The Catholic Bishops of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories completed development of the newest religious education curriculum for Catholic schools in 2012.  Steps were then taken to secure a publisher to produce and publish a program for Catholic schools. The publisher selected was Pearson Canada and the program that has been created for this curriculum is entitled: “Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ.

The grade 1 segment of the program was published by Pearson in April and segments for grades 2-8 will be rolled out starting in August, 2015 through to August, 2018.

The following excerpt from the “Teacher Resource” provides some insight into this new religious education program:

Canadian students in Catholic schools are living in a global world in which family and social relationships are significantly impacted by technological advances and exposure to varied ideologies and diverse cultures…

Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ provides a program that allows schools to present the fundamental teaching of the Church by embracing diversity and fostering a welcoming classroom community.

Catholic schools play an important role in evangelization and the mission of the Catholic Church.  For many students, the Catholic classroom will provide an introduction to the faith not only for them, but also for their parents and caregivers.  It is hoped that the Catholic classroom will draw the family into the life of the Church.  For some students, the school will clarify beliefs and values introduced in the home. It will serve as an extension and reinforcement of the Catholic faith culture lived within the family.  Providing faith experiences that meet the needs of each of these groups of students is a primary goal of the Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ program.

Program Components (From the Pearson Canada “Teacher Resource”)

Student Book

• Full colour, 176 pages
• Organized into five unites that follow the flow of the liturgical year.
• Story narratives, Scripture and Gospel retellings, profiles of saints and real-world stories that connect to students’ faith and everyday life
• Scripture references and prayers relevant to the themes of the lessons
• Connections between students’ lives at school, the home, and the parish
• Opportunities for inquiry
• Glossary

Big Books

• Two books, 32 pages each, full colour
• Retellings of Scripture stories and Gospel narratives from both the Old and New Testaments
• Vetted for theological accuracy
• Written in student-friendly language with lively art

Poster Pack

• 25 posters, full colour
• Prayers, illustrations, photos, and symbols of the Catholic faith to support student learning

Teacher Resource

• Five units based on the liturgical year of the Church
• 100% coverage of the Religious Education expectations
• Identified connections to other curriculum areas
• Unit and lesson overview charts with lesson materials, program resources, Religious Education expectations, and cross-curricular connections
• Reflections and background information for teachers
• Four-day outline for each lesson with learning goals and detailed teaching plans
• Line masters to accompany many suggested activities, including home and school connections

DVD

• Introduction, Appendices, and line masters of Teacher Resource in Adobe PDF format
• Modifiable line masters in Microsoft Word files
• Musical scores and lyrics of songs

Music

• Audio songs (including theme song, 25 songs related to the program content, Christian meditation music, and instrumental versions of songs with lyrics)

Boards can purchase the Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ program now from Pearson Canada Toll-free: 1-800-263-9965.