No. 72 Term SPREADING GOOD NEWS

Transcription

1 No. 72 Term SPREADING GOOD NEWS

2 YOU WILL SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE, THE FULLNESS OF JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE, AT YOUR RIGHT HAND HAPPINESS FOR EVER. Ps 16: time. Communication with the schools is a My dear SRE Teachers and Assistants, very important link. Welcome to Term 3 as you continue your work in the Lord s vineyard with all its challenges and blessings. Vicki and I were able to attend the Episcopal Ordination of Michael Joseph McKenna and his Installation as the eighth Bishop of Bathurst. The venue was well chosen as it was spacious. The ceremony was involving and the choirs and orchestra were beautiful to listen to. The photos in the Catholic Observer are well worth having a look at, as well as the Bathurst local paper. The bells rung from the Anglican Church drew a large crowd. It was a wonderful day. We celebrate the feast of Blessed Mary MacKillop on the 8 th August. This year marks the 100 th anniversary of Blessed Mary s death in North Sydney on this date. I ve noticed in the back of the churches articles from the Towards Canonisation Committee for parishioners to take, read and return for others to read. The official process toward Mary MacKillop s canonization is gaining momentum in Rome, the Josephites, through the Toward Canonisation Committee, are putting together educational programs and awarenessraising strategies. COMMUNICATION At our last Team meeting and as we visit some of the schools it has come to light that when some SRE Teachers are not able to attend their lessons they have not rung in to let the school know that they are not able to attend and have not been able to organize a replacement SRE Teacher in SIGN IN AT SCHOOL Part of being an SRE Teacher and Assistant is that we are visitors to the school, so like all visitors entering the school grounds, it is important to sign in, in a designated sign on book that is kept at an appropriate place at the school office. Sometimes messages are left on the sign on book that concerns the SRE Teachers. CODE OF CONDUCT I have sent out a number of copies of the Code of Conduct for Catholic SRE Teachers to read. I ve also included a letter for you to add your comments after you have read the Code of Conduct. Please fill in and return the form. I would appreciate it, if the forms could be returned to me at the end of July, please. CODE OF ETHICS Principle 1 Commitment to the Student As educators within the Catholic tradition, SRE Teachers and Assistants believe that children and youth, like us, are pilgrim people, making their journey through this life with a constant focus on the next. SRE Teachers and Assistants have a special responsibility to encourage each to achieve his/her maximum potential. SRE Teachers and Assistants work to stimulate the spirit of enquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and

3 understanding, the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals and values, and a sound relationship with God and the Church. Code of Conduct p.2 beginning of each lesson. The prayers at the back of the student s book are appropriate and I encourage the saying of the Lord s Prayer from the student s books as well. TERM 3 OVERVIEW INSERVICE TRAINING During the last term we had three days of training at Wellington, Peak Hill and Orange where a number of SRE Teachers and Assistants attended. Evaluation provided some positive comments e.g. meeting other SRE people to share ideas and to gain ideas from them about teaching SRE. Recognising how important prayer is in the classroom. That music can be done as part of the SRE lesson etc. A Training day will be held in Nyngan due to a postponement last term. It will be on Monday 17 th August. Connect This term the program continues in the Old Testament theme where the students learn about Moses, the Plagues, the Passover and Exodus, The Ten Commandments, the Promised Land and Celebrating the Passover. Walking With Jesus Pathways to Discipleship This program will continue with the same themes as for the two previous terms. The students will explore their relationship with God, the ministry of Jesus, celebrations at school, in the Parish and in their families; this includes the reception of the Sacraments, formal and informal prayers and stories of the Old Testament. Sunday Scripture Alive The focus is on the Sunday Scripture Readings for Year B. The worksheets are all similar but be discerning about the appropriate sheet for the students. They are graded. MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS PRAYER FOR THE SRE LESSON Some SRE Teachers are concerned that they are not always having a prayer time during their lesson. I would suggest that the prayer time is a priority for each lesson so would suggest that prayer is the During this term we celebrate several feasts of Mary August 15 th - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 22 nd - The Queenship of Mary September 8 th - Birth of the Blessed

4 Virgin Mary September 12 th - Holy Name Of Mary September 15 th - Our Lady of Sorrows October 7 th - Our Lady of the Rosary Mary, my hope, your Son Jesus always hears your prayers; pray for me and obtain for me the grace to love Him with a perfect love. Amen CATHOLIC RESOURCE CENTRE DVD SAMPLER (Contributed by Anne Griffin & Mary Liesch) A reasonable number of new DVD titles have been added to the Centre s collection over the past few months. A proportion of the new DVDs are repeats of programs held on VHS videocassette. DVDs are more easily managed in the classroom setting because it is easy to select just the story (track or chapter) on the disc from the menu on screen compared to the time consuming fast forwarding of a video. DVDs also cost much less for clients to post back to the Centre than heavier videos. Too much self examination is as bad as too little; believe me, by God s help we shall advance more by contemplating the Divinity than by keeping our eyes fixed on ourselves. St. Teresa Ministry of the SRE Teacher and Assistant St Paul another model for SRE Teachers and Assistants In the second half of the Acts of the Apostles we read about the missionary journeys of St. Paul who journeyed about the Mediterranean world by land and by sea in order to spread the Good News of Jesus. Imagine how he would have used a plane or a helicopter in the service of the gospel! Someone has described an SRE Teacher and Assistant as St. Paul in modern disguise. Paul s zeal in spreading the gospel inspires the SRE Teacher and Assistant to be an ambassador for Christ to the students whom we teach and to persevere in the task in spite of lack of visible success in this ministry. Like Paul, SRE Teachers and Assistants remember to pray for the success of their ministry and invite others to pray for them as they seek to spread the Good News of Jesus to the students in the State Schools. Recently added to the Centre s collection are two Australian produced series; Discover the Church Year and The Celebrating Church. The programs in each series do not need to be used in sequence and are as follows: Introducing Sacred Time (Discover the Church Year series) / DVD / 15 minutes / Upper Primary Lower Secondary / As an introduction to the Church Year, this program looks at how time is experienced both now and in the past, giving some background to both a Jewish and Christian perspective of time. Presented by young people and featuring visuals from liturgical celebrations and simple re-enactments, the

5 program talks about religious festivals and holy days, explains the concept of memorial, and provides an overview of the Church Year, explaining how the liturgical cycle helps us live our lives as Christians. A Year with the Lord (Discover the Church Year series) / DVD / 15 minutes / Middle Primary Lower Secondary / The second in this series on the Church Year, this is a presentation on how the Church Year developed. It also talks briefly about the Liturgy of the Hours, Gregorian Chants, and The Lord's Day. It explains the colours of the seasons and the importance of the cycle of celebrations that make up the Church Year. The presentations are by young people and the visuals include scenes from liturgical celebrations The four programs in the series The Celebrating Church are centred upon Jesus and the sacraments. Each run for approximately 17 minutes and are suited to Upper Primary to Middle Secondary students. These DVDs have accompanying notes that suggest a range of related activities. The titles are: It All Begins With Jesus - It begins by looking at the human search for God and how we come to know God through Jesus. Sign, Symbol & Sacrament -. It explains the meaning of signs, symbols and sacraments and shows Jesus as the sacrament of God, and the Church as the sacrament of Jesus. The program looks briefly at each of the sacraments and at sacramentality. Called By Name Focuses on the rituals and symbols of Baptism and how each of us is called by God in this sacrament. Life In the Spirit An overview of the sacrament of Confirmation, its history, meaning and the ritual. It also presents examples of the Holy Spirit active in everyday life. The visuals showing the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation could be of value for younger children. A good overview video for primary grades is the DVD program Catholic Basics for Kids. There are four programs on the disc, being : What is the Bible (16 min.); What is a Sacrament (11 min.); What is the Church (12 min.); A Tour of Our Parish Church (12 min). There are lesson notes for each of the topics. Bible stories are firm favourites with children and are most suited to SRE. The Centreholds two copies of the DVD Listen : Two programs for Children on the Bible: Shema & Parables for Kids The full contents are: SHEMA Old Testament stories has eight short stories demonstrating God's love for the Chosen People. 1: Freedom to Choose (The Garden of Eden, Fall of Adam and Eve). 2: The Best to God (Cain and Abel). 3: Noah and the Flood. 4: The Promise Begins (Abraham). 5: Becoming a People (Jacob and Joseph). 6: The Chosen (Moses). 7: The Passover (The Exodus). 8: The Covenant (Moses on Sinai/The Desert). PARABLES FOR KIDS: 10 x 4 minute stories from the New Testament. The parables are The Sower, The Good Samaritan, The Lost Sheep, The Prodigal Son, Pharasee and Tax Collector, The Talents, The Good Shepherd, The Lost Coin, Man With Two Sons, and House Built on Rock The Centre has many more new DVDS available now or to reserve in advance for a specific time during Term 3 or Term 4. Advance bookings are especially recommended for Advent and Christmas resources. For more information about these and other teaching resources, contact Mary Liesch or Anne Griffin Telephone: (02) Fax: (02) recentre@ceo.bathurst.catholic.edu.au DIRECTORY Helen C. Ryan

6 P.O. Box 720 DUBBO NSW 2830 H mob Vicki Mair 191 Piper Street BATHURST NSW 2795 H