CSFCS: Enhancing the Religious Dimension of Catholic Education

3. Catholicity Across the Curriculum - Elementary Sample
(PDF File)

Description of Activity

Teacher awareness of Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
Weaving the Religious Education and Family Life Education themes into literacy, numeracy, other subject areas

SMART Goal Design - Is this goal...

Goal/Expected Result

Teacher Familiarity with the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
Increasing teacher facility with integrating Catholic principles, values and virtues into the curriculum

Resources

Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
Educating the Soul (ICE)
Ongoing Adult Faith Formation (ICE)
Catholic Education and the Corporate Sector (ICE)
Curriculum Support for Catholic Schools: Enhancing the Religious Dimension of Catholic Education (EOCCC)

Relevant Catholic Theme(s)

CGE(s)

CGE1g Understands that one’s purpose or call in life comes from God and strives to discern and live out this call throughout life’s journey
CGE2e Uses and integrates the Catholic faith tradition, in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life
CGE7e Witnesses to Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society

How will success be determined?

Catholic values evident in approach to systems of reward and recognition, school discipline, extra-curricular activities;
Evidence of student learning that gospel values are integrated and infused into curriculum;
School newsletter to parents;
Articles in local newspapers

Contributors

Tasks

School Administration

Invite Board Religious Education and Family Life Education Department to in-service teachers
Establish an in-school or intra school mentorship program

Board’s Religious Education and Family Life Education Department

Provide professional development opportunities for teachers, either at school staff meetings, meetings with small groups of teachers or Board office in-services, including:

understanding of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
why it is necessary to integrate Religion into other subject areas
how to use the EOCCC CD Curriculum Support for Catholic Schools: Enhancing the Religious Dimension of Catholic Education

Methods: Integration, Extension, Infusion
Knowledge of best practices as outlines in the ICE document Ongoing Adult Faith Formation: the Key to Educating the Soul
Examples of existing curriculum that integrate Catholic Themes
Discuss how this can also be applied to the wider school community

Staff

Openness to learning new skills and becoming acquainted with Catholic curriculum resources
Willingness to try to create an ethos of right relationship, mutuality, dialogue and respect throughout the school community

Process Stages

Details and Considerations

September/ October

Administration invites a member of the Board’s Religious Education department to in-service the staff on the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

October

Faith Ambassadors attend Board Reflection Day on ‘Integrating Catholic Principles throughout the Curriculum’

November - June

Board’s Religious Education Department and Faith Ambassador/ Religious Education Program Leaders in-service staff on Integrating Catholic Themes throughout the Curriculum
With the use of the EOCCC CD Curriculum Support for Catholic Schools: Enhancing the Religious Dimension of Catholic Education, teachers will aim to develop a unit of study with the religious dimension integrated into the curriculum