insist that students who normally do not participate in class, would do so, if they feel that the topic of that class is relevant to them e.g. R.S.E. / S.P.H.E. issues.The Religion / meditation room has been designed and outfitted to meet subject needs in a more appropriate manner. The Chaplin room (to which every religion teacher has a key) acts as a store room for resources.Staff Support and Development.Effective Religious Education does not just happen spontaneously or accidentally. The very nature of the Religious Education class requires teachers of Religious Education to keep “upgrading” and enhancing their teaching skills and resources.STAFF SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT.The Religious Education department are supported by the management in many ways. Management has facilitated the adoption of modular and team-teaching in the senior cycle through appropriate timetabling. The Management pay a membership fee to school ethos i.e. providing access to their “School ethos” website and a vast array of resources. In general Religious Education teachers are facilitated in terms of financial needs or time off to engage in religious activities. The Religious Education department receive support from ERST, Sr. Ann Holton, our Diocesan advisor, the local parish-team and parish centre.Teachers are facilitated to attend any in-service courses if they are considered relevant to our school.The school encourages students to participate in a wide variety of programmes such as;Immersion ProgrammeMeithealGaisceJ.P. II Awards, etc.The school is involved in the Immersion Programme.Faith Formation and the Liturgical year.It is important that teachers who work in a school participate actively in the liturgical and sacramental life of the school. Students who witness and experience the concrete involvement of adults in the liturgical and sacramental life of the school will share more readily in the life of the school. There is need to promote a Christian spirituality in our schools.FAITH FORMATION.The school recognises the importance of marking liturgical seasons within the school calendar. Therefore class liturgies are held during Advent and Lent. Suitable symbols such as advent wreath are placed in prominent places throughout the school.Liturgical ceremonies are organised to celebrate the beginning of the school yearClass Masses are organised for each Third Year class in May to mark the end of their time as a class and to pray for success in their exams.The Sixth Years are gathered with their parents and teachers for a Graduation Mass in May.The provision of Reconciliation Services in the school depends on time and priest availability. The Chaplin makes himself available during Lent and Advent to lead appropriate cermonises. All staff are encouraged to attend liturgical services and help with the supervision of students.In addition teachers co-operate in preparing for liturgies, especially in the fields of art, music and woodwork. Teachers are also involved In the service itself by reading prayers etc.The provision of retreats is reviewed on an annual basis and is dependent on finance and the availability of an appropriate team.Currently the First Years are given a full day retreat by the Meitheal leaders in the parish centre, under the guidance of the Religious Education teachers.OUTREACH PROGRAMMES.Response to local and global issues in cross-curricular.Religious Education classes make a special reference to these issues in the various years. Most especially in sixth years, speakers are invited in to speak to the leaving Certificate classes on issues such as refugees and asylum seekers, racism in Ireland, human rights world wide.C.S.P.E. students not only make study of these issues but they also do a special project that may involve inviting a speaker to talk to them or that involves fundraising.Transition year students follow a year long Development Education programme which includes the following modules;Poverty,Gender,Conflict,Diseases,Trade,Human Rights,Food & Water,Environment.This programme encourages action responses such as fundraising, awareness raising, entering competitions such as Young Scientists etc.L.C.V.P. students invite speakers from various organisations such as the Council for the Blind, to talk to their class and then organise some fundraising event to assist them.The Zambia Immersion Project involves the whole school in fundraising and the particular students involved make a presentation to every class, sharing their experiences. Other activities are dependent on time and teach availability, activities such as National Jersey Day, the Concern Fast and the Special Olympics.PARENTAL AND PARISH INVOLVEMENT;Parents can learn more about the aims, objectives and content of our Religious Education programmes at Parent /Teacher meetings, incoming parent’s open night and from the school website.Parents Council and Parents are actively involved in fundraising for the Zambian Immersion project.The local curate, Fr. P Byrne is currently our chaplain and as such is very involved in the Religious Education programmes. He visits the school regularly, engaging with staff and pupils. The chaplain is also involved in school liturgies and retreats. Depending on availability, other members of the parish team such as the parish priest and lay members of the liturgy group, come to speak to the Sixth years as part of their reflection of faith.The schools close links with the parish is reflected in the number of students who are involved in parish based projects such as Lourdes Pilgrimage, World Youth Day and the John Paul II Awards.INCLUSION The school is informed by the “Guidelines on the Inclusion of Students of other Faith in Catholic Secondary Schools” as devised by the J.M.B.Students who are not practicing Catholics but who do not practice another faith must fully participate in all religious activities.Section Three.Success Criteria:Policy Monitoring and Timeframe.Effective policy requires constant monitoring and evaluation to ensure successful implementation and to review what adjustments may be necessary from time to time. In order that the tasks of monitoring and evaluation are effective, consideration of the following may be helpful.Monitoring and Review of Policy.The Religious Education Department will monitor policy implementation on a regular basis.Good communication is maintained between the Religious Education Department and school management.At the end of each year, the Religious Education Department meet to evaluate the success of the policy implementation during the previous year.This Policy will come into effect on _________________.It will be reviewed after ____________ year/s. ................
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