Connections Term 3 - 2023

CONFRATERNITYOFCHRISTIANDOCTRINEBROKENBAY

Caroline Chisolm Centre

423PennantHillsrd

PENNANTHILLSNSW2120

POBox340

PENNANTHILLSNSW1715

ALISON NEWELL

CCD Diocesan Coordinator

P:83791637

M:0424737911

E:alisonnewell@bbcatholicorgau

MARICEL MALAPIRA

Diocesan CCD Admin

P:83791638

E:maricelmalapira@bbcatholicorgau

KRISTY KOMADINA

North Shore Region

P:83791674

M:0400809644

E:kristykomadina@bbcatholicorgau

SUE-ANNE SHERWOOD

North Shore Region

P:83791639

M:0416141508

E:sueannesherwood@bbcatholicorgau

JOHN DONNELLY

Northern Beaches Region

P:83791640

M:0437964072

E:johndonnelly@bbcatholicorgau

Central Coast CCD Resource Centre

12AshtonAve

THEENTRACENSW2261 (BehindOLORChurch)

POBox390

THEENTRANCENSW2261

MICHAEL TEBBUTT

Central Coast Region

P:83791641

M:0407218677

E:michaeltebbutt@bbcatholicorgau

ALICIA KLEIN

Diocesan CCD Admin

P:83791642

E:aliciaklein@bbcatholicorgau

Registrations for CCD Training

P:83791643

E:registrations@bbcatholicorgau

WWJ Curriculum Resources

P:83791642

E:ccdresources@bbcatholic.org.au

FROM THE DIOCESAN COORDINATOR

TheVocationoftheCatechist

Greetings to all Catechists and Parish Catechist Coordinators across the Diocese I hope you enjoyed the winter break from school and are ready to roll into the second half of the school year What a privilege it is for us to be able to teach special religious education to Catholic students in our public school system It gives me great hope for the future to know that hundreds of thousands of NSW families are choosing to have their children taught in the faith of their families during school time

During the winter holidays, CCD rolled out our new ongoing curriculum training, which we will use for the next three years As you know every catechist is required to undertake ongoing training in the areas of Curriculum, Safeguarding and Classroom Management every three years This requirement equates to two of hours of training annually or six hours triennially. The theme for the new unit of training is Teaching for Discipleship in the 21st Century

One of the main types of feedback that we receive from catechists relates to the religious literacy of students Our new training pays attention to this theme, which can be a challenge for catechists. It will arm catechists with strategies to break-open religious language and concepts that many of us take for granted but which many of our students do not understand

At a recently held CCRESS Conference which included CCD leaders from every diocese in NSW, and which was hosted in the Diocese of Broken Bay, Bishop Anthony Randazzo celebrated Eucharist with the delegates The reading of the day (Acts 17:22-34) was the story of St Paul in Athens preaching to the “men of Athens” It was a pagan space where the people worshipped an unknown God which was represented in gold, silver, or stone. Bishop told of how Paul spoke into the space where the Athenians were, admiring how extremely scrupulous they were in all religious matters

He used their beliefs and their writings as an entry point to proclaim his own belief in the one true God, who is Lord of Heaven and Earth Paul called the Athenians to repentance – “the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it”. Bishop then linked the message of the Acts reading to the work of catechists in public schools He said catechists should meet the students where they are and invite them to have faith in the God whom catechists proclaim in word and witness

This is consistent with what Bishop wrote in his Pastoral Letter 2020–21 Jesus Christ the Beginning and the End:

“For the Christian, to live life in the Spirit is both an invitation and a command. The invitation is to be open to receiving the Word of God The command is to allow the Word to come to birth in our every thought, word, and action

Each one of us in the community of Broken Bay is called to live this life in the SpiritIn the Spirit we are equipped to take up the work of discipleship, because the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus and His Good News of salvation”

(pg 15)

“In Broken Bay we are blessed to have hundreds of teachers and catechists who live their vocation educating our youth and accompanying them in the faith. Their work is primarily one of personal witness to the Gospel”

(pg. 27)

The Catholic Schools Broken Bay (CSBB) RE curriculum is underpinned by accompaniment, encounter, and transformation Indeed, this is what is captured in our CCD SRE curriculum Through the Teaching for Discipleship model of SRE, catechists accompany the students as they learn about the love of God, which was proclaimed by Jesus himself, and the fellowship of a Catholic community If we want to invite students into faith and help form them as disciples, we need to meet them where they are and accompany them in the SRE class towards an encounter with Jesus and a transformation in Christ The ultimate goal of our SRE curriculum is to elicit a discipleship response from the students by developing their awareness, understanding and appreciation of Catholic traditions as witnessed in Sacred Scripture and Church Teaching so they may participate as active members of the Church within the wider community

For children and young people, this will be expressed within the context of their lives and their ability to respond as a disciple based on their age and capacity to do so The work you do in forming them as disciples may bear fruit now or much later in their lives Your witness is key to this They will remember you and the Gospel message through the love that you bear and the hope that you share with them in the classroom

The vocation of the catechist is one of accompaniment where personal witness to the Gospel has the capacity to form children and young people in their faith journey both now and into the future May God bless you as you go about forming disciples of Christ in our schools and parish communities Thank you for all you do.

Congratulations on all the recruitment that has been happening and welcome to our new Catechists We have over 70 new Catechists this year already and I know many parishes are still planning recruitment this semester. Our CCDMI training filled up so quickly on the Wednesday nights in Aug/Sept that we’ve added a Monday CCDMI training as well

Know that our team is working hard to check on and assist schools in adding the SRE question to their student online enrolment system and we look forward to seeing if the trend of increased Kindy SRE numbers because of this, continues

In the middle of the year, I find myself checking the contents page of the manual to count the compulsory lessons that I still need to get through this year and counting the number of lessons left until the end of November-ish, when we finish SRE for the year This planning has organised my head and heart for the next semester and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting back into the classrooms this term where both myself and the students feel refreshed after a lovely mid-year break.

I’m looking forward to using the worksheet and craft on pg 10 & 11 of Connections in my classrooms Note: Kindy has a supplementary worksheet for every lesson at https://www bbcatholic org au/evangelisatio n/ccd/curriculum, then click into ‘Classroom/Family Resources’ (every other year group has a worksheet with Unit summary comments to parents)

May God bless each and every one of you! We keep you, your families and your students in our prayers

Sue-Anne Sherwood

My CCD colleagues and I have been talking a lot about literacy lately We think that the two lockdown periods in consecutive years may have impacted on formational years across early stage 1 and stage 1 students. These are the years where basic skills for reading and mathematics are being laid down and for a whole cohort of children, they spent close to two terms learning from home

No doubt that parents were doing the best that they could, but many were juggling work and multiple children. It was a time when parents began to appreciate the work of teachers

We are seeing the trickle down effects of this time in our SRE classes, particularly in students in years 1, 2 and 3, but perhaps beyond. However for us the effect is twofold: reading/writing and religious literacy. Some families missed church services, others stopped going altogether and could never get back to regular routines And for those whom SRE classes was the only form of exposure to their faith, there was a very long break where we weren't allowed back in schools to teach, way beyond that of regular classes.

I must stress that there is hope By naming what we observe, it affects how we approach our teaching Perhaps more time needs to be spent on foundational concepts, or catering towards different learning styles There are many ideas in this issue. Incorporating play, art, craft, prayer, songs and symbolism we can begin to bridge the gap

It is almost unbelievable that we are now in the second half of this year Last term’s highlights for me include two firsts that I experienced as part of the CCD team

The CCRESS (Catholic Conference of Religious Educators in State Schools) Conference was a remarkable event As you all know, Alicia and I are both new to our roles and we had not experienced what it takes to host a conference before It was such a fruitful event, meeting different people across our NSW/ACT CCD network. For me it was truly inspiring to hear everyone's stories. I was blessed to share crochet crosses that I had made with all the attendees in colours of the liturgical seasons of the church with all the attendees Their words of appreciation will stay in my heart forever One delegate said that she will always remember me when she looks at the crochet cross and will pray for me. Isn’t that very moving?

Another first for me was the Pentecost Reflection Day event I relished being back in Chatswood again to help out with the reflection day for North Shore and Northern Beaches The mass celebrated by Bishop David Walker and concelebrated by Fr Marek was amazing! Thank you for the positive response that we received from the huge number of participants Fr Marek’s drone was a hit If you have not seen the drone video, go and check our CCD facebook page and be inspired with the aerial view of the Chatswood Church We look forward for the good numbers again at the end of the year reflection day.

I will surely have another first this term as we prepare for the CCD annual Mass to acknowledge the wonderful work you do Thank you for sharing your gifts with the children in our state schools Continue to be an inspiration to others.

Recently, when learning about the Holy Spirit a few students were keen to share that they were preparing for Confirmation A few weeks later when visiting a parish with our grandkids a student came up to introduce her family. Back at school she was happy to recount our meeting at Mass on Sunday I commented that her family seem very connected and involved in the parish community to which she replied: ‘Yes, we always go there’

The combination of home, school and parish in preparing children for the sacraments of initiation has long been the ideal. Obviously, families play the biggest part in the faith of their children but catechists do well to partner with families to support and reinforce the experience As one SRE student proudly spoke of his recent Confirmation I noticed others paying particular attention Later I overheard these students talking about the processes and encouraging each other to participate.

After class last week another student confided that she was to be baptised on the weekend It occurred to me that every family has their own reasons for deciding when and where to offer these opportunities to their children Our challenge as a Church is to meet them where they are at and accompany them as they journey on with Jesus

Next term as the days get warmer and the signs of Spring emerge it may be a good time to present a unit on the care of creation There are some beautiful lessons in the program that call upon a sense of awe and wonder to develop an appreciation of stewardship for the environment The attitudes and values encompassed in these lessons echo the ones presented in their regular subjects We can complement these for families of faith by adding a Catholic Christian perspective

Last term’s update began with a comment on the busyness of the term Well term 2 was not much different There has been lots of things happening in the various parishes as well as training via Zoom for Safeguarding and the conclusion of the CCDMI, started in Term 1

The recruiting situation is showing fruit, with a steady number of new catechists presenting for the Safeguarding/Child Protection training so that they can get into the classroom , This is always encouraging By the way, Term 3 is a great time to get out and recruit some more catechists. They can get the paperwork done, do the Safeguarding training and be able to get a taste of what it is like in the classroom before the year ends This may well give you a few new people to take a class or two and split the stage classes into year classes

Our Pentecost Reflection Day, held on the 26 May at The Entrance was well attended. "Come Holy Spirit," was the theme and was designed specifically for catechists to pause, pray, and reflect on their own experience of the Holy Spirit Tân Nguyen led the presentation on the day and all present were delighted with his sharing The term ended with the ongoing training for Using the Authorised Curriculum. Again those that turned up for the face-to-face training at Terrigal had an informative and enjoyable day It seems that the face-to-face events are enjoying a revival as we are enjoying meeting up once more as we did before Covid arrived

The only sad note this term was that we were unable to present our Tools for Teaching Workshop Day These days last year were a lot of fun and we are looking to offer it again in the second half of the year I hope and pray that you have a fruitful term and as you help the children walk with Jesus, they in turn bring smiles to your face and a deep peace to your heart.

Welcome to Term 3! The first half of the year has passed so quickly, and it has certainly been busy! Term 2 was full of activity, with lots of training, reflection days, and a conference.

I enjoyed meeting many of you at our Pentecost Reflection Day at The Entrance Despite the downpour of rain as our catechists made their way to and from Mass, the day was enjoyed by all We especially appreciated the contribution of Tan Nyugen, the seminarian at The Entrance Parish, who led our morning reflection

I also had the opportunity to meet many of you when you have called in to our Resource Centre at The Entrance to borrow some materials for classes We have a huge variety of resources here, so if you’d like to come by to have a look, feel free! Please call ahead to check our opening hours Or you can email or phone us to request resources, and we can deliver them to your Parish

This term, we will be spending time with many of our new catechists as they complete their CCD Ministry Induction training on Wednesday evenings on Zoom We’ll also be running our Level 2 Certificate course over a 12-week period, beginning late August I look forward to hearing from many of you as you register for this training

Don’t forget to check the CCD Website for the latest WWJ Powerpoints, the Term 3 links have just been added If you have any questions or feedback, please email ccdresources@bbcatholic org au Wishing you all a wonderful Term 3

FROM THE REGIONS

FR. BOGDAN VISITS OUR KINCUMBER SRE CLASSES.

Our Parish Priest Fr. Bogdan has been visiting the classes in our 5 state schools in term 2. Fr. Bogdan made a great impression on the children by bringing his vestments and putting them on and explaining about the vestments to the children. Fr. also spoke about himself, where he came from (Poland) and how he grew up and what his life is like being a priest. The children all listened to him with much interest and had an opportunity to ask questions. Some questions were: “ Do you live in the church? What is your favourite food? Favourite colour? How old are you? What is it like to be a priest? Are you married or have a girlfriend and why not?’ Fr. answered all the questions to the satisfaction of the children, and sometimes the answer drew further questions from them. The following week at scripture the teachers asked what the children had thought of Fr. Bogdan’s visit and were told he was ‘a superstar, knowledgeable, looked like Jesus’ and also asked when he could come back to visit.’ All including the young ones remembered that he had come from Poland and the older ones remembered the answer he gave to why he wasn’t married’ One class wanted him to come back every week. Fr. Bogdan intends to visit the classes again in Term 3 to the delight of the children.

AnnCartwright

Holy Spirit Church Kincumber

PENTECOST REFLECTION DAYS

We gathered at the Entrance and at Chatswood for two Pentecost Reflection Days around the week of Pentecost. It was a much needed opportunity to stop and reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

At the Entrance the day was facilitated by our team as well as Seminarian Tan Nguyen. Over at Chatswood Fr Marek lead the main part of the day. Both events were very well attended by Catechists from all over the diocese and we received a lot of positive feedback from those who were there

Keep an eye out for our next reflection day towards the end of this year We hope to get such large numbers in attendance once again

FUTURE PROOFING SRE

In May, our Diocese hosted the bi-annual CCRESS Conference. CCRESS is the Catholic Conference of Religious Educators in State Schools in NSW-ACT. CCRESS draws its membership from every Catholic Diocese in NSW and the ACT and exists to assist Bishops to promote the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church through the work of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD).

The theme of our conference was “Future Proofing” where we looked at how CCDs will adapt and change to continue meeting the needs of an evolving social and educational landscape. We heard from Professor James Athanasou who represents SRE in the Greek Orthodox Church. They share many of the same challenges that we do in this space and it was interesting to hear about how how heir

We were also able to showcase 3 of our ongoing training units to the network of CCD teams that were in attendance Participants were able to experience a taster of our training with the idea of sharing what we know with all the members of the CCRESS network We were particularly commended for our excellent Safeguarding Ongoing Training unit that comprehensively outlines and explains the legislation and reporting responsibilities

A real highlight was our day 2 Mass celebrated by Bishop Anthony Randazzo in our Caroline Chisolm Centre Chapel. Bishop’s homily from the Mass continues to inspire our work and will help guide us into the future – a true Holy Spirit moment.

Most of all, we enjoyed the collegiality and friendship that comes from connecting with our peers on a regular basis.

O U R U A L C C D A N A S S Y 2 8 2 0 2 3 A T 1 1 . 3 0 A M

Religious Literacy Begins in the Home

Much has been said over the years about what children learn about religion at school They should know the Ten Commandments, understand the sacraments and read the Bible among other things It is true that all these would contribute to the religious literacy of students but what of their religious practice How much does a person need to know and understand before they can practice their faith When it is said and done what happens in the home is far more influential on both knowledge and practice than the religious education that occurs in schools (ACU Study of RE Tests)

There is evidence to suggest that the experience of faith by children in homes is decreasing as families become less engaged with the practice of the local faith communities For years clergy have noticed this in Catholic Schools and catechists have also noticed it in Public Schools What impact does this have on what is taught and how it is taught?

For a start we cannot assume as much prior learning as we once may have Not just the experience of worship at mass but also prayer in the home Without encountering the symbol of the cross, statues of Mary or images of Holy Spirit children will have difficulty appreciating the meaning of these important things

Reading Bible stories in the home has long prepared children to enter faith conversations where God, Moses, Jesus and Mary are understood in the context of the story are understood in the context of the story Likewise, children who witness parents and family members serving the poor and acting for justice begin to see this type of behaviour as part of the practice of their faith. This is the same way children learn about food and nutrition, hygiene and health, exercise and sport, as well as caring and sharing.

As we know, the language of Christianity is centred on God. So, it is understandable that the faith education in homes and schools begins by introducing the concept of God to young children. Similarly, the Walking with Jesus Catholic Special Religious Education (SRE) program begins with this name. In Kinder we present God as the creator of the world who loves all that he has made including us. In the context of faith formation this knowledge leads to a relationship.

In Stage 1 this relationship is further illustrated by the word Father which introduces other relationships with Mary and Jesus Students’ life experience of family heavily influences their ability to move from a concept in their head (mind) to a loving relationship (heart) Catechists may be good sowers of the Word of God, but families and friends are the ground in which the seeds grows.

Stage 2 sees the foundations of the theological (head) concept of Trinity being laid by the use of the names Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each time students make the sign of the cross(hands) they reinforce these words (religious literacy), revisit the relationship through prayer (heart). The symbol of the cross is fundamental to the Christian faith and deeply embedded in the liturgical life of Catholics. (Highlights the importance of sacred space in class.)

By Stage 3 students are well and truly capable of responding (hand) to the invitation to contribute to the Kingdom of God by being active in it. Typically, responding as disciples begins with prayer and worship (walking and talking with Jesus) and moves out to love of neighbour at home, school, their world (forgiveness, charity, care of environment)

As Catholic students progress through the Pathways of Discipleship program in high school they are challenged to live out their Catholic Christian faith by maintaining an active prayer and sacramental life, building positive relationships with family and friends as well as participating in works of charity and justice At the centre of a mature Christian life is the relationship with the triune God and the Church It is our intention that students in Catholic SRE are equipped with the knowledge, skills and appreciation to respond to God’s invitation of love and participate in the commununity of the faithful

John Donnelly

Things to remember about Religious Literacy

Every child comes to us with their own unique journey to faith

Many children have not had the same exposure to Catholic culture and symbols that maybe you did growing up

Religious symbols are less prominent in the culture today

The church is no longer the centre of the community for many people who identify more closely with school, friends and sport. Most SRE classes you teach will have 2 or 3 students who are regular churchgoersuse their experience of active faith participation to your advantage!

Your class may be the only experience of church or the only scriptures they read for some students.

Your class is where you can introduce and reinforce symbols of Christianity (sacred space)

Increase religious literacy through regular prayer in every lesson. Use the prayers in the student books or find opportunities for spontaneous prayer.

Remember to always meet the children at their level Think about your own understanding of faith. It can't be rushed!

CATHOLIC SYMBOLS MATCHING GAME

Match the symbol to the word. Check the answer sheet to see if you are right! Talk to your neighbour about what the different symbols mean. Ask your teacher to explain any that are too tricky!

CHALICE

ASH CROSS

LAMB OF GOD

ANGEL

PASCHAL CANDLE

TABERNACLE

HOLY SPIRIT

SACRED HEART OF JESUS

CROWN OF THORNS CHALICE

MANGER

ADVENT CANDLES

AMBO

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

BIBLE

PRAYER HANDS

ALTAR BELLS THURIBLE

MONSTRANCE

ROSARY

NOAH'S ARK

CHI RHO

THE LORD'S PRAYER COLOURING WHEEL

This is an engaging memory game and colouring activity about The Lord's Prayer. A lovely gift for your students to take home and share with their families.

YOU WILL NEED:

Two circle images printed on paper or cardboard (cardboard preferred)

colouring pencils, textas, crayons

scissors

paper fasteners

INSTRUCTIONS:

Tell the children to colour the two circle components however they wish Cut out the two circles carefully

Fasten them together with a paper fastener in the centre

Begin with the "Our Father" segment exposed, reading the prayer then moving along by spinning the lower circle in a clockwise direction

Challenge the kids to memorise the prayer and check by guessing the next line of the prayer and checking by revealing.

How to Renew a Working With Children Number

REMINDER EMAIL

Your WWCC clearance lasts for 5 years. 90 days before your WWCC is due to expire, you will receive a renewal reminder email. If you are unsure whether your contact details are up to date, Click here to update your WWCC details to ensure you receive the renewal reminder email.

ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME

We encourage you to renew early to avoid your WWCC clearance expiring Renewal applications go through the same screening process as new WWCC applications and can take time, so please don’t leave it until the last minute

PROOF OF IDENTITY REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED

If you first applied for your Check before 2019, the proof of identity you need to renew your Check will be different. Click here to visit the proof of identity page for more information.

COMPLETE THE ONLINE WWCC RENEWAL FORM

You will be emailed an APP number

FIND YOUR NEAREST SERVICE NSW CENTRE

You have 28 days to present your APP number and identification docs

WWCC SCREENING PROCESS OCCURS

You will receive an email with your new expiry date. This could take up to 4 weeks.

THERE ARE 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE WITH A CLEARED WWCC IN NSW.

ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

GIVE YOUR WWCC AND NEW EXPIRY DATE TO YOUR PARISH COORDINATOR OR PARISH OFFICE

They will verify your WWCC and update the records.

Every Catechist in our ministry has a Working With Children Check number. These need to be renewed every 5 years. If it is that time for you, here is our handy guide to ensure the process happens smoothly and in a timely manner.

21ST CENTURY AUSTRALIA TEACHING FOR DISCIPLESHIP IN

CCD Broken Bay launches its new Ongoing Curriculum Training

Part of the commitment to being a Catechist is to take part in regular ongoing training in the areas of Safeguarding, Classroom Management and Curriculum. We here at CCD Broken Bay have been truly heartened by the positive approach to this ongoing training. Whereas once there may have been grumbles from experienced Catechists coming back to training, these days the majority of people look forward to the opportunity to refresh and learn something new.

We are equally as committed to keeping our ongoing training fresh and up-to-date which is why every three years, each of our ongoing training units gets a makeover and is updated to reflect current ideas and keeps us in step with what is happening in our Diocese and wider Catholic education community

In the first week of the term 2 school holidays, we launched our revamped Curriculum training unit that focuses on our discipleship model of learning in 21st century context We held 5 training sessions, 1 in each of the regions in our Diocese and 2 Zoom sessions to capture 107 participants

The Catechists who attended were treated to a practical session with individual and group work and plenty of opportunities to learn from the experience of others through the sharing of knowledge and ideas.

The group get together and the training was excellent. Well planned and timed.

The group practical exercises were a valuable part of the session, as were the group summary presentations. -

The sessions were very helpful. It’s always good to discuss and share ideas about ways of working through the lesson plans with others before presenting them to the children. -

We all agreed that the Ongoing Curriculum Training “Teaching for Discipleship in the 21st Century Australia” was one of the best training sessions that we have been to. It challenged us in a very non-threatening way to think about how we teach and how we consider the students’ needs, particularly when it comes to teaching concepts/liturgical language that may be new to them.

John spoke about the fact that most Catechists actively practice their faith and, because of this, we bring something special into the classroom by being witnesses to the faith He also mentioned that, just by turning up to our classes each week, we are showing our students how important our faith is to us and that God wants the same for them It felt great to be praised in such a way This course was full of new information that will help us in the classroom and was a lovely experience where we felt affirmed that we were on the right track with what we are currently doing

Many thanks from Jeanette, Rodney, Josephine and Ursula from North Harbour Parish.