All secondary students are required to obtain one religion credit per school year. Religion courses are designed to be inclusive and respectful of all religious backgrounds. Students are taught to develop an awareness and understanding of others’ beliefs and cultures, as well as their own.
Grade 9 Religion Course Overview
Be With Me
This course invites students to a deeper understanding of both the joy and the demands of following in the way of Christ and living out the call to discipleship as it is described in the Scriptures. Using the Beatitudes as a touchstone, students examine the attitudes and actions that characterize the Christian life. Students will explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood and interpersonal relationships. They are encouraged to understand and nurture within themselves the virtues which will enable them to deepen their relationship with God in and through Christ in the context of a Spirit filled community.
Grade 10 Religion Course Overview
Christ & Culture
This course examines the relationship between the person and message of Christ and the dominant attitudes of contemporary culture. Central to this course is the sacramental nature of Jesus and through His incarnation, the sacramentality of the Catholic Church, persons, and all of creation. Beginning with students’ own life experiences, seen in light of the Gospel narratives, students acquire a deeper and more systematic knowledge of Christ, his message, and his Church. Connections between the Church and contemporary culture are explored in terms of what it means to be a responsible adolescent developing as a member of a Catholic, Christian community while living within the context of a secular society. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of person-hood and interpersonal relationships. Students have the opportunity to experience first-hand the call and response to Christian Community Service.
Grade 11 Religion Course Overviews
World Religions – University/College
World Religions introduces students to the various expressions and responses to humanity’s encounter with mystery in our quest for life’s meaning. The course explores the life wisdom found in the responses of the major faith traditions to the compelling questions concerning the spiritual dimension of human experience, self-understanding, and the role of the individual within the family. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood, family and relationships.
World Religions – Open
This course introduces students to the range and diversity of world religions, and examines how systems of belief affect individual lives and social relationships. Students learn about a variety of religious beliefs, teachings, traditions, and practices. Through this discovery students develop their awareness of the place of religion in the lives of their neighbours as well as a more authentic understanding and a deeper commitment to their own faith tradition. This course helps break down misconceptions and prejudices regarding the other religious traditions. Students develop skills used in researching and investigating topics related to world religions. This course draws on expectations outlined in both the Social Sciences and Humanities and the Institute for Catholic Education policy document. This Open course is designed to broaden students’ knowledge and skills in subjects that reflect their interests and to prepare them for active and rewarding participation in society.
Grade 12 Religion Course Overviews
Church and Culture – University/College
This course is directed toward the clear identification of Catholic moral principles and the concrete application of these principles in the lives of students. The course proceeds from foundational beliefs rooted in Sacred Scripture concerning justice and peace to an exploration of the principles that shape Christian life. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood and interpersonal relationships. Special attention is given to the interaction between the Church and culture. The modern world is characterized by a multiplicity of values, philosophies, and ideologies. In a democratic, pluralistic society, these concepts may creatively reinforce one another or they may compete with and contradict one another. The Christian moral life is a call to follow Jesus Christ, to believe in the redemptive love of God for humankind and to proclaim and incarnate the reign of God as inaugurated by Jesus Christ. This course is intended to prepare the senior student for this lifelong task.
Church and Culture – Open
This course assists students in their development of the skills and knowledge necessary to live lives of full maturity. Within the Catholic faith tradition it is believed that this growth towards human maturity is best served when students are able to define themselves authentically in relation to their God, to other people and to their world. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood and interpersonal relationships. Students will demonstrate a knowledge of the prophetic tradition in Scripture, become familiar with the social teachings of the Catholic Church, explore contemporary notions of spirituality and prayer, and recognize the importance, power and potential of the human person in relation to morality and personal choices concerning future life paths.