1. Parent Education SPECIAL CATHOLIC CHARACTER and RE CURRICULUM Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

2. SPECIAL CATHOLIC CHARACTER OF A SCHOOL The Nature of the Catholic School… Reflects the deepest nature/responsibility of the church to… proclaim the Word of God (Kergma-Martyria) celebrate the Sacraments (Leitourgia) exercise the Ministry of Charity (Diokonia) Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

3. Therefore Catholic Schools are ecclesial entities because they reflect the nature of the church….. because they… Spread the Word of God…. Through its programmes and activities Celebrate the Sacraments…. School Masses, Reconciliation, assisting the parish with programmes, staff, resources. Carry out works of Charity…. Pastoral care, opportunity for all, support Mission, Vinnies. “Catholic Schools participate in the evangelising mission of the Church.” Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

4. The Goals of the Catholic School… “Communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.” (Blessed John Paul II, Message to the Catholic Educational Association of the United States, 1979) “First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Catholic Educators in the United States, 2008) Fostering an ‘encounter‘ with Christ is an essential function Encounter >>> growth in knowledge >>> Christian witness Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

5. Catholic Schools in Aotearoa/NZ 1838 : Bishop Pompallier / missionaries – education for Maori 1840 : 1 st School – there were no Govt schools – Govt provided funding to ‘church’ schools 1877 : Secularization - funding withdrawn from all church schools – Govt schools 1950’s-1970’s : Pressures on Catholic Schools – resourcing/debt. Dropping vocations priesthood/religious life – Lay staff being appointed as teachers System in danger of collapse 1975 : Integration Act passed – each school has an integration agreement. Conditional on the legal safeguarding of Catholic identity. 2013 : 238 schools – still substantial challenges as our schools also face educating students in the 3 rd Millennium Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

6. SPECIAL CATHOLIC CHARACTER Holistic – about the way the school community interacts with each other and the World – especially how the school community interacts with the weak and marginalised. More than ‘values’ however such values are rooted in the Gospel message. The people who facilitate ‘the encounter with Christ’ - model Gospel values through their lives. Models also from founding order (Sisters St Joseph / charism of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop). Empowered today for tomorrow’s World

7. Key resource….. ‘The Catholic Education of School-Age Children.’ (NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, 2014) Link : http://www.catholic.org.nz/_uploads/_ckn w/files/Catholic%20education%20of%20sch ool-age%20children%20- %20electronic%20version%20ISBN%20978- 0-473-27170-1.pdf http://www.catholic.org.nz/_uploads/_ckn w/files/Catholic%20education%20of%20sch ool-age%20children%20- %20electronic%20version%20ISBN%20978- 0-473-27170-1.pdf Empowered today for tomorrow’s World