“Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice love and peace of God.”
At St Joseph’s we believe it is our mission to love God, to love each other and the world – our common home. Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is the church’s treasure which helps us to do this. It is about how we can live our lives and how we can put our faith into action.
There are 9 principles which underpin CST. The principles are represented by animals for KS1 and lower KS2, while keys are used for upper KS2. Children from all year groups have taken part in workshops led by CAFOD which have helped to enrich their understanding of these principles.
We strive to put CST at the heart of all we do. The principles are displayed in every classroom and in the halls where we gather together as a school family. CST is referred to in collective worships , which makes the worship relevant to our lives today. CST is incorporated into RE lessons where relevant and links are made with the actions of the saints, people from the Bible and people today. Children are congratulated when they show CST in their daily lives by the staff but also by each other!
The children recognise how important it is to help people in need. They take part in a number of fundraising activities across the year in order to support not only our Global neighbours, but also people in our local community. For example, during Harvest time we support CAFOD’s “Make it Bright Campaign,” while also collecting donations for St Matthew’s Food Bank in Redhill. We also raise funds for CAFOD during Lent, by taking part in The Big Lent Walk. This year the Faith Leaders will be challenged to find other ways of raising money. Furthermore, each year group will be choosing a charity they wish to support. The Primary Leadership Team will be discussing this issue in the very near future. Watch this space!
During Advent, children will explore how they can be a “Light for the world” by taking part in our CST day. Each year group will focus on a CST principle. They will explore that principle in depth and reflect on how they can put it into action. They will take part in a workshop based on the story of The Good Samaritan, led by the Faith leaders.
