At Lumen Christi Catholic Primary School we believe that the Catholic faith and its traditions are central to the purpose of our school, whilst recognising and respecting our multi-faith community. Religious Education permeates all areas of school life, in an environment conducive to the development of a personal relationship with God. The aim of our Religious Education Program is to develop within each child an awareness of God in:

• •  Self

  • Others

  • Our Faith Community

  • The World

and to create an environment conducive to the development of religious faith. We achieve this by providing the opportunity for personal growth in faith through the Tradition of the Catholic Church: Scripture, Prayer, Sacraments, Liturgy and teachings. 

Curriculum Planning and Assessment

• Provide students with opportunities to engage in rich dialogue and learning experiences that integrate faith and life, permeated with a Catholic perspective and enhanced by the Catholic Social Teachings.

• Design units of work engaging students in meaningful learning activities together with the Catholic Tradition and beliefs, thus enabling explicit connections between learning and the deepening of faith.

• Embed the Renewed Religious Education Curriculum within the Faith Based Inquiry planning, teaching and assessment, making links with the Victorian Curriculum and the Inquiry Process.

Staff Formation

• Support a deeper engagement with scripture, liturgy and prayer.

• Strengthen our understanding of the Catholic Tradition to contribute effectively to the mission and Catholic identity of Lumen Christi Catholic Primary School.

Prayer, Liturgy and Sacramental Program

• Participate in daily prayer sessions where all students are invited to pray, enabling deeper encounters between faith and life and a personal encounter with God.

• Celebrate the liturgical seasons and sacraments throughout the school year.

• The celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation providing an opportunity for our community to experience the richness of the signs and symbols of the Catholic faith and the nourishment of faith.

• Deepen Students’ understanding of Faith Based values and the Catholic Tradition through their participation in Mass, Liturgy, Sacraments and a rich prayer environment.

Links to the Parish, wider community and Social Justice

• Connect with the Parish and wider community through the reflection on social justice issues. Respond to these issues through actions to promote a just society, witnessing the Catholic identity through love, compassion and peace.

• Create experiences that engage school families in a sustainable way into the broader life of the church through the Celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, liturgy, sacraments, experiences of pastoral care and social justice.

Faith Based Inquiry

At Lumen Christi, we work together in developing Catholic Identity through Faith Based Inquiry.

This style of learning engages learners hermeneutically through the Catholic Tradition by providing opportunities to make deeper connections with our learning across the curriculum, exploring scripture and taking action within the broader community.

Social Justice

As a Catholic school, we believe it is a necessary response to the Gospel call of Jesus to build a more just and fair world.

Consequently, our Faith and Life Inquiry program places a strong emphasis on Social Justice; the belief that all people have a right to live with dignity and an equal share of the world’s resources.

Each Faith and Life Inquiry has a Social Justice component. From Prep to Year 6, students are inspired to “take action” in either a local or global context. At the local level, students can contribute to St Vincent de Paul and, at the global level, students support Caritas.

One of the key resources in the education of students in Social Justice is the Caritas Australia website. Through this website, students are introduced to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Project Compassion, which is an annual campaign to raise awareness and money to end poverty.