Education in Faith

Education in Faith

Holy Trinity Year 6 2025 – Laudato Si’

As part of the Year 6 Religious Education program in 2025 the Year 6 students explored the theme Care for Our Common Home, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. Throughout the unit, students reflected deeply on our shared responsibility to care for creation and to respond with compassion to both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

As a culmination of their learning, the students composed an original song titled Laudato Si’, expressing their hope, faith, and commitment to protecting God’s creation. We acknowledge and commend Miss Clare Smith, along with students Noah and Thomas, for their additional creativity and contribution to the lyrics.

Recognising the potential of this work, Religious Education and Wellbeing Leader, Mrs Kathy Toomey, partnered with the creative team at Stampede Immersive to record and film the song, transforming the students’ efforts into a professional lyric and film clip.

Through this project, our students have been able to realise their dream of sharing Pope Francis’ message with the wider world; that we are all called to live in harmony with creation and take meaningful action to safeguard our common home. Their lyrics remind us that even the smallest voices can inspire great change when grounded in faith, compassion, and love for our planet.

We hope this song inspires you to reflect, act, and continue spreading the message of caring for our Earth.

Holy Trinity Catholic Primary school is a faith community, inspired by the love of God, within Risen Christ Parish. This Parish comprises the Catholic communities of Our Lady Help of Christians, Eltham and St Francis Xavier, Montmorency. Students are supported to grow in their relationship with God and to respond as active members within their community of faith.

The Religious Education program from Foundation (Prep) through to Year 6, is developed from Catholic Education Archdiocese of Melbourne’s Horizons of Hope documents; Religious Education Curriculum Framework, as well as the ‘To Know, Worship and Love’ texts. It also draws upon the richness of the Catholic Social Teaching principles, encouraging students’ to learn about the Church’s mission as global citizens.

Staff work in collaboration to plan engaging units of work for students to be given opportunities to discover more about themselves, the people and world around them and their own faith, supported by the Education in Faith and Learning and Teaching staff leaders. Students are encouraged to LIVE – be involved, LOVE – be inclusive, LEARN – be enlightened and embrace God’s word.

Religious Education Curriculum and Classroom Program

• Religious Education Program Prep – Year Six
• Sacramental Program – Year Four, Year Five and Year Six
• Sacramental Workshops 
• Daily Christian Meditation
• Lunch-time weekly Meditation Program
• Daily Class Prayer time
• Regular Class/Year level and Whole school Masses and Liturgies celebrated
• Our daily interactions with each-other
• Liturgical celebrations and instruction for Easter (Lent) and Christmas (Advent)
• Year 6 Faith and Wellbeing Student Leaders
• Strong Parish connections
• Commitment to Social Justice
• Holy Trinity Feast Day is acknowledged and celebrated annually
• Celebration of Catholic Education Week. 

Sacramental Program

Holy Trinity Primary school is one of three schools within Risen Christ Parish; including the Catholic Communities of St Francis Xavier (SFX), Montmorency, Our Lady Help of Christians (OLHC), Eltham and Holy Trinity (HT), Eltham North. A sacramental program is implemented within the school curriculum. During Years 4, 5 and 6 students will be taught about and have the option to participate in receiving the Sacraments. Preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation is celebrated within a partnership of the family, schools and Risen Christ Parish-The Catholic communities of OLHC, SFX and HT. Sacraments are parent initiated, school supported, parish-based programs. 

All students and families, no matter their faith denomination are invited to be part of our Sacramental program by the way of Sacrament or Blessing. Our celebrations of Reconciliation (Year 4), First Eucharist (Year 5) and Confirmation (Year 6) are all celebrated at either St Francis Xavier or Our Lady Help of Christians Church. Our Parish Moderator: Fr. Michael Sierakowski leads these Sacraments and an appointed Bishop joins our Parish for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Adult faith formation nights for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation take place each year and take place at either OLHC or SFX Church.

Social Justice/Action

The Holy Trinity community lives out the Church’s mission in many ways and our social justice initiatives are exemplary to this mission. We support a friendship school, San Rafael Elementary in the Philippines and are committed to fundraising for this connection. Our staff, students and families have and continue to be involved in Parish trips to the Philippines supporting this global friendship and some of our families sponsor Filipino children as part of our connection to an organisation called KADASIG.

Holy Trinity also regularly supports and fundraises for our local St Vincent de Paul branch in Montmorency and an organisation, Hayden’s Helping Hands-a not for profit organisation, supporting the homeless of Melbourne and beyond; established by one of our Parish and former school families.

At Holy Trinity school, each year a selected student is awarded the Fr Terry Kean Social Action Award. This Award honours the social justice heart, our former Parish Priest, Fr Terry Kean brought to our community. The Award also inspires our community to continue Fr Terry’s commitment to social action within our school and broader communities on a local and global level. Each year this award is to be presented to a student or students from any year level at the end of the school year. To be a contender for this award the student needs to have shown, they have honoured the marginalised, have an open heart, a compassionate heart, and have shown evidence that they have been called to action to think of others within our school, local or global communities.

Celebration of Catholic Education Week

A representative group of Year 6 leaders annually attend the Mass of St Patrick. The attendance at this Mass, followed by a concert in the Treasury Gardens is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to honour the Patron Saint of Melbourne and celebrate their Catholic identity.