Sudbury Catholic District School Board
 Our Faith

Religion and Family Life Program

Purpose and Goals of the Religion and Family Life Program

Sudbury Catholic District School Board is proud of our Catholic faith and traditions. The Gospel values of Jesus Christ permeate every aspect of our daily school life including the curriculum, assessments, instructional approaches and teacher and student resources. In all we do, we strive to provide the best in education through teachings revealed by the Gospel.

Our Catholic schools are authentic communities of faith shared through daily prayer and witness to the Gospel values. Our schools enter into a partnership with their parish and our families to ensure that our children experience education imbedded with religious values preparing them for their journey of faith through life.

Christ centred character formation in our schools is supported and witnessed through:

  • Religion and Family Life Curriculum
  • Uniquely trained teachers
  • Outreach programs within the local community as well as the broader community
  • Ongoing teacher in-services
  • Special Education philosophy that recognizes the dignity and rights of all students
  • Religion and Family Life Consultant
  • Secondary school Chaplaincy Leads
  • Partnerships with our local parishes

Program Description

Religion/Family Life Programs

Elementary Religious Education Program

The Religious Education programs taught in Sudbury Catholic are based on the Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education, Grades 1-8 (2012) which has been approved by the Ontario Catholic Bishops. The program, Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ,published by Pearson’s is currently replacing the Born of the Spirit series published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ helps children grow as believers in God and as faithful members of our Catholic community by inviting students to experience the mystery of their Catholic faith through prayer and participation in the Liturgy. As students move through the catechetical program, they gain a deepened knowledge and understanding of their Catholic faith according to the year’s focus.

Family Life Education

Family Life Education, as it is represented in Fully Alive, is intended to pass on a distinctively Catholic view of human life, sexuality, marriage, and family. Its goal is to complement the efforts of families by supporting what parents are doing at home. The program, is designed to encourage children to become the people God wants them to be — to be fully alive. The program is approved by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO). Catholic Family Life education is closely linked to religious education and represents 20 per cent of the religious education program and is taught once a week.

Secondary Religious Education Program

Our secondary schools welcome students of all faiths. Religious education is an academic subject with an exciting and engaging curriculum that challenges our students to think critically and to develop religious literacy. Through a safe and inclusive environment our students engage in age appropriate activities that help them to grow. Our students are enrolled in religious courses in each of their four years of secondary school. Our faith is also celebrated through school liturgies, retreats, social justice initiatives, and community involvement. All courses are designed to integrate Catholic values throughout the curriculum.

Our religious education courses follow the newly revised Secondary Religious Education Curriculum Policy Document (2016).

Virtues of the month

  • September: Respect
  • October: Faith
  • November: Justice and Peace
  • December: Patience
  • January: Responsibility
  • February: Compassion
  • March: Forgiveness
  • April: Stewardship
  • May: Empathy
  • June: Gratitude

Essential Questions

Sudbury Catholic District School Board has introduced grade level Essential Questions and Essential Themes to provide a Catholic focus for the curriculum content in all subject areas. These guiding questions provide opportunities for teachers, students and parents to consider how the entire curriculum for a grade level could reflect our Catholic worldview.

The Essential Questions/Themes provide a focus for the study of the Religious Education and Family Life Education programs as well as across all subject areas.

Kindergarten

Grade One

Grade Two

Grade Three

Grade Four

Grade Five

Grade Six

Grade Seven

Grade Eight

Resources

Catholic Association of Religious and Family Life Educators of Ontario

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholic Curriculum Corporation

Catholic Principals Council of Ontario

Catholic School Chaplains of Ontario

Eastern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Corporation

Institute for Catholic Education

Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association

Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association

Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education

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