Religious Education at Kilbreda College continues to be an important element of academic options for all students, especially at senior level. As we approach the end of Term 3, students at the senior level have made choices in relation to the subjects they would like to study moving forward. For the first time at Kilbreda College, this has involved the possibility of the full VCE study of either Religion & Society or Texts & Traditions, with options of the single unit study at both Year 10 and Year 11, as well as accelerated studies of the Unit 3 & 4 of both. There have been robust discussions with students about their best pathway moving forward, and it has been gratifying to be engaged in some of these conversations.

With the elective classes at Year 9 in full swing, now is a good time to check in on some of the work taking place in these classes. The electives are:

• Culture in Context
• Living Justice
• Mission in Action and
• Women Can Change the World.

While there is an overall focus on social justice and how we can be the change that we want in the world, each of these electives offer students a unique view of the Religious Education curriculum.

In the Culture in Context classes, there has been a focus on the different ways that religions celebrate their key events. Everything from how St Brigid is celebrated in Ireland to the Hindu feast of Diwali (or the Festival of Lights) are looked at in terms of what we can learn from our different celebrations. Students have been learning about some of the symbolisms that feed into these understandings, creating Brigid’s crosses and looking at why Diwali is so important to Hinduism itself.

Moving forward, it will be great to collect information from students related to their elective choices in Religious Education this year, so that next year’s Year 9s can experience options that are meaningful to them.

Jane Watkins

Learning Leader: Religious Education