Our students are involved in faith formation since their first moments at St. Anne School. Building on this strong foundation we invite our students to see their faith as a way of life and as an exciting way to be in the world. We are working to both inform and form young disciples of Jesus Christ. Our religion program is hands-on, with a strong emphasis on service-learning and self-reflection. Our students spend time together in daily prayer, in preparation for first Sacraments, liturgical celebrations, weekly mass, serving others, and spiritual retreats. The St. Anne School Religion curriculum is integral in the nurturing of the whole child: intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially and culturally.
In order to maintain the integrity of the Catholic Religious instruction, the teachers at St. Anne School must earn Catechist Certification as required by the Diocese of Charleston. Through learning and collaborating with colleagues and Faith Formation Catechists in our parish, teachers are able to deliver Christ’s message of hope and love to our students.
St. Anne School implements the Religion Curriculum created by the Diocesan Board of Catechetical Advisors and the Catholic Schools Office of the Catholic Diocese of Charleston. This guideline serves to help our students grow up in the church and have love, wisdom, and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Topics for each grade level include Doctrinal Content, Prayers and Sacramentals, and Activities. Doctrinal Content includes those things which are considered essential for students to know and understand such as Bible stories, basic beliefs, and the core of our Catholic Sacramental life. Prayers and Sacramentals include the teaching of basic Catholic prayers and acquaintance with various Catholic devotions and sacred objects. Activities are meant to help reinforce learning and worship by giving students hands-on experiences which they can remember.
Students begin to develop a positive self-image in relationship to a loving God through formal instruction starting in the preschool classes. Using the Loyola Press Faith Formation Series from Preschool through eighth grade, students learn the timeless traditions of our Catholic Faith. Our youngest children begin to understand that “God made me special.” This understanding is expanded upon over the elementary years as students begin to appreciate themselves as well as the world through Christ’s message of love, viewing all life as a gift from God. By the end of fifth grade, students recognize the word of God as expressed through scripture, worship, and prayer, and the call to service. Our students come to know God through Divine Revelation, the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and living our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The sixth grade students begin their journey with a study of Old Testament Literature and an emphasis of Judaic tradition. Discovering the Jewish roots of our Christian faith gives the students an understanding of the Old Testament in light of its historical and cultural context and helps the students appreciate the complex relationships among its traditions. Most importantly, it allows them to relate the scriptural tradition with their own experiences in today’s Church and world.
Our seventh graders embark on a discovery of the contexts, literature, and theology of the New Testament. They will grasp an understanding of the historical Jesus, as well as the faithful portrait as presented in the Gospels. They develop a rhythm of reflection and action in the context of our faith tradition.
Our eighth grade students conclude their time at St. Anne with a study of the history of the Catholic faith. There is emphasis on basic moral principles, the Christian obligation to seek justice for all people, and responsible citizenship. The students spend time together in retreat in preparation for the next phase of their journey.
“My prayer is that your love may more and more abound, both in understanding and wealth of even experience, so that with a clear conscience and blameless conduct you may learn to value the things that really matter, up to the very day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10)