Orthodox Scripture
The New South Wales State Government provides for Special Religious Education (SRE) commonly called ‘Scripture’ to be taught in Public Schools. In respecting freedom of religion, it is understood that every cultural community has the right to pass on its traditions and beliefs to subsequent generations. Parents are given the choice for their children to participate at the beginning of each year.
Orthodox Christian Scripture follows an approved curriculum from Pantanassa Monastery with printed student workbooks overseen by the SRE Advisory Committee. The SRE curriculum can be found here:
pantanassamonastery.org/scripture-lessons/
For more information on NSW Scripture classes from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese:
greekorthodox.org.au/education/nsw-scripture-classes/
The lessons are taught by trained and dedicated parishioners who commit to teaching these timetabled lessons at various schools in our parish area. Teachers have a valid Working With Childrens check and attend continuing education training with the SRE Advisory Committee several times per year. St George Church has long standing teachers who have taught SRE for an average of 2 decades. We have also recently been blessed to have new teachers join this ministry.
St George Church sends SRE teachers to the following local schools:
- Bellevue Hill Public School
- Bondi Public School
- Double Bay Public School
- Paddington Public School
- Rose Bay Public School
- Woollahra Public School
Scripture teaching for Orthodox Christian children in our parish has been conducted uninterruptedly since 1962 by the Parish Priests, and we thank the many volunteers including: Presvytera Alkistis Chryssavgis, Eleni Vamvakaris, Lula Varvaressos, Maria Mavromatis, Angeliki Mottee, Maria Confos, Basil Angelou, Emmanuel Economides, Sophia Harris, Panagiota Tsambazis, Maria Megaloudis and Michelle Cassimaty. In the last 2 decades we thank Kathy Panaretos, Patricia Aroney, Tony Sklavos, Christine Penklis, Christine Menounos, Maria Louran, Maria Kanakis, and more recently, Maria Liberiou, Sandra Stavrou-Buck, Gina Petrovski, Kirie Mauro, Maria Peterson, Matina Theodorou and Poppy Lankry. The current SRE Scripture Coordinator is Christine Menounos.