Elementary Family Life

Family Life Links

Curriculum Policy Document

Elementary Family Life Policy Document (Institute for Catholic Eduction)
The official curriculum policy document for Grades 1 to 8 for Family Life Education in Ontario Catholic Schools.

For information about the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations addressed in Family Life Education, view the following resources below: (February 2020, ICE)

For general information about Family Life Education, view the Parent’s Guide to Understanding Family Life Education in Catholic Schools here.

Pearson’s Fully Alive Web Site

Supplementary Family Life Documents

AIDS: A Catholic Educational Approach to HIV– Ontario Catholic Schools Second Edition (ICE)
Ontario Catholic Religious Educators are mandated to provide three lessons per year from the appropriate year in the AIDS curriculum. This is only available as a print resource from ICE. Note: It was written nearly 20 years ago and is currently being revised.

Additional Resources for Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document, Grades 1-8: Family Life Education, 2012
Resources to support the implementation of the Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document, Grades 1-8: Family Life Education (2012) are available on the CCC WEBSITE.

Ontario Catholic School Graduation Expectations (OCSGE)
“In 1998, the first edition of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations was released within the Catholic education community. Immediately they were used as a framework for designing Ontario Catholic curriculum, in the development of youth leadership, teacher education and administrative programs and to support the work of local board initiatives.
In 2011, the second edition of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations was released. After extensive consultation within the Catholic community the seven overall and fifty-two specific expectations were validated and remain unchanged. The second edition does however provide a revised preface, a new format, an accompanying DVD, I Believe, and samples of practice in the use of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.” – from the ICE website.

“In Ontario Catholic schools, the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values acquired in the Family Life Education program complement those instilled by families, and reflect a distinctively Catholic view of human life, sexuality, marriage and family. Catholic elementary schools will address the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations of the HPE curriculum through the Fully Alive program, and the Family Life curriculum that has been endorsed by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO). At the request of the ACBO, and on behalf of the partners in Catholic education, the Institute for Catholic Education undertook the task of identifying areas where supplementary support materials were required to assist teachers, schools and boards in addressing the revised HPE curriculum, and assembled a team of educators to develop the materials necessary to augment the existing Family Life program offered in Catholic schools.”-from page 4 of the Introduction

Other Family Life Resources

Fully Alive History
A history of Family Life in Ontario Catholic schools written by Sylvia Santin.

Family Life Inservice File Grade 1 and 2 (pdf)

Family Life Inservice Files Grade 3 (pdf)

Family Life Inservice Grades 4 5 6 (pdf)

Fully Alive Order information (Pearson)
Contact the sales representatives for the refreshed Fully Alive program from Pearson Canada.

Leprosy in the World Today: Answering the Call to Care (CCC)
This resource was developed by the CCC in partnership with The Leprosy Mission Canada. Answering the Call to Care provides teachers with practical lessons for elementary and secondary students. The lessons, grounded in the Catholic Social Teachings, make the link from the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations and the expectations of the Religious Education and Family Life and cross-curricular connections, to the work of The Leprosy Mission Canada. The lessons provide faith-filled activities for learning about Leprosy in the world today and answering the call to assist those who are affected by the disease. — CCC Website

Supplementary Resources to Support Family Life Education (CARFLEO)

Grade 7

Supplemental Resources to Support Grade Seven Family Life Education. The document includes strategies for exploring Bullying Prevention, Dating and Relationships, Family Structures, Pornography, Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Risks of Contraception, Stress and Grief, Substance Abuse, Addictions, Suicide Prevention, and Same Sex Attraction.

Grade 8

Supplemental Resources to Support Grade Eight Family Life Education. The document includes strategies for exploring Bullying Prevention, Dating and Relationships, Family Structures, Pornography, Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Risks of Contraception, Stress and Grief, Substance Abuse, Addictions, Suicide Prevention, and Same Sex Attraction.

Links

Second Vatican Council Documents

Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity), 1965

Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) 1965

Papal Documents

Humanae vitae (Of Human Life), 1968, Pope Paul VI

“Theology of the Body“, 1979-1984, Pope John Paul II

Familiaris consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World), 1980, Pope John Paul II

Charter of Rights of the Family, John Paul II, see Origins 13 (Dec. 15, 1983), pp.461-464 also Pontifical Council For The Family The Family And Human Rights

Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), 1995, Pope John Paul II

Deus caritas est (God is Love), 2005, Pope Benedict XVI

Spe salvi (In hope we were saved)

Caritas in Veritate (Love in Truth), 2009, Pope Benedict XVI

Amoris Laetitia (On Love in the Family), 2016, Pope Francis

Documents of the Holy See

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1997 (index)

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2005

Persona Humana Declaration On Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, 1975, Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Donum vitae (Instruction on Respect for Human Life), 1987, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Educational Guidance in Human Love, 1983

General Directory for Catechesis, 1998

Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons – Homosexualitatis problema, 1986, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Instruction Dignitas Personae On Certain Bioethical Questions, 2008, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, 1995, Guidelines for Education Within the Family 1995

Vademecum for Confessors Concerning Some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal Life, 1997, Pontifical Council for the Family

Documents by Canadian Catholic Bishops

Pastoral Message of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Encyclical “Humanae Vitae”, 2008

Pastoral Ministry to Young People with Same-Sex Attraction, 2011

Pastoral Letter to Young People on Chastity, 2011

Documents by Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association

Respecting Difference, 2012

Other Organizations

Catholic Organization for Life and the Family

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) was co-founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus. COLF’s mission is to build a culture of life and a civilization of love by promoting respect for human life and dignity and the essential role of the family.-   from the website.

Catholic Health Alliance of Canada

This site is another fantastic resource as it not only focuses on Catholic Faith, but also the issues and concerns around faith from a CANADIAN health perspective.Mission Statement: The Catholic Health Association of Canada is a national Christian community committed to health care in the tradition of the Catholic Church. Our mission is to witness to the healing ministry and abiding presence of Jesus.
Our concern is for health in all its aspects: physical, emotional, spiritual, and social. Because we see health as a condition for full human development, our Association encourages all activities destined to promote wellness, prevent disease, and cure sickness. We commit ourselves to work openly and earnestly, in both official languages, with all people in our society.” From a teacher’s viewpoint, I think this is a great site for “staying in tune” – informed. It provides us with resources that if we would like, we could order items such as: posters, books, health ethics kits etc. OR simply read and download articles of current issues and events. –Loredana Campoli

Vanier Institute of the Family

The Mission of the Vanier Insitute of the Family is to create awareness of, and to provide leadership on, the importance and strengths of families in Canada and the challenges they face in their structural, demographic, economic, cultural and social diversity. Information from the Institute’s research, consultation and policy development is conveyed through education and communications vehicles to educators and researchers, the business community, the media, social service professionals, the public and Canadian families themselves.–from the website.

CARFLEO Links:  Family Life and Related Areas