Dufferin-Peel CDSB - St. Thomas Aquinas SS

Religion Department

Religious Education, Grade 9, Be With Me | HRE101
Grade 9, Pathway for performing arts HRE1OT/1OD/1OV/1OI
This course invites students to follow Christ and live out the call to discipleship as presented in the Scriptures. The Beatitudes are used as a framework to examine the attitudes and actions that characterize the Christian life. Students are encouraged to grow in Gospel values while actively engaging in a variety of challenging educational activities. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat.

The Retreat Experience
The retreat programs are an important means of reinforcing catholic/Christian attitudes and values, and a complement to the in-class religious education program. A retreat provides a much-needed opportunity for both students and teachers to step aside from the pursuits of everyday life, in order to take time to meet god in prayer, and to reflect to their call as a Christians. A retreat experience provides the opportunity for the individual to experience god’s loving care, and to blossom and grow into full powerful agent of conversion and transformation. These experiences may influence the student’s life far beyond graduation from secondary school. As catholic educators, we believe that it is essential to provide every student with the opportunity to encounter the risen lord in retreat each year. Ideally, the retreat should be held in a setting away from the structured environment of the regular school. Therefore, all retreats are held off campus at the various locations close to Brampton. The retreat program is a compulsory part of all religion courses.

Religious Education, Grade 10, Christ and Culture |HRE201
Grade 10, Pathway for the performing arts |       HRE20D/20T
    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, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. . Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat.

The Retreat Experience The retreat programs are an important means of reinforcing catholic/Christian attitudes and values, and a complement to the in-class religious education program. A retreat provides a much-needed opportunity for both students and teachers to step aside from the pursuits of everyday life, in order to take time to meet god in prayer, and to reflect to their call as a Christians. A retreat experience provides the opportunity for the individual to experience god’s loving care, and to blossom and grow into full powerful agent of conversion and transformation. These experiences may influence the student’s life far beyond graduation from secondary school. As catholic educators, we believe that it is essential to provide every student with the opportunity to encounter the risen lord in retreat each year. Ideally, the retreat should be held in a setting away from the structured environment of the regular school. Therefore, all retreats are held off campus at the various locations close to Brampton. The retreat program is a compulsory part of all religion courses.

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Religious Education, Grade 11, Faith & Culture | HRE301
     This course examines various themes related to faith and culture. It explores issues related to every religious tradition, such as the existence of God, good and evil, consequences of actions, self-understanding and self-esteem, family life, the environment, war and peace, medical ethics, and life after death. The students will become more familiar with the place and function of religion in human culture. This course enables students to recognize an element of similarity in the aspirations and claims of people of different religious backgrounds. It can help to break down prejudices and misconceptions about other religious traditions and, at the same time, strengthen and affirm the students’ own search for answers to life’s meaning within the context of the teachings of the Catholic faith. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood, family relationships and sexuality. Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat
Anyone taking ENG3E1 or ENG3C1 should take HRE3O1

Religious Education, Grade 11, Faith & Culture | HRE3M1
     World Religions introduces students to the various expressions of humanity’s responses to the mystery of 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. The students will become more familiar with the place and function of religion in human culture. Student learning will include the Church’s teachings on ecumenism and interfaith dialogue. For all students, this course will help break down prejudices about other religions, and for some it may lead to a deeper understanding and a more authentic adherence to the teachings of the Church concerning spiritual and moral truth. At no time will Christianity be presented as "one among many" searches for meaning available to students. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood, family relationships and sexuality. Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat This is for university bound students

The Retreat Experience
    The retreat programs are an important means of reinforcing catholic/Christian attitudes and values, and a complement to the in-class religious education program. A retreat provides a much-needed opportunity for both students and teachers to step aside from the pursuits of everyday life, in order to take time to meet god in prayer, and to reflect to their call as a Christians. A retreat experience provides the opportunity for the individual to experience god’s loving care, and to blossom and grow into full powerful agent of conversion and transformation. These experiences may influence the student’s life far beyond graduation from secondary school. As catholic educators, we believe that it is essential to provide every student with the opportunity to encounter the risen lord in retreat each year. Ideally, the retreat should be held in a setting away from the structured environment of the regular school. Therefore, all retreats are held off campus at the various locations close to Brampton. The retreat program is a compulsory part of all religion courses.

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Religious Education, Grade 12, Church & Culture | HRE401
     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, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. Students will demonstrate 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. In the Family Life Education strand, students explore a variety of topics related to the themes of personhood, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat Anyone taking ENG4E1 or OLC4O1 or ENG4C1 should take HRE4O1

Religious Education, Grade 12, Church & Culture | HRE4M1
    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, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. 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. Each student will perform 10 hours of Christian Community Service and participate in a compulsory retreat. This is for university bound students

The Retreat Experience
    The retreat programs are an important means of reinforcing catholic/Christian attitudes and values, and a complement to the in-class religious education program. A retreat provides a much-needed opportunity for both students and teachers to step aside from the pursuits of everyday life, in order to take time to meet god in prayer, and to reflect to their call as a Christians. A retreat experience provides the opportunity for the individual to experience god’s loving care, and to blossom and grow into full powerful agent of conversion and transformation. These experiences may influence the student’s life far beyond graduation from secondary school. As catholic educators, we believe that it is essential to provide every student with the opportunity to encounter the risen lord in retreat each year. Ideally, the retreat should be held in a setting away from the structured environment of the regular school. Therefore, all retreats are held off campus at the various locations close to Brampton. The retreat program is a compulsory part of all religion courses.