A Parent’s Guide to ‘FLOURISH’ – A new RSE resource for Catholic Primary Schools

Please find below a letter outlining the Flourish programme, a Relationship and Sexuality resource for use in Catholic schools. If you have any questions regarding this programme, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Coleman.

A Parent’s Guide to ‘FLOURISH’ – A new RSE resource for Catholic Primary Schools

What is FLOURISH?

“The Flourish programme is a Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) resource for use in Catholic Primary Schools on the island of Ireland. It aims to view the subject through a Catholic lens, fostering respect for self and others, helping the child, with the support of the family, to develop a moral compass. It consists of four lessons per class per year and is based on reflective practice as well as parental involvement. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the Department of Education RSE programme.”

A Holistic Approach

Our Catholic schools are dedicated to the education of the whole human person – physical, intellectual, spiritual, religious, emotional, and moral. Through RSE, the Catholic school “educates and forms pupils for relationships with self, with others, with our created world, and with God.

Respecting Human Dignity

Respect for the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, stands at the heart of Catholic education. Catholic RSE, therefore aims ‘to teach, nurture, advise, guide and enable young people to recognise their own sacredness of others.” Inspired by the Gospel, Flourish helps to equip pupils with the “knowledge, skills, and disposition to relate with others in a way that is respectful and that brings joy to their own lives and the lives of others.”

RSE and the role of Parents and Guardians

The role of parents is central to Flourish. The family is the primary place for relationships and sexuality education to take place. Our Catholic schools are here to support and complement parents and guardians as they fulfil their duty as the primary and most important educators of their children.

RSE in St John the Baptist Primary School

In St. John the Baptist Primary School, we will adopt a child-centred approach to the delivery of RSE. In consultation with parents, teachers will ensure that the programme is tailored to the age, maturity and understanding of pupils.

For further information of the FLOURISH programme, please visit:

https://catholiceducation.ie/rse-primary/

https://catholiceducation-ni.org/about-us-2/rse-resources/

What will my child learn?

Primary 1

Lesson 1: "I am me." Life is a gift from God. Our bodies are gifts from God. I must look after and care for my body.

Lesson 2: "My body." We were all babies. Babies grow in their mother’s tummy. Jesus was once a baby.

Lesson 3: "I have a family." We all live in families. God wants us to love and respect our families.

Jesus had a family.

Lesson 4: "I have friends." Jesus asked us to love one another. We have fun with our friends. When we are kind to our friends, we are doing what Jesus asked us to do.

Primary 2

Lesson 1: "Growing and changing." I am getting bigger and stronger. I can do things now that I couldn't do before. God wants us to look after ourselves.

Lesson 2: "Keeping safe." I must be careful near roads. God takes care of us. We must take care of each other.

Lesson 3: "My family." My family is a great gift. I love my family. Thank God for my family. I can help at home.

Lesson 4: "I can make choices." I make choices all the time. Choices can be hard/easy, good/bad. All choices have consequences. God wants me to make good choices - to look after myself and to be kind.

Primary 3

Lesson 1: "I am unique." We're all different. We thank God for making us special. We must respect the uniqueness of others.

Lesson 2: "My body." God made us exactly how we are and He loves us. Our body has many different parts and every part has a specific role - the five senses.

Lesson 3: "My family loves me." There are many different relationships in our families. Families can have good days and bad days, but we're all called to love and support each other.

Lesson 4: "My neighbourhood." There are many different people in our neighbourhood, some we know, others we don't. We are called to be good neighbours. God wants us to be kind to each other.

Primary 4

Lesson 1: "The wonder of new life." Life is a gift from God. We were all babies once. Babies need special care and love for them to thrive.

Lesson 2: "We have feelings." Everyone has feelings. Itis important to understand and talk about how we feel. We need to respect others and their personal space.

Lesson 3: "Friendship and fairness." Jesus calls us to be kind and friendly. We can learn to be better friends to each other.

Lesson 4: "Decisions." We make lots of decisions every day. Decisions have consequences. We can learn to make better choices. God helps us to do this.

Primary 5

Lesson 1: "Growing and changing." We all grow and change as we get older. We all grow at our own pace. Our bodies are precious gifts from God, so we need to look after them to keep them healthy.

Lesson 2: "Making the right choices." We need to make the right choices for our personal safety. As Christians, we're called to do the right thing even when no one is looking.

Lesson 3: "Role-models." Some people are to be admired and imitated. We can all be role-models.

Lesson 4: "Why have rules?" Rules are important for our safety and well-being. If we make bad decisions, we can seek forgiveness, learn from our mistakes, and try again.

Primary 6

Lesson 1: "Feelings." Different scenarios may cause us to feel different emotions. We can talk to trusted adults and friends about our emotions. God is always there to listen to us.

Lesson 2: "Bullying." What constitutes 'bullying'. How to handle bullying. Who to talk to. We're called to be kind to each other and to respect each other.

Lesson 3: "Environmental care." Creation is a wonderful gift from God. We all have a responsibility to care for the world around us.

Primary 7

Lesson 1: "Emotions and relationships." How to handle strong emotions. How to handle peer pressure. Having the courage to say 'no'.

Lesson 2: "Internet safety." Avoiding online harms. It's important to be kind in online communications and to tell a trusted adult if any difficulties or worries arise.

Lesson 3: "It's OK to say no!" How to respond to peer pressure. It's important to do what is right, and to

respect the decisions of others.

Lesson 4: "Puberty." As we grow older, our bodies change, this is all part of God's plan for us. These

changes are natural and are nothing to be embarrassed about.