Our Catholic Character best practices material has been updated for 2018 and is now organised into the four dimensions from the review framework. The latest edition of this publication is now available in the Resources section of our website (link here).
Here are four items, to tempt you to read the full document, which has many more good ideas that your school might care to emulate. Thank you to all the schools doing wonderful work that led to these items being circulated.
TE TŪTAKI KI A TE KARAITI / ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST
• A number of parents and families have become baptised, and there are whānau in school supporting other whānau in the RCIA programme. People feel supported in a safe, inclusive and non-judgemental community which allows them to explore, reconnect with or deepen their faith.
• Students preparing for the sacraments of initiation are linked with an older student who is already attending Mass in the student’s home parish.
TE WHAKATUPU MĀ TE MĀTAURANGA / GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE
• Staff who are new to teaching Religious Education are not expected to teach Religious Education or lead prayer by themselves immediately; they are involved in the planning, but a team teaching approach allows the new teacher to work alongside an experienced teacher in Religious Education and prayer. When the experienced teacher feels they are ready, the new teacher takes the lead with the other teacher still involved until such time as both feel confident that Religious Education and prayer can be taught and facilitated appropriately and strongly.
TE WHAKAATU KARAITIANA / CHRISTIAN WITNESS
• The teacher appraisal system is very well set up with each teacher developing a ‘Prayer’ goal and a ‘Religious Education’ goal.