Religious Education Parent Handbook

Transcription

1 Church of the Blessed Sacrament Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana West Lafayette, IN Religious Education Parent Handbook Our mission: To help children and their families grow in knowledge and love of Christ and His Church through Scripture, Sacrament, and Tradition and respond to God s call to holiness through prayer and service. 0

2 Program Goals Church of the Blessed Sacrament strives to be a Catholic community faithful to the Gospel and Catholic Tradition. The parish is, in reality, a community united in the endless struggle and search to know, love and serve God, self and one another. The goals of our religious education program are: o To provide a program of formal religious instruction for the children and youth of the parish. o To support parents in their role as primary educators of their children. o To offer sacramental preparation to children and youth. o To help youth discover the richness and challenges of Scripture and the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church. o To build a strong Catholic identity among the youth of the parish. o To allow youth to experience the Church as community through interaction and faith sharing. o To deepen the prayer life of children and youth by helping them experience many forms of Catholic prayer and worship. o To motivate youth to live lives rooted in charity and service and to practice justice based on the moral teachings of the Church. o To expose students to the liturgical and Sacramental richness that is part of the Catholic Tradition. o To enable students to become responsible, self-reflecting, loving and praying individuals. Admission Policies Church of the Blessed Sacrament religious education program does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, physical or mental challenges. Any family that is registered at Church of the Blessed Sacrament may enroll their children in the religious education program. Students are typically enrolled in the grade in which they are currently attending in school, unless other arrangements are made with the Director of Religious Education. An exception to this may be necessary to meet specific requirements for Sacramental preparation. Program fees The Director of Religious Education, in cooperation with Business Manager, determines the annual fees for the Religious Education Program. No student will be prevented from attending because of his/her parents inability to pay. Know that fee reductions are offered in the spirit of a community called to assist one another in love. Book and material fees are non-refundable after the start of classes. The Role of Parents It is the role of the parish to assist parents in nurturing the faith of their children. Parents who enroll their children in the parish religious education program will be assisted and enabled in their role as the primary educators of their children. Parents are encouraged to approach the staff with ideas to meet specific needs in raising healthy and holy Catholic children and youth. At the same time, it is essential that parents cooperate with the parish and work with those who are the designated leaders of the parish program. Parents are asked to fulfill the following expectations in order to promote the faith growth of the children and youth and to insure a quality program. 1

3 A parent who would like their child to attend the program: 1. Must be a registered member of the parish. 2. Is responsible for providing the parish with information regarding the child s Baptism and other sacraments, if applicable. 3. Attends Mass weekly with the child. 4. Takes responsibility for their role as primary educator. 5. Collaborates with the catechists in the program by sharing faith with the child at home and by making sure the child does any required follow-up to the lessons taught in class. 6. Helps to teach the child the traditional prayers of the Church at home. 7. Maintains an open line of communication with the child s catechist. 8. Brings the child to class on time and picks them up promptly at the conclusion of class. 9. Escorts the child to class to ensure the child reaches the classroom safely. 10. Attends parent meetings when requested. 11. Is supportive of the catechist, especially in the area of discipline. 12. Reads this handbook and completes the forms necessary for registration. 13. Informs the Director of Religious Education of the rights of the non-custodial parent in the case of divorce. This is essential to ensure that the program acts in the best interest and safety of the child. 14. Informs the DRE of any pertinent medical and emergency information. Parents & Catechists Catechists that teach the classes in the religious education program are volunteers. The parish has made every effort to screen them to insure that they are capable of handling the responsibility involved in this ministry. The parish also offers training courses that increase the skills needed for the catechists to be successful. The religious education staff supervises the catechists in order to help them fulfill their responsibility. Parents are asked to recognize the challenges involved in being a volunteer catechist and to support them in whatever ways possible. If any problems arise however, please first contact the catechist to discuss the situation. If that does not lead to a satisfactory resolution, please contact the DRE. All parishioners have the right to final recourse from the pastor of the parish. Curriculum Textbooks Church of the Blessed Sacrament parish follows the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana s guidelines. Textbooks and other materials used in the classrooms are in conformity with the teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and have been selected to most closely match the Diocesan Curriculum. They have also been chosen because they offer catechists the resources necessary to conduct classes, which include all the elements of the ministry of catechesis. Presently the materials used are: Kindergarten Blest Are We RCL Benziger 1st 8 th grade Finding God Loyola Press Pre-Confirmation Chosen Ascension Press High School Youth Group YOUCAT Ignatius Press Supplemental 2 nd grade God s Gift: Reconciliation Loyola Press God s Gift: Eucharist Loyola Press Supplemental SPRED Our Catholic Faith Sadlier Supplemental SPRED Adaptive Sacrament Kits Loyola Press Supplemental RCIC Our Catholic Faith Sadlier 2

4 All of these texts have been evaluated and found acceptable by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Catechism of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. The texts are built on the four pillars of the Catholic Church: Creed, Sacraments, Commandments, and Prayer. General Curriculum This is a general overview of materials taught by grade level: Kindergarten: God Loves Us - God s Special Gifts 1 st grade: God is Good Salvation 2 nd grade: God Cares for Us Eucharist & Reconciliation 3 rd grade: We Believe The Catholic Faith 4 th grade: God Guides Us The Ten Commandments/Beatitudes 5 th grade: We Worship The Liturgy of the Mass 6 th grade: God Calls a People The Old Testament 7 th grade: Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life Jesus Christ 8 th grade: The Church Then and Now The Holy Spirit/The Church Pre-Confirmation: is a one-year high school theology class designed for young Catholics (grade 9 or older) who have not been Confirmed. The format for this course is classroom style learning with small group discussions and activities. The curriculum is an overview of Catholic theology, morality, and life in the Church. High School Youth Group: is a theology class and faith-sharing group designed for Confirmed students in grades and those attending Confirmation prep sessions. The format of this class is primarily large group discussion, prayer and activities. The curriculum is an in-depth study of Catholic theology, morality and social justice based on Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (YOUCAT), and the works and writings of the Saints and Popes. Discussions focus on how we can live these truths in our daily lives. Special Religious Education (SPRED): Knowledge of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, overview of Sacraments, life of Christ, Mary, the commandments, Saints, and living a Christian life. Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC): Our Catholic Faith an overview of Catholic beliefs and practices with emphasis on preparation for the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and Holy Eucharist. Prayers The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana has created a schedule for teaching prayers in our religious education program. Catechists will introduce the prayers indicated for their students grade level. Students are expected to work on the prayers at home. They are not required to be memorized in order to progress to the next grade level; however, we strongly encourage families to make them a part of their daily prayer life. Each child will receive a copy of Catholic prayers and general Catholic knowledge early in the school year. Protecting God s Children The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People guidelines in This charter calls for Catholic schools and religious education programs in each parish to implement age appropriate training programs for children and young people pertaining to personal safety. This includes information about improper touching and developing positive, healthy relationships. Our diocese s Protecting God s Children (PGC) safe environment curriculum is designed to address the instructional content envisioned by the USCCB Charter. The curriculum promotes the dignity of the human person, personal safety, and the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. The K-12 th grade students at Blessed Sacrament will be receiving age-appropriate PGC instruction during religious education class time. Parents will be informed of the date and content of this instruction for each of their children. We highly recommend this instruction for each of our Blessed Sacrament students. However, parents may withdraw their child from participating by completing an opt-out form which will be provided to them. 3

5 Sacraments Baptism Families with children who were not baptized at our parish are requested to bring a copy of their child s baptismal certificate, along with any other sacramental records, when they initially enroll their child in the program. Children under the age of 7 who have not been baptized will be accepted into the program provided the family has the child baptized as soon as possible. Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) RCIC is intended for children who have not yet received the Sacraments of Baptism and/or First Holy Communion. We welcome children in grades 3-12 into our RCIC program. Students will attend their grade level class on Sundays following the regular RE calendar. In addition, students will attend Wednesday evening sessions for sacramental preparation. Guided in instruction and faith sharing, they will receive the Sacraments of Baptism and/or First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass. The students will also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at an appropriate time. More information will be distributed to families of RCIC students in late August. Sacramental Guidelines With the exception of RCIC students, it is a diocesan policy that a child must attend religious education classes for a full year prior to the sacramental preparation year. This is very important to ensure that the students are well-prepared to receive the sacrament. These new guidelines came into effect on August 1, Sacramental Preparation The parish follows the diocesan policies for Sacramental preparation. Children are prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the fall semester of second grade. The preparation involves two parent meetings, a retreat day, catechesis at home, along with classroom preparation as found in the regular classroom text. Students are prepared for First Holy Communion during the spring semester of second grade. The preparation involves two parent meetings, a retreat day, catechesis at home along with regular classroom instruction. Parents of students eligible to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion will receive a mailing with more information in early fall. Preparation for Confirmation is offered for students in grades 10 and up. This preparation, which takes place in the fall, includes on-going attendance at Sunday religious education classes, 4 afternoon Confirmation preparation sessions, one full-day retreat, one parent session, and one sponsor session. The next celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation with our bishop will be in the fall of Students must have attended religious education classes for one full year prior to their Confirmation preparation. Parents of students eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will receive more information in early to mid-august. Religious Education Classes Class Schedule & Locations K-5 th grade and SPRED classes are held on Sunday mornings from 9:05-10:15 am th grade religious education classes meet on Sunday evenings from 6:00-7:30 pm. Each family will receive a calendar with class dates which run from mid-august to the end of April. 4

6 Arrival Parents are asked to bring their elementary students to their classroom at the start of class. Supervision will be provided for students only during the stated class times. The program is not responsible for supervising children arriving more than 10 minutes early to class. Dismissal Students will be dismissed from their respective classrooms. K-5 th grade and SPRED students must be dismissed to a parent, designated adult, or 6-12 th grade sibling. 6 th -12 th graders will be released from the classroom. No child is to be dismissed early without notice from the parent to the catechist or the DRE. Attendance Attendance at religious education classes is extremely important! There are 28 class sessions each year, which is a very limited amount of time for our catechists to teach all that is required in the diocesan curriculum. Children who are enrolled in the parish religious education program are expected to be in attendance for each scheduled class session. If a child is to be absent, especially long-term, please contact the religious education office in advance. Attendance will be taken weekly for record-keeping purposes. If there is a special circumstance regarding your child s attendance, such as joint custody, please contact the religious education office. Parents in the classroom Parents are welcome to observe their child s classroom! The diocesan policy states that all adults who have contact with children must attend a Safe-Conduct Protocol In-service and have a background check every 5 years. (Training must occur at least five days prior to contact with children in any church setting). If you haven t already, please plan to attend a one-hour Safe- Conduct Protocol session held on the first Tuesday of each month from 12:00-1:00 pm or 5:30-6:30 pm. Sign-ups will be available beginning in September. We encourage you to share in your child s faith formation experience! Missed Classes and Homework Each class session builds on the material covered in preceding classes. Children who are absent miss a great deal and may have to make up the material covered in the missed class. This is especially true during Sacramental preparation years. Catechists may assign work for the children to do at home with the assistance of their parents. Parents are encouraged to ask their children about homework after each class period. Supplies Each child will receive a folder and a textbook. The folder will be taken home after each class with homework and/or completed assignments for parents to review and discuss. The textbook should remain in the classroom unless homework or makeup work is assigned. All other supplies, such as pencils, paper, markers, etc., are provided in each classroom. Snacks/food allergies Due to time restraints and severe food allergy precautions, students are not allowed to bring food into the classroom. Morning families, if you attend coffee and donuts after the 8:00 am Mass, please have your child finish his/her donut and drink prior to coming to class. Classes may celebrate parties twice a year during the last class of each semester. As an exception, food may be served at these parties. All catechists are aware of medical information provided on your child s registration form; however, it would be helpful for parents to remind the catechists. 5

7 Communication Folders At Blessed Sacrament, folders are as important as backpacks at school! Sign-up sheets and notes about upcoming events and communication with parents will be placed in this folder. Please check your child's folder after each class. Sharing in your child s faith formation is key to their understanding. Talk about RE with your child! Don t ask closed-ended questions such as How was class? or Did you have fun today? Instead ask What did you learn about Jesus today? or What did Mr./Mrs. share with you today?. Talk about what it means to be Catholic and how you can live that out as a family. E-communication Blessed Sacrament catechists and staff may also use to facilitate easier communication between parents, catechists, and staff. At no time will electronic communication be used directly with students. The parish website is also a great source of information. Progress Reports Progress reports are another form of communication between catechists and parents. They are not intended as a report card, as in school, but they are designed to help parents better understand their child s faith formation progress and behavior in religious education class. They are distributed twice a year, in December and April. Emergency Situations Cancellation of Classes Religious education may be canceled in case of inclement weather. To find out if classes are canceled, parents should watch for the scrolled cancellation listing on TV 18. Every effort will be made to parents if classes are cancelled. Even in severe weather, Mass will always be celebrated. Safety Procedures for Fires and Other Emergencies There are safety procedures posted in each classroom for fire and tornado emergencies. Catechists will instruct the students in these procedures the first week of class. In case of fire or a tornado, attendance will be taken after an emergency evacuation, and no child will be dismissed without their parent or guardian. There will be one emergency fire drill conducted each fall. Medications Children are not to bring medications with them to religious education classes without advance permission of the religious education director. It is the responsibility of parents to notify the religious education director immediately of any changes in allergies or dietary restrictions. Sickness Should a student become ill while in class, parents/guardians will be contacted according to the information provided on the student registration form. The religious education staff will do its best to keep the child comfortable until he/she is picked up. Medications will not be administered to the child. Injury Catechists are asked to report any injury to the religious education staff immediately. If an injury occurs, first aid will be administered in strict accordance with the Blood-borne Pathogens regulations of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, and the parents will be contacted. If an injury requires immediate medical attention, the religious education director will call the appropriate emergency services, followed by a call to the parents. A first aid kit is available in the religious education office. An incident report will be filed for any occurrence of injury. 6

8 Discipline Expectations Everyone involved in our program is challenged by the words and example of Jesus to respect each person s right to be treated not only with dignity and respect but also with love. In order to provide for a safe and well ordered program, in which students and catechists can learn to follow Jesus call to love, some rules for behavior are necessary. Students are expected by their behavior to make the classes safe and positive experiences for themselves and their classmates. The program exists for student growth and in turn students are expected to carry out the following responsibilities: 1. Show respect to catechists, other students and program personnel. 2. Treat the property, good name and physical safety of others with respect. 3. Be present only in the areas of the building for which they have permission. 4. Act in a safe manner in and around the building. 5. Use voice and display actions in a manner appropriate for a classroom. 6. Be respectful of the time of others. 7. Understand that the use of, or possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, weapons or tobacco is strictly prohibited. Such items will be seized and parents notified immediately. The child will be immediately removed from the environment. Good discipline is self-discipline and is always aimed toward growth. We recognize that children may make mistakes and the role of the catechist at times will be one of guiding and correcting those mistakes in a positive manner. These corrections should always be done with the best interest of the child in mind and at no time will Blessed Sacrament accept the demeaning or intimidation of children in the name of discipline. Disciplinary Process 1. At the time of the first correction, the student will be warned. 2. Students whose behavior becomes a continual problem (2 or more disruptions) in the classroom will be sent out of class to the DRE. Anytime a student is sent from class for disciplinary reasons their parent(s) will be contacted either by phone, in person, or in writing. 3. If the student s behavior continues to be a problem, the student will be removed from class and the parent(s) will be contacted again. In order to return to the classroom, the student and parent(s) will meet with the catechist and DRE to resolve the issues. At this time the parent(s) will be asked to sit in on the class for a few weeks to observe their child and his/her interaction with the catechist and other students. 4. As a last recourse, when a conflict between a student and catechist cannot be resolved, the parent(s) will be asked to finish the year at home with the child. The child will be treated as one who is being homeschooled, and the parish will follow the guidelines concerning homeschooling. 5. The child will be admitted into the program in the next calendar year with no prejudice. Child Abuse Prevention Our pastor and the Director of Religious Education are required by the Indiana Code and Diocesan Policy on Child Abuse to report suspected or actual child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. All other staff members of Blessed Sacrament, both paid and volunteer, are bound by the Indiana mandate to report and Christian conscience to report suspected or actual child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. All parish staff and volunteers have participated in an in-service training on child abuse identification and reporting procedures. 7