Catholic Social Teaching & Charitable Events
Catholic Social Teaching and Charitable Events
At St Gilbert’s Roman Catholic Primary School we are;
Inspired by St. Gilbert, as God’s family, we are growing strong in love and faith, becoming the best we can be.
At St Gilbert’s RC Primary School, we follow the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) as an important part of our Catholic mission and the life of our school community. Catholic Social Teaching helps us to understand how we can live out our faith through the way we treat others, make choices and respond to the needs of the world around us. Through our Gospel Values and our daily actions, we encourage our children to recognise the dignity and worth of every person, to care for one another and to understand our responsibility to serve others and care for God’s creation.
The principles of Catholic Social Teaching are woven throughout our curriculum, RE, worship and wider school life. We provide opportunities for children to explore important issues such as fairness, poverty, equality, human dignity, caring for creation and the importance of community. We believe that faith is something we should put into action, and therefore our children are encouraged to look beyond themselves and consider how they can make a positive difference to the lives of others, both locally and globally.
Throughout the school year, our children have many opportunities to serve others and support charitable causes. Through charitable events, fundraising activities, collections and school-wide initiatives, we come together to support people and communities in need. These experiences help our children to develop compassion, generosity and a sense of responsibility, while understanding that even small acts of kindness can make a significant difference. We encourage our children to give not only through fundraising, but also through their time, actions, prayers and care for others. An example of this is our choir singing at Shepway Court.
At St Gilbert’s, we want our children to recognise that they have an important role to play in building a kinder, fairer and more compassionate world. By following the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and living out our Gospel Values, we strive to nurture young people who are ready to serve others, stand up for what is right, care for our common home and make a positive difference in the world. In doing so, we seek to live out our faith together as a loving and active Catholic community.
Principles of Social Catholic Teaching
Dignity of the Human Person
Every person is created and loved by God and is special and unique. We believe that everyone should be treated with kindness, respect and compassion, regardless of who they are or where they come from. At St Gilbert’s, we celebrate the value of every individual and encourage everyone to recognise the God-given dignity of themselves and others.
St Joseph's Penny
Common Good and Community
We are all part of a wider community and have a responsibility to care for one another. The common good means thinking about what is best for everyone, rather than only ourselves. At St Gilbert’s, we encourage our children to work together, support one another and make choices that help our school, local community and wider world to flourish. Examples of this is growing vegetables in our school garden for all to eat.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Jesus teaches us to care especially for those who are poor, lonely, excluded or vulnerable. We are called to notice when others need help and to respond with kindness and generosity. Through charitable events, fundraising and acts of service, our children learn that we all have a responsibility to support those who may be struggling or in need.
In previous years, we have send donations to Salford Foodbank after our Harvest Mass.
Our Harvest Challenge
Rights and Responsibilities
Every person has rights that should be respected, including the right to be safe, loved, cared for and treated fairly. With these rights come responsibilities. At St Gilbert’s, we help children understand that they have a responsibility to respect the rights of others, make good choices, care for those around them and contribute positively to our school community. As a school, we are proud to have achieved the Rights Respecting Award.
Remembrance Day
Pilgrims of Hope
Role of Government and Subsidiarity
Those who have responsibility and authority should use it to serve others and help communities to thrive. Decisions should be made by the people closest to the situation whenever possible, while recognising when greater support is needed. We encourage our children to understand the importance of responsible leadership, listening to others and using their voices to help make positive changes. We have encouraged our children and families to take part in the Big Listen through the Big Future survey and also the Children’s Commissioner (Government focus.)
Our Parliament Day.
Economic Justice
Everyone deserves the opportunity to live with dignity and have their basic needs met. Work should be fair, safe and respectful, and people should receive a fair reward for the work they do. We encourage our children to think about fairness and inequality and to understand that the resources of our world should be shared responsibly so that everyone has the opportunity to flourish. Our ‘Money Week’ helps children to begin to consider some of the wider issues surrounding acquiring, spending, saving and sharing money.
Our Money Week
Stewardship of Creation
God has entrusted our beautiful world to us, and we have a responsibility to care for it. We are called to be good stewards of creation by protecting the environment, reducing waste and respecting all living things. At St Gilbert’s, we encourage our children to appreciate the wonder of God’s creation and consider how their everyday actions can help to care for our common home. We are so proud of our flourishing polytunnel and garden where produce is shared in school amongst classes and the kitchen.
Promotion of Peace and Disarmament
Peace is more than simply the absence of conflict; it means creating a world where people live with justice, respect and understanding. We are called to be peacemakers by listening to others, forgiving, resolving disagreements peacefully and standing against violence and injustice. At St Gilbert’s, we encourage our children to be courageous in promoting kindness, reconciliation and peace.
Odd Socks Day.
Participation
Every person has a voice and has something valuable to contribute. Participation means being involved, listening to others and taking an active role in our community. At St Gilbert’s, we give our children opportunities to share their ideas, take on responsibilities, serve others and become active members of our school and wider community. We encourage every child to recognise that their voice and actions can make a difference. Our School Council and GIFT teams make contributions to the life of the school through helping to make decisions e.g. deciding on where the ‘Dancealongathon’ money would be spent.
Santa Dash