St Columba’s Catholic College has a rich tradition of prayer and liturgy.
As a Catholic community, we celebrate with a sense of the sacredness of people, time and space.
The Angelus is prayed each day at noon, by the entire school community, and classes pray at the commencement of each period.
All Year 7 to 12 students undertake the Religious Education program, Sharing our Story.
Classroom-based Religious Education is just as demanding as every other subject. It has its own syllabus and it uses the most effective methods including group work, research, critical thinking, problem-solving, appropriate use of memorisation, display, and dramatic presentation.
Religious Education, in Parramatta Diocesan school, draws heavily on the research and experience that identifies the most effective means of learning and teaching in today’s classrooms. It expresses the firm belief that the quality of education in the classroom is enhanced when:
- the relationship between teacher and students is based on respect, care and genuine reciprocity
- a range of different teaching approaches is used so as to cater for differences in students’ needs, abilities, interests and learning styles
- students are encouraged to be independent learners
- teachers are appropriately qualified and are authentic witnesses to the faith
Each Religious Education lesson begins with prayer. Classes regularly visit the school’s Iona Chapel for reflection and prayer, linked to themes of their program.
Preparation for aspects of Year group and whole-school liturgies occur in Religious Education classes, e.g. prayers of the assembly, offertory elements, artwork.
Year level retreats flow from stage-specific focuses of the program.
Liturgical life and social justice