RE News Week 5
Assumption of Our Lady
Yesterday the whole school participated in a beautiful liturgy, prepared by the Year 1 teachers and classes.
The Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady on 15th August. The Assumption signals the end of Mary's earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. While the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, there is a difference between the Assumption and the Resurrection. Where Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, Mary's body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son.
For this reason, we use different words to describe each event. One is the Ascension of Christ and the other, the Assumption of Mary.
Eucharist Retreat Day
Year 5 students will participate in their Eucharist Retreat Day at Holy Family Church next Wednesday 23rd August. This retreat is for all Year 5 students, as everyone has been learning about Eucharist this term. Permission and details for this day were sent out via Compass please ensure you have submitted permission consent.
Beginning early Term 4, we will be implementing a 9 session program called ‘Seasons for Growth’. Staff who are formally trained as ‘Companions’, spend time with a small group of students who are dealing with some aspect of change, separation, loss or grief. The sessions do not provide counselling or therapy. Instead, they:
- aim to support young people to understand and manage the grief that is experienced because of change, the loss of a parent or significant other through death, separation or divorce.
- assist in normalising the emotions associated with the loss
- encourage the expression of thoughts and emotions
- educate about the grief process
- develop a peer support network
- help restore self-confidence and self esteem
- draw on extensive research in developing a sound educative response to loss and grief.
‘Seasons for Growth’ provides opportunities for students in Years 1 to 6 to integrate the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and cope with change, loss and grief, using the symbolism of the four Seasons. It helps children to:
- accept the reality of loss
- work through the pain of grief
- adjust to an environment in which a significant person is no longer present
- emotionally relocate and move on with life.
However, they do suggest that the young person completes the program six to twelve months after the loss, as they are in better position to cope with the program.
Nominations forms and more information will come out over the next few weeks.