Religious Education at St Monica’s

In line with Catholic Education’s Catalyst initiative all areas of learning are being taught using Science of Learning principles. These include (but are not limited to) an understanding of Cognitive Load Theory – essentially how much your brain can absorb and hold at once. Specifically, your working memory. Our working memory is very limited and only able to hold 4-7 new pieces of information. In contrast our long-term memory can hold an unknown and potentially unlimited amount of information. As teachers our goal therefore is to support students to put as much information into their long-term memory to support more effective learning and use of knowledge.

In the classroom this looks like several things:

• presenting all new information in clear, concise and small chunks;
• removing extra distractions like unnecessary information, pictures and colours so that students can focus on the important information being taught;
• standardised signals to assist students to know when they listen, read or respond in some way. This includes use of bold text or italics to focus attention on key information;
• limiting the amount of new information presented at one time, especially in slides format;
• regular repetition of information so it becomes embedded in long-term memory, and
• use of regular routines and processes in the classroom.

Our Religious Education classes are moving towards delivering learning using Explicit, Direction Instruction pedagogy and a deep understanding of Cognitive Load Theory.

Religious Life of St Monica’s

Wednesday Parish Mass

Yesterday Year 3 attended Mass with the parish and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Sebastian - 3B – Father was wearing red because it was a special day. It was the feast of St Luke.

Kane - 3B – It was St Luke’s Feast Day. Luke wrote a Gospel.

Elijah - 3B – We know that St Luke was a doctor.

Nuhamin - 3B – Father Mick prayed for those in the war.

Elizabeth - 3M – There was a special blessing during Mass.

Ronan 3M - I liked the readings.

Lilly - 3W – Other people, not from our school, were there. They are from our parish.

Geeza - 3W – It was different to our Masses because the grown ups read.

Next week Year 2 are invited to join the parish at Mass on Wednesday morning at 9.30am. Families and friends are welcome to join them in celebrating Mass.

Whole School Prayer

Thank you to Year 2 for your beautiful prayer celebration last Friday. What a great way to reflect on the good work being done in our world by missionaries and how we can be missionary people. It was fabulous to see so many people wearing silly socks in support of Socktober. We have raised $353.80 which will go to support the good work being done in Timor-Leste by Catholic Mission. Thank you for your generosity to all the families who have donated.

Our Whole School Prayer Time tomorrow will be led by Year 1 as they explore our focus value for Term Four – Growth. All families and friends in our community are warmly invited to join us in prayer tomorrow morning at 9.10am in St Monica's Church.

Week 4 Whole School Prayer Time will be led by Mr Green and 3 White. The focus of that prayer will be the feasts of All Saints and All Souls days; very important days in our Catholic Church calendar.