Religious Education

I would like to welcome you back to a new school year and announce some significant changes in Religious Education at the College. I hope that the following is exciting and informative as you continue guiding your son/daughter in their studies.

Years 7-10

Communication

Parents will be emailed an overview of each unit. The email will outline the major themes, learning outcomes and where the learning will be further developed in the future. This initiative I will assist you as you help your child in their home study and enable you to initiate conversations at home.

Revised Curriculum

Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) have released a revised curriculum framework which we are implementing from the beginning of the year across Years 7-10. The implementation of this framework has been planned to occur in a structured manner so that students will engage in shorter units. Each unit has been developed to connect content to the core beliefs of our community, the modern world and how faith may critically be evaluated via the Pedagogy of Encounter. (A timeline of the units in semester one is attached to help you support the time management of your child)

Online Textbook (KWL)

The online textbook, To Know, Worship and Love (KWL), has been further improved and refined so that it reflects the new Curriculum Framework, the learning outcomes and will be the main source of information for all units. The textbook is very concise and may be used at home with your son/daughter to support with their studies. I encourage you to explore this resource with your son/daughter and hope you also find it of interest. Log in details have been emailed to your son/daughter and can be accessed immediately.

CANVAS

The College is implementing a new learning management tool called CANVAS in 2019. This will replace the ‘intranet’ and will become the platform from which courses are offered and documents are housed. The Religious Education Learning Area will begin using this system for all Year 7-10 courses.
CANVAS is an excellent tool for staff, students and parents as it offers key information, assessment tasks, discussions, quizzes, results and all required support material or internet links.

Years 11-12

CANVAS

Due to the nature of VCE/VCAL units CANVAS is being rolled out in a more progressive manner. Units have been added and will be further developed as the semester develops. As noted above it’s an excellent resource for you as a parent.

VCAL

Courses are being further refined in collaboration with key staff members and student projects (as they develop) to link their study to the ‘real world’. The overarching study design theme and outcomes remain unchanged.

Religion and Society

We again had very good results in 2019 and have two classes of Unit 3/4 (Y12) Religion and Society. Ms Andrea Dart is again the Team Leader for Y11, and Mr Paul Lewis and Ms Alicia Deak continue to collaborate to ensure the best course and outcomes for our students at Y12.

Year 12 School Based Religious Education

The course has been further refined over the summer break to focus upon the student’s growth and experiences in a Catholic community and how these factors have formed them. A key development is the awareness of the enormous amount of work required of students in the second half of Term 3.

The course for 2019 has been restructured so that ALL students in School Based Religious Education are offered the two periods of class time to support their VCAA studies as they head towards their exams. This change comes with a clear obligation for students to fully enter into the course and required assessment. I note that students may be required to use the class time ‘freed up’ in Term 3 to complete any work outstanding at the teacher’s discretion.

I trust you will be excited about these changes and I look forward to your support as we help your child(ren) become all that they can be – academically, socially and spiritually.

Sincerely,

Brendan Nicholls Religious Education Learning Area Leader