The Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) is working on new ways to combine faith and education.
At the April 25 board meeting, the district’s religious education coordinator, Nicole Hebert, detailed two new initiatives being put into action
With a focus on further developing faith for their staff and students through various programs, LCSD has adapted new approaches allowing students to deepen their knowledge of faith and education simultaneously.
Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ centres around teaching comprehensive religion by joining all aspects of students’ lives.
“The beauty of this program is simply that it links all three: home, school, and parish,” explained Hebert. “It’s not just teachers, parents can also access this program.”
Margaret Borders, LCSD board trustee added, “It’s a modern approach. It’s very engaging for the students, there’s a lot of activities, and things are explained in a very understandable way for them. It’s just updated, modernized, and fun for the students.”
Since adding the program in the curriculum, Hebert said they’ve heard positive feedback from participants. Teachers are praising it, describing it as highly organized, well thought out, user-friendly, and interactive.
The package provided to teachers for the program includes everything they need to effectively offer the course to their students. It utilizes various games and activities geared towards different grade levels, as well as a guide comprised of up-to-date questioning techniques for educators.
“Teachers are raving about this resource. The other thing about the new religion program is the students are evangelizing their parents through this program,” said Hebert.
Another curriculum addition students are benefiting from is called the Fourth R.
Hebert detailed, “The program is new, it’s been in Ontario for couple of years and we wanted to adopt it in Alberta.”
The Fourth R is designed to help students learn how to deal with matters and concerns regarding technology, relationships, and health, all tied together with a religious component.
“It’s giving (students) what they need to help them develop healthy and positive relationships, and to know what those are by giving them the skills that they need to build,” she added.
Along with these new programs, Hebert noted they’re continually working to develop new initiatives that get students excited about learning and help them further their faith.
Borders said, “We are just very happy to have the new programs and Nicole does a great job of coordinating the religious program and getting up and running in the schools when these new curriculum comes out.”
