Catholic schools and parents share “in the central mission of the Church, which is to proclaim Jesus and His Gospel in the world today and, in so doing, hand on our faith to our children” (Bishop Frederick Henry, Diocese of Calgary - Education Liaison, Alberta Conference of Catholic Bishops).

Catholic Education is education with a purpose. It is a joint effort, between parents, teachers, trustees, administrators and our entire Catholic Community to educate our children in a manner that is permeated by the Catholic faith. Our parishes play a vital role in education, and you will regularly find our priests in our schools, speaking to students, and providing spiritual guidance as needed. We are essentially teaching our students not only the skills they need to be successful in the workplace, but also the skills and morals necessary to be a well-rounded Christian.

Catholic Education is moral-based education, where every student is seen as a gift from God to be nurtured and cherished.

Religious Education

“Religious education is an essential and integral part of the life and culture of a Catholic school. Through it, students are invited to develop the knowledge, beliefs, skills, values and attitudes needed to build a relationship with God and community through the person of Jesus Christ. Religious education shares the same goals and objectives set forth for all good education, that is, the growth and development of the whole person in all his or her dimensions—physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual” (From The Curriculum Handbook for Parents).

All students attending Lakeland Catholic School Division participate in Religious Education programs developed and/or approved by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Alberta Bishops.

Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ is a Religious Education program sponsored by The Catholic Bishops of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories and developed in collaboration with Catholic educators from across Canada.

Service

Community service is an integral part of the Religious Education program at every grade level that helps students to learn and to live their faith by providing services to the community. This ranges from school-wide projects to collect food, other items or money for those in need to individual projects where students commit their personal time to help others in the community; for example, raking leaves for senior citizens. Community service can also involve class projects such as the Religion 15 trip to Edmonton that includes a hands-on learning experience of preparing and serving food to feed the hungry at the Bissell Centre or other shelters in the downtown core.

Mission Trip

Since 2007, our high school students in grade 10-12 have the opportunity to participate in a Mission Trip. The purpose of the trip is to allow students to learn firsthand about social justice and the effects of poverty, to participate in acts of Christian service and cross-cultural experiences, which include dialogue with the local people.

By participating in this 10-day mission, we hope to form students as ambassadors and advocates for social justice. Past participants consider this a life-changing experience.

Human Sexuality Education

In our Catholic Schools, family life/sexuality instruction for grade 4 to grade 9 is presented in the context of our faith tradition; therefore, the lessons are set in the context of Scripture and Catholic Teaching. We recognize the parent as the primary educator and the lessons for each grade level are meant to support the Catholic Christian values taught at home. The parent has the right to exempt their son or daughter from family life/sexuality instruction from the school.

Permeation of Faith

“The Catholic School finds its true justification in the mission of the Church. It is based on an educational philosophy in which faith, culture, and life are brought back into harmony.”

This educational philosophy is the foundation of our work in Lakeland Catholic School Division. We celebrate our Catholic identity through our religion programs, prayer, and liturgical celebrations, but more importantly, our faith permeates everything that we do.

Our schools have adopted Christian virtues and the Social Teachings of the Church, which define our Catholic identity and the faith dimension that permeates all learning. Each school has identified ways to teach and integrate these values into the daily life of the school and permeate them into all subject areas and programs such as our Moral Intelligence programs.

Daily Prayer

Prayer is vital to our faith and helps us grow in our relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son. Staff and students at all schools begin their day by reciting a morning prayer and also have many other opportunities throughout the day to pray. There are many different ways to pray and students have an opportunity to learn different prayers as part of the Religious Education programs.

School Liturgies and Class Celebrations

Celebrating our faith at school or class liturgies and participating in the sacraments are integral to the faith dimension of our schools. All schools provide opportunities throughout the year for students and staff to live and celebrate their faith. Parents are always welcome to join in any of these liturgies or masses. Check the school calendars and newsletters for dates and times.