Religious Education at Thomas Carr College provides staff and students with the opportunity to develop the vital components of knowledge, understanding, appreciation and celebration of the living Catholic faith in today’s world. We are conscious and mindful of the need to find new ways to build faith development, prayer and sacramental life in the light of the growing demands within our school and broader Catholic community.
The Religious Education staff have enormous energy, devotion and passion which assist in the development of the new VELS curriculum, outreach programs and special events within the College. We aim to have a dynamic, creative and inclusive curriculum which challenges both staff and students to take themselves away from their comfort zones and inspires them.
Across all year levels, our Religious Education teachers encourage students to reflect regularly in open dialogue with their families about what they are studying in their classes. They are asked to interact with their local community, by carrying out random acts of kindness. Students are invited to read specific parts of the Bible, to draw their own conclusions about the scriptures and to relate their understandings to their own experiences and contemporary society. Hopefully, through the Religious Education program, students and staff experience a love of faith and will develop an advance understanding and acceptance of the Thomas Carr Mission Statement and promote the ideals and values of the Catholic Church.
Curriculum Focus:
Year 7 – Belonging
- Belonging to Thomas Carr College and the Catholic Tradition
- Key People and the Hebrew Scriptures
- Signs, Symbols, and Rituals
- God and Creation
Year 8 - Growth
- Prayer and Meditation
- Jesus the Jew
- St Paul and the Early Christian communities
- Values and Responsibilities
Year 9 – Relationships
- Working for Justice in Australia
- The Australian Catholic Church
- Hope and Healing
- Personal Moral Responsibility
Year 10 – Service
- Discipleship
- Ancient and Indigenous Religions
- Religion and Music/Art
- Religion and Film
Year 11
- Unit 1 Religion and Identity
Year 12
- Unit 2 Religion and Society
- Unit 3 & 4 Religion and Society (optional)
Special Events and Outreach Programs 2009:
- Year 7 & 8 Reflection Day
- Year 9 Core of Life Program
- Year 9 Social Justice Day/Program
- Year 10 Reflection Day
- Year 11 Healthy Relationships Program
- Year 11 Retreat
- Caritas Australia – Projection Compassion School Program
- Ozanam House School Volunteer Program
- Jewish/Christian/Muslim Association- Year 11 Secondary School Program
- Australian Red Cross - Youth Donor Program
- St Vincent de Paul Society - Christmas Hampers
Liturgical Highlights 2009:
- Lunchtime Masses
- Opening School Mass
- Ash Wednesday Liturgy
- Catholic Education Week Mass
- Easter Liturgy
- ANZAC Day Liturgy
- Malaya Borneo Veterans Memorial Service
- Thomas Carr Day Mass
- Year 12 Graduation Mass
- Year 10 & 11 End of Year Liturgy
- Year 7-9 Christmas Liturgy
- Staff Christmas Mass
