Turnbull High School Religious Education and Chaplaincy
Educating for Eternity
Our S2 pupils marked October as the month of the Holy Rosary with drama workshops led by Stephen Callaghan, director of the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project (AGAP).
During the sessions pupils created modern day scenes that explored themes from the mysteries of the rosary. A brilliant way to bring the rosary alive!
Red Wednesday is a day of raising funds and awareness for the plight of persecuted Christians around the world. Pope Leo’s charity for this cause is Aid To The Church In Need, with whom Turnbull has a special, long-standing link.
Our Caritas pupils delivered on the campaign’s three objectives:
Information– Caritas pupils led an online assembly for the whole school, highlighting that 80% of religious persecution world-wide, is against Christians
Prayer- As part of the assembly, the whole school took time to pray for our brothers and sisters who risk their lives to remain faithful to he Lord.
Action- Our Caritas class independently organised a bake sale so successful that they had to run it at break and lunchtimes! They raised £237!
The Caritas class have asked Miss Morrison and I to thank you for your support of this important charity event in our school.
During the month of November, the Church focusses her prayer in a particular way on the Holy Souls; those who have died in friendship with God and are undergoing purification before entering heaven.
All classes engaged in learning about this part of our faith, in writing November Lists and praying for the faithful departed in short services in the oratory. Some classes produced some artwork as part of learning the ‘Eternal Rest’ prayer and that Catholics face death with hope in the resurrection.
S1 classes enjoyed a ‘Spooky Silence’ during which they watched ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’ The main character in the film lives a life of darkness in Halloween Town but has a conversion when he discovers Christmas and tries to bring joy to his hometown, with mixed reception!
Miss Morrison and the CREDO club also arranged a Halloween Disco for S1 and they had great fun with dressing up, dancing and games. This along with the Spooky Silence raised just short of £800 for Mary’s Meals!!
As term got underway we have been privileged to welcome back our partners who enrich our RE curriculum. S2 have had talks as part of their study of the sacrament of marriage and the Caritas class welcomed Joseph from Aid to the Church in Need.
In preparation for the S1 welcome Mass, S1 pupils completed their induction with their S1 retreat. The retreat comprised of games, learning and prayer that helped the young people to reflect on our school Values and Virtues.
Our new Caritas class visited St Mary’s in the Calton for a commissioning Mass with the Archbishop. Miss Morrison, who is leading Caritas from this year, said that the young people represented the school in an exemplary fashion and we hope that this is a sign of great things to come from this year’s group.
Our annual S3 Vocations Day took place on the 25th of September. Our young people participated in discussion groups with clergy and a religious sister who have served the church in many different ways. From a young curate to a retired priest who served as a missionary in Africa, a musician and liturgist to one of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life, pupils entered into conversation about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and to follow one’s vocation. 
A brand new documentary about our school oratory has been produced by pupils from our CREDO club. Over the last couple of years, pupils have interviewed current and former staff about the history and significance of what is our mini church.
The final production, edited by Keith in S6, explains the origin of the art work, the stained glass, the altar and the spiritual significance of the oratory as the center of prayer. At the center is the tabernacle, where Our Lord waits for us and dwells with us as we learn and grow each day. Well done to the young people involved in this project. It will make a significant impact on our community for years to come.
Congratulations to our first ever Higher RMPS class who achieved great success in their exams. 64% of the class exceeded their target grade and of those pupils, 75% of them did so by two bands or more! Overall, Turnbull High School ranked third out of the eight High Schools in East Dunbartonshire for Higher RMPS.
Our aspirational core RERC curriculum gives our young people to grow in spiritually and in their intellectual grasp of the faith. Higher RMPS is an additional opportunity for young people to deepen their learning and gain accreditation in a subject that is desirable to universities and a range of employers.
Now that the Higher is up and running, the RE department are introducing National 4 RMPS for all pupils. This will be achieved through our core RERC curriculum over S3 and S4. This will provide a progression of qualifications from S2-S6 that young people can achieve in recognition of the outstanding work that goes on in our core RERC courses.
It was the first day of May, the month of Mary and the feast of St Joseph the worker. What better day to make a pilgrimage? And what better day to learn about how we can become saints. A group of S1 made the journey to St Patrick’s Church in the Cowgate, Edinburgh to visit the national shrine of Venerable Margaret Sinclair.
Pupils enjoyed a presentation from the dedicated team of volunteers about this ordinary girl who is on the path to sainthood. Learning about the joys and sufferings of an ordinary life at the turn of the century, our young people gained a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus- not being boring and cut off, and not necessarily by receiving great revelations from God, but through the ordinary things of life, done with love for God and others.
Then pupils made a prayer walk around the church, pausing to ask questions about the many relics of the saints and works of art that have been brought there by the new Oratorian community. Deepening their understanding of the church building, the young people revisited many foundational beliefs and practices including why and how we genuflect, the real presence, baptism at the font, may crowning of the statue of Our Lady, veneration of the saints, intercession, the power of the Holy Spirit, the Litany of St Joseph and the Angelus. The pupils participated in a Mass that was reverent and beautifully celebrated with the priest addressing them in his homily on St Joseph and the holiness of offering our daily work to God, and finding Him in it.
After a picnic in the sun, we walked to Blackfriars Street where venerable Margaret used to live and on our return, the chairman of the canonization committee gave a talk on the process by which a person is declared a saint.
The young people were perhaps the most respectful, inquisitive and affable group that we have every taken on this trip. They were an absolute credit to the school and to their families. We hope that they were inspired to consider how they might invite God into their everyday life, to love Him in the Blessed Sacrament and to discover a life of prayer.
