As a Catholic Christian community, we educate all to live the gospel of Jesus Christ as successful, creative and confident, active and informed learners empowered to shape and enrich our world. We learn from the past, live in the present and look to the future. Valuing our Presentation tradition, we aim to live by the values of Compassion, Courage, Commitment, Creativity and Confidence and therefore be beacons of hope and faith in the world.
Religious Education in our contemporary Catholic School comprises two distinct but complementary dimensions – teaching people religion and teaching people to be religious. This is witnessed through our Religious Education Program, which encompasses the Religious Life of the School and the Religion Curriculum P-12.
The Vision of the Brisbane Catholic Education Religious Education Curriculum challenges students to be cultural agents in light of the Gospel; authentic witnesses to the mission of Jesus Christ in the world today.
Religious Life of the School
The four components of the Religious Life of the School are mutually reinforcing but distinctive aspects of the living faith of Stella Maris School. Our aim is to provide opportunities for each child to develop a close personal relationship with God.
Religious Identity & Culture
From the first time you step into Stella Maris School at Maroochydore, you will feel and see something special. We nurture faith and spiritual development in a Catholic Christian tradition while nestled in our natural bush and coastal environment. We embed the ethos and charism of Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters and strive to live the school Vision and Mission every day. There is a strong sense of community which provides support both with and beyond the school grounds. A sense of the sacred is enhanced through our natural and built environment and school resources.
Evangelisation & Faith Formation
Stella Maris School operates in a rapidly changing, complex, global world. Our school RE program seeks to reflect a Catholic Christian worldview that integrates faith, life and culture in this contemporary and multi-faith context. Stella Maris is a place where students and their families encounter the mission and outreach of the church especially through pastoral care and the experience of Catholic Christian community grounded in the charism of the Presentation Sisters. Believing in and trying to imitate the charism of Nano Nagle helps us to aim to be living witnesses to the gospel within our community and beyond.
Prayer & Worship
Prayer and worship are extremely important to our school community. The development of a culture of prayer at Stella Maris is achieved through the provision of regular personal and communal prayer opportunities. Students are encouraged to participate in and experience a variety of prayer forms, through daily prayer in classrooms, daily school gatherings, whole school daily Christian meditation time and regular assemblies. Staff take the opportunity to join together in prayer each Wednesday morning. The school eNewsletter provides a weekly prayer focus to connect our whole school community. There are strong links with the parish, as witnessed through the Sacramental Program, regular engagement of Parish staff and visitors in the school and the ability for all classes to celebrate Eucharist at the 9.00am parish mass held in our Children's Chapel each Tuesday.
Special feast days and liturgical seasons are celebrated at our school. Parents are encouraged to join with the children in celebrating these special events and times in the Church year, including such as: Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Pentecost, Catholic Education Week, Mission Week, Presentation Day and Advent.
Social Action & Justice
At Stella Maris, we are committed to following the example of Jesus and living out the good news that Jesus proclaimed, so we promote social action and justice both within and beyond the school community. Following in the footsteps of Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters, we aim to light the way for those who are facing difficulties. Recognising the needs of those in our families, school, local and wider communities, students, families and staff are encouraged to act for justice. With the support of staff and families, student leaders and classes lead social justice action within our community in response to needs. Fundraising and awareness raising activities are held across the year and may support reconciliation, sustainability, Project Compassion, Catholic Missions, the Annual Catholic Campaign, disaster appeals, St Vincent de Paul projects, community outreach, the Mary MacKillop Foundation, the Indigenous Literacy Project, or other initiatives or focus areas.
Religion Curriculum P-12
The content of the Religion Curriculum P-12 is organised into four strands. Each of these strands comprises three distinct yet interrelated sub-strands:
- Sacred Texts: Old Testament; New Testament; and Christian Spiritual Writings and Wisdom.
- Beliefs: Trinity (God, Jesus the Christ, Spirit); Human Existence; and World Religions.
- Church: Liturgy and Sacraments; People of God; and Church History.
- Christian Life: Moral Formation; Mission and Justice; and Prayer and Spirituality.
At Stella Maris, the four strands are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way with the aim of developing our learners’ religious literacy. We want all students to be able to participate critically and effectively as life-long learners within our faith community and in society.
Students experience a required minimum of 2.5 hours per week of religion lessons.
Our model of pedagogy brings together the principles and practices of learning and teaching that lead to success for all learners. Based on an Inquiry Approach, our teachers use contemporary evidence-based practices to impact positively and provide feedback on, student progress and achievement.
Prep to Year 2
The Religion Curriculum P-12 enables students in Prep to Year 2 to learn about Jesus’ life as a Jew, his family and friends and his teachings and actions. They learn about God’s loving relationship with people and all of creation and the many ways in which communities of believers nurture their loving relationship with God, others and with all of Creation.
Year 3 to Year 6
The Religion Curriculum P-12 enables students in Years 3 to 6 to develop their understanding of community and its significance for sharing and developing faith. They learn about the experiences of different communities, past and present and the many ways in which faith is lived out and celebrated in their lives. Students learn about the particular communities for whom the human authors of sacred texts shaped their writings. They learn about the relational nature of God as Trinity and the significance of Jesus’ law of love.
Stella Maris - Religious Life of the School.pdf