Education in Faith
At St Joseph’s Catholic School Mernda, we have a deep commitment to nurturing the community in the Catholic faith within our contemporary world.
We intentionally embed the principles of Catholic Social Teaching through our approach to education in faith, ensuring that Gospel values are both taught and lived. This is brought to life through our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework, where expectations and behaviours are grounded in respect, dignity, solidarity and the common good. By making these connections explicit, we support students to understand and practise their faith in everyday interactions, fostering a community built on compassion, inclusion, and shared responsibility.
Our Charism is centred around Joseph the nurturing and loving father. This is reflected in our logo which is a direct correlation to scripture:
Matthew 13:1–23. ‘The Sower and the Seed’ This forms the basis of our narrative as we provide the seeds of opportunity for all stakeholders in our community to thrive and grow in our ever changing social and educational landscape.
Matthew 1: 19‘… Joseph, being a just man…’
Luke 2:39′... When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord…’
We aspire to be like Joseph, the loving and nurturing father, by respecting others, doing our best and helping others succeed ensuring that we create a just and fair environment for all to flourish in.
Our Religious Education curriculum and pedagogy, is faithful to the vision and mission of our school, centering on relationships within the learning community.
It reflects what is valued and important by specifying the essential knowledge, skills, dispositions and behaviours in a designed Religious Education Curriculum accessible to all students. It extends students to higher levels of knowledge, understanding and performance.
The curriculum is distinguished by its design, which promotes the value it holds for the dignity of the human person; a preferred culture of community; and its commitments to Catholic Social Teaching, enabling our service for the Common Good.
‘to be sure, there are as many paths of prayer as there are persons who pray, but it is the same spirit acting in all and with all.’
Catechism of the Catholic church #2672.
Prayer is fundamentally about the presence of God with us and within our lives, in all that we do to build relationship.
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School we offer many opportunities and occasions to enhance our prayer life.
- Village Prayer at our SACRED SPACE gathering
- Christian Meditation
- Prayer at Celebration of Learning
- Prayers of thanksgiving at our Community events, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Feast Day
- Prayer in, with and for creation, highlighting our calling to Stewardship as outlined in Pope Francis’ Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’’
- Staff prayer at meetings
- Holy Week activities and Stations of the Cross
- Reflection and Retreat opportunities during Sacramental Preparation for participants and their families
Sacrament and Liturgy
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School we value the significance of celebrating the liturgy together as a community. We are part of the Christ the Light Catholic Parish of Doreen, Kinglake, Mernda, Whittlesea.
We come together throughout the year on specific Sacramental and Liturgical occasions.
Opportunities are facilitated for students to participate in a Parish and school, home partnership Sacramental program for:
- Year 3 Reconciliation
- Year 4 Eucharist
- Year 6 Confirmation
Religious Education
Religious Education at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is promoted as a distinct learning area with its own integrity. We are committed to developing learners who continually critique, question, and inquire in an ongoing search to recontextualise their thinking through a Catholic worldview. Through a Faith and Life inquiry approach, we strive to meaningfully integrate Religious Education across all areas of learning.
Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, our approach upholds the dignity of every person and promotes the common good. We foster respect, inclusion, and shared responsibility, supporting students to build compassionate relationships and live out Gospel values in their daily lives.
We embrace difference and diversity as the context for dialogue, engagement, and a deeper understanding of self, others, and God. Our learning design is underpinned by the Religious Education Curriculum Framework for Catholic primary and secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.