RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE: 361-0940
OFFICE HOURS
Monday
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wednesday Noon - 9:00 pm (Religious Ed Classes)
Thursday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
2011-12
GOAL
To help the youth of All Saints Parish develop Catholic Christian attitudes in daily living
through our own witness of love and compassion:
TO TEACH AS JESUS DID
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THIS PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CHRISTIANITY IS A WAY OF LIFE TO BE LIVED ACCORDING TO THE BODY OF TRUTHS, WHICH ARE LEARNED, UNDERSTOOD, ACCEPTED AND PRACTICED OUT OF LOVE FOR GOD, OTHERS AND SELF.
The saying is: Religion is caught easier than it is taught.
Good example given by parents, especially assisting at Mass
on Sundays or Saturday evenings, morning, evening, and meal
prayers, receiving the sacrament of Penance, and a positive
attitude toward the Catholic Faith are of great
significance. Children look up to their parents and trust
they will not let them down. All families in the
program are highly encouraged to be active Catholics.
REGISTRATION AND FEES
All students are required to register. Registration forms
for next year will be sent home with students on May 2,
2012. Forms will also be available in the gathering space at
church and online after May 2, 2012. Announcements will also
be made in the church bulletin.
Fees are listed on the registration form. Plans for payment
of fees will be made at the time of registration. All fees
must be paid by the end of December of the current school
year. Fees cover the cost of all materials.
ELEMENTARY PROGRAM – Grades K - 8
Kindergarten
Story of God’s Love textbook offers scripture,
contemporary stories, activities, prayers and music designed to
sow the Seed of Faith.
Grades 1-8
Faith First Program
The Faith First Legacy Edition Parish was awarded the 2007 first
place for Best Educational Books by the Catholic Press
Association. Faith First Legacy Edition earned first
place honors for its spiral approach, well-written text,
eye-pleasing graphics, and ease of use, additional resources,
and online support. Faith First Legacy Edition offers the most
comprehensive and effective spiral method available.
Every year on
every grade level:
- Doctrinal lessons on all four pillars of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church develop each
topic more deeply and age appropriately
- In-depth Scripture study encourages reading the
Bible and understanding its meaning for
today
- Seasonal material for every week of Advent,
Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost
connects catechesis and the liturgical life of the parish
Grades 1-6
Each lesson includes the following sections:
Chapter Opener
Each chapter begins with a prayer and a discussion question to
help assess the children’s prior knowledge of the topic.
Faith Focus
Prepares children for learning key lesson concepts
Faith Words
Builds religious literacy with core Catholic vocabulary
Faith-Filled People
Introduces children to saints and other people of faith in every
chapter
Our Church Makes a Difference
Each chapter strengthens a Catholic identity by demonstrating
how the Church impacts the world and how Catholics put faith
into action
What Difference Does Faith Make in My Life?
At the heart of every lesson, children are asked to reflect on
what faith means to them. Using a variety of activities, young
people apply what they have learned to their everyday lives and
make a commitment to live their faith
With My Family
This inviting page in every chapter engages the whole family in
sharing faith
- Sharing God’s Word - Encourages families to
read and share Scripture
- Praying - Helps make prayer a normal part of
family life
- Making a Difference - Suggests activities that
ask families to respond to God and to act on
their faith.
Grade 7
Grade 7 studies the following topics:
Church Sacraments, Mystery of God, first half of Jesus in the
New Testament
Grade 8
Grade 8 studies the following topics:
Church History, Morality Life in Christ, second half of Jesus in
the New Testament
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM – Grades 9 – 10
The weekly SPIRIT issues bring the Sunday gospels of the
Church’s liturgical year into dialog with young people.
Every issue invites teens to pray, question, think, and
share about what Jesus’ message asks of them in their lives
and in our world. Encourage your teens to visit the
Spirit4Teens.com blog to connect their life and faith.
In its regular OUR CATHOLIC FAITH back-page feature,
SPIRIT presents Catholic tradition and doctrine specially written
for young people. These features help teens’ faith
development keep pace with their brain, body, and
self-development.
SPIRIT builds a habit in teens of reflecting on the gospels,
engaging young people in the first six building blocks for
curriculum in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops 2008
guidelines, and is a great resource for any Catholic
religious education program.
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM – Grades 11 - 12
The immediate preparation for Confirmation begins in Grade
11 and continues into the fall of Grade 12. Classes are held
once a month on Sunday mornings. Sessions include Catholic
doctrine, guest speakers, and/or question and answer
periods. Mass is part of the class. Each candidate chooses a
sponsor by the second session and works with him/her during
the year until Confirmation. Specifics are sent in a letter
to the parents regarding times, sponsors, and retreats.
HOMEWORK
Homework is an important part of the program because it
enables the parents to be involved in religious education.
Each student should spend at least 20-30 minutes a week on
religion homework. In addition to the assigned work – or if
no specific work is assigned – students should work on
memorizing the prayers assigned to each grade level. Praying
as a family is also part of the homework.
PARENT INFORMATION
No student will be advanced to the next grade in REP if
he/she does not advance in the public school. This is a
safeguard to avoid frustration due to the inability to
handle reading the text and other materials, as well as
understand concepts presented.
In Grade 2, the parents are closely involved in the
preparation of their children for the sacraments of Penance
and Holy Eucharist. Both parents are expected to attend the
scheduled meetings. The dates, times and places are listed
on the calendar.
A class on Safe Environment is taught at each grade level K
– 10. Parents will be informed when the class for each grade
level will be taught. More information can be obtained by
contacting the DRE.
HOME STUDY
Home study is highly discouraged, but exceptions can be
made. Contact the DRE with questions. The Catholic Church
believes that we are a community and by going to classes we
grow in faith as a community.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
All Saints Religious Education Program is a Catholic
institution. Christ-like behavior is expected of all
participants. In order to insure an atmosphere conducive to
beneficial learning, the following are part of All Saints
Religious Education Program.
Attendance is very important for the continuous growth and
the continuity of class experience. In case of illness or
any other legitimate excuse, the parents are to help their
child/children review the lesson missed. If an absence is
known of in advance, notify the teacher by a note as soon as
possible.
It is the aim of the program that students develop a
positive attitude toward religious education and the church
in general. Parents can help much by instilling this in
their child/children. This includes attending Mass on
weekends.
Cell phone or other electronic devices are not allowed in
class. Phones are available for the students to call home,
so it is not necessary to bring a cell phone to class. If
students bring them to class, they must leave them with the
teacher during class and pick them up after class. This is
mandatory.
Each student is expected to be cooperative during class.
Discipline problems cannot be permitted to reoccur if
meaningful learning is to take place. Specific problems will
be first handled in class and then referred to the DRE. If
no improvement occurs, the student’s parents will be called
for a conference. At the conference, measures will be
discussed to correct the misbehavior. Parents may be asked
to come to class and stay with their child to improve
behavior.
The dress code for Religious Ed is the same as that of the
public school. However, special “dress up” days at the
public school are not to be observed in religion classes. No
caps or hats are to be worn in the building – girls and
boys. No shirt with rude, crude, or inappropriate sayings,
pants are to be at the waist and not hanging at the hips and
no bare midriffs are allowed in class. If students come from
sports practice, they should not come in the practice
attire, but must observe the dress code.
When students arrive, they are to go directly to their
classroom. Walking from Clay Lamberton is not allowed for
Grades K-5 because of the time element and safety factor.
All may either take the bus provided for the Religious Ed
students or get a ride from a parent. Bikes and skateboards
are not to be brought to class. Since the students are not
supervised outside before class, it is important they go
directly into the building. After classes, all are to wait
quietly on the sidewalk for their rides. To insure safety
and because Franklin Street is a busy street, children are
to be picked up on Grove Street only or SW Ceresco Street
only. Students will be asked to wait in front of the
building on Grove Street. No one will be allowed to walk to
Franklin Street or wait in front or around the front of the
church. Your cooperation in this matter will be deeply
appreciated. It is a safety factor.
In conjunction with the guidelines set in the public school,
no gum, candy, soda or sweets will be allowed in the
classrooms. Grades K – 5 will get a milk and cracker snack
when they arrive which is provided. No other food should be
brought in. It is hard to handle a situation when children
bring all kinds of goodies and pass them around. If any
treat, such as a birthday or holiday are brought to class
they must be a healthy one, enough for each student and be
cleared with the teacher before class. The teacher will
determine when and how it will be shared.
If for a valid reason a student must leave class early or
arrive late, a note or phone call from a parent or guardian
is to be made to the DRE. Students are expected to be on
time so classes can run smoothly without disturbances caused
by students arriving late. No student will be dismissed
early without a written note from a parent or guardian. All
early dismissals are to be cleared with the DRE.
Announcements pertinent to Religious Ed are made weekly in
All Saints Parish Bulletin. Please make sure you get one
each week. Notes are sent home with the students as needed.
Announcements of cancellations due to inclement weather will
be made on the local radio station (WISS). The policy for
inclement weather is, if the day school closes or dismisses
early because of bad weather, Religious Ed classes will also
be canceled. Should any changes occur in the current
Religious Ed schedule, a note will be sent home and/or a
notice will be printed in the parish bulletin.
Parents are encouraged to communicate any comments,
questions, suggestions, or complaints concerning the
Religious Ed classes with the DRE as well as the teachers.
All parents are welcome to come and attend any of the
classes with their children. Contact the DRE to let her know
you are in the building. Your cooperation is deeply
appreciated and it is only with the help of parents that the
program will continue to make progress.
CALENDAR
2011-12
GRADES K - 12
All classes in Grades K-10 are held at St. Michael hall and All
Saints Catholic School which also serves as All Saints Religious
Education Center. Classes for Grades 11 and 12 are held at All
Saints Catholic School and the meeting room at church.
Grade K – 5
meet on Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Grades 6 – 8
meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Grades 9 – 10
meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 – 8:30 PM
September 14, 21, 28
October 5,12,19,26
November 2, 9, 16, 30
December 7, 14,
January 4, 11, 18, 25
February 1, 8, 15, 29
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25,
May 2, 9 (Last class)
Note: No Classes November 23, December 21 and 28, February 22,
April 4
Grade 11
First Semester
meets on Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM at All Saints Catholic
School, attends 10:00 am Mass in a body at Church and is
dismissed after Mass
September 11, 25
October 9, 23
November 6, 13
Second Semester
meets on Wednesday evenings at All Saints Catholic Church -TBA
Grade 12
First Semester
meets on Wednesday evenings at All Saints Catholic Church 6:30 -
8:00 PM
September 14, 28
October 12, 26
November 2, 16
December 11
Second Semester
meets on Sunday mornings at 8:00 am at All Saints Catholic
School, attends 10:00 am Mass in a body at Church and is
dismissed after Mass
January 8, 22
February 5
Communal Penance Service -
December 14
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT DATES
Grade 2 – First Penance and First Eucharist
November 15 - General Meeting for parents – 6:30 PM – St.
Michael Hall
December 3 - Reception of the Sacrament of
First Penance – parents and students – 9:00 AM
Dates to be announced:
First Eucharist Meeting for parents and students
Jesus Day for students only
Reception of the Sacrament of First Eucharist
May Crowning
Additional information on all these events will be given as the event draws near.
