October 2015: Monthly Planning Guidelines for Religious Education

Ordinary Time

October is the month of the Holy Rosary and it is also Mission Month. You might consider coming together to pray the Rosary at class level or as a whole school. Looking at the table of lessons for the month (below), teachers in Third Class should note that 'Christianity Comes to Our Country (1 and 2)' could, if you wish, be moved to March, around the feast of St. Patrick.

Ideas for Prayer Spaces, planning templates and other resources are available on www.education.dublindiocese.ie

Class / Lessons / Theme / Prayers to be taught/Revised
Junior Infants / Seasonal Lesson: Autumn
1: God created the world
2: God created us … we are special! / Autumn/
Our World / Glory Be
Prayer Service
Senior Infants / 1: I belong in my family
2: My family belongs in a community
3: We all belong in one human family / We Belong / Our Father
Night Prayer
Litany of Saints
1st Class / (You may wish to spend longer than a week on each of the 'Jesus' lessons)
Jesus – Diviner (T1, L11)
Jesus – Teacher (T1, L12)
Mary's Joy (you may wish, in the month of the Holy Rosary, to do this lesson from T3, L1) / The Person of Jesus/ Belonging / Revise the Glory Be, the Hail Mary and the Our Father
2nd Class / (You may wish to spend longer than a week on each of the 'Jesus' lessons)
Jesus – Telling Parables (T1, L10)
Jesus – Healing (T1, L11)
Mary Our Mother (you may wish, in the month of the Holy Rosary, to do this lesson from T3, L1) / The Person of Jesus/ Belonging / Prayers to Mary
3rd Class / What's the Story? (1): The Centurion's Servant (2 weeks) (T1, L5)
Christianity Comes to Our Country (T1, L6) / The Reign of God (Part One)/ Christianity Comes to Ireland / Revise the Prayer to Jesus / St. Patrick's Breastplate / Mass response: 'Lord, I am not worthy...'
4th Class / Mary (T1, L5)
God Nourishes Us (T1, L6)
God sent Jesus to Nourish Us (T1, L7) / Mary/ Nourished by the Trinity / Glorious Mysteries/ Holy Spirit, I want to do what is right. Help me....
5th Class / Jesus and Prophecy (T1, L5)
The Spirit of Prophecy (T1, L6)
Mary and the Mysteries of Light (T1, L7) / Prophecy/ Mary and the Saints / Mysteries of Light/ Hail Holy Queen
6th Class / In Relation to Being Human (T1, L5)
In relation to Reconciliation (T1, L6)
Coming Together Rituals(T1, L7) / In Relation.../ Sacraments and Sacramentality / Gloria: 'Glory to God in the highest...' (from the Mass)

Prayer Space

In addition to the basic elements on your Prayer Space this month you may wish to include: items depicting the Autumn season and the theme of creation, Rosary beads, images or a statue of St. Francis and references to Pope Francis.

Calendar 1st October Feast of St. Thérése of the Child of Jesus (Alive-O8 T2, L2)

2nd October Feast of the Guardian Angels

4th October Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (Alive-O6 T1, L4)

7th October Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

9th October “Children Helping Children” Day of Prayer (information available www.wmi.ie

17th October RE Congress in Mater Dei Institute (information available at www.materdei.ie/recongress)

18th October World Mission Sunday

Upcoming...... 1st November Feast of All Saints (Holy Day of Obligation)

2nd November Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)