Sacred Heart Parish Office of Religious Education

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1 Sacred Heart Parish Office of Religious Education Religion classes for children from 3 years old through 8 th grade Dear Parents and Guardians, Sacred Heart Church is truly a family rich in relationships that matter most. In our Religious Education Program, we can grow, worship, learn, and reach out to each other in what is most important: the faith formation of our children! Faith begins in the home, and the catechists who work in our program are committed to helping our parent parishioners form their young children into the ways of Christ. If your children do not attend a Catholic school, we invite you to register them in our parish Religious Education Program. In order to sufficiently know their faith, children should complete eight years in a religious education program before moving into our high school Confirmation program. Children receive First Penance and Eucharist during 2 nd grade after two years of preparation. Though not required, pre-k and kindergarten classes are a terrific way for young children to begin learning about God and His love for us! We encourage you to read the materials contained in this packet and to seriously consider completing the registration forms for your children to attend Sacred Heart s Religious Education Program in : Please try to register early; it helps us to make preparations for next year. (Ordering books and materials, recruiting and training volunteers, etc.) There is a lower fee if registrations are received before June 30, Doing the best that we can to help our families, all fees have remained the same for next year! Much assistance is needed to create an excellent catechesis program. We are blessed to have enthusiastic volunteers who are dedicated to sharing their faith. Would you consider ministering to our children in religious education as a catechist or classroom assistant? Catechists are charged no fee for their children, and other volunteers receive a discounted fee. Working with children in religious education is extremely rewarding; you will receive much more than you give! (We offer a gathering at the end of August to go over the methods of teaching in our program.) If you feel uncertain about whether you feel capable enough to be a children s catechist, please give a call or send an to Sister Cecilia. Give us the joy of ministering to you and your children, and together we will help your children know of God s love. We are eager to hear from you and excited to share the marvelous way that God can work through us. Whether your children are attending the program for the first time or returning, we say... God bless you and your family, Welcome! S. Cecilia Cyford, SSJ Director of Religious Education

2 Sacred Heart Religious Education: Fees Thank you for helping to make our religious instruction program possible! The parish subsidizes more than half of the costs for religious education students, and the fee is a way to help the parish meet the expenses for the program. Those expenses include salaries, office equipment, postage, overhead for the classrooms, student supplies (books, publications, etc.), office supplies, dues for catechist training, speaker fees, the Archdiocesan "head tax" per student, priest stipends, and more. To help make it easier for more families participate, we again kept all fees the same for next year! Catechists and other adult volunteers with children in the program receive significant fee discounts. (See the chart below.) To qualify for this discount, volunteers are expected to provide regular weekly service during the school year. Please see our Volunteer Opportunities flyer (on the back page) for more details about discounts and ways for you to volunteer in the Religious Education program. No child will be denied a religious education due to financial hardship. If you need assistance, contact the Religious Education Office at or jment@shgparish.org. Please do not keep your children out of religion classes because of financial difficulties! See the nice discounts noted below for registrations returned before June 30, 2018! Note: if your child is going into high school, please contact the Youth Ministry office for the current fee for high school SOURCE classes, though the multi-child rates below will still apply for those with children in both the elementary and high school programs. Fee for registrations received Fee for registrations received BEFORE June 30, 2018: AFTER June 30, 2018: Total cost for 1 child = $90 Total cost for 1 child = $115 Total cost for 2 children = $120 Total cost for 2 children = $145 Total cost for 3 or more children = $140 Total cost for 3 or more children = $165 $50 is due at registration. $50 is due at registration. The balance is due by November 1. The balance is due by November 1. Payment in full can be made at any time. Payment in full can be made at any time. Volunteers total family cost: $ 0 for catechists (teachers) $50 for other volunteers Volunteers total family cost: $ 0 for catechists (teachers) $75 for other volunteers

3 Religious Education Program Descriptions Pre-School (age 3) through High School Traditional Religious Education classes for three-year-olds through 8 th grade are held beginning in September through the first week of May. These weekly classes are offered on Sunday and Monday (see below), and registration is required. Sundays 10:15 11:30 a.m. Pre-School (ages 3-4), Kindergarten, Grades 1-2 Sundays 12:00 1:15 p.m. Spanish: Grades K 4 and RCIC Mondays 7:00 8:15 p.m. Grades 3 through 8 and RCIC Sunday evenings SOURCE Grades 9 & 10 Sacrament Preparation Children usually receive the sacraments of reconciliation (penance) and Eucharist for the first time during 2 nd grade. Two years of preparation (1 st and 2 nd grade religion classes) are required. Each sacrament preparation includes two parent and child meetings. The preparation process is a cooperative one involving parents, children, and catechists. First Penance is celebrated during the Advent season, and First Communion is celebrated in April or May. If your child is in 3 rd grade or above and has not received one or more of the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, and Eucharist, he/she will be placed in the Children s Catechumenate (RCIC) program. These classes are held on Mondays from 7:00 8:15 p.m., and the sacrament preparation process is the same as described above. An RCIC class in Spanish is available on Sundays. Children usually receive the sacrament of confirmation during the 10 th grade. Two years of high school religious education classes ( SOURCE ) or attendance at a Catholic high school are required. Family-Home Study Program (FHS) The FHS program is for families who desire to take responsibility for teaching the religion lessons at home during the year. Grade-appropriate lessons are distributed in September. In order to foster a connection between the Religious Education Office and families, children and parents are expected to attend special monthly sessions (usually held on the 2 nd Wednesday from 7:00 8:15 p.m.). These sessions consist of a group prayer followed by a parent and child presentation and activity together with Sister Cecilia. If you do not feel that you can attend the monthly sessions, it is best to sign up for the regular weekly religion classes. Additional Note As an integral part of our faith formation curriculum, we will be teaching Catechesis for Family Life. This ageappropriate program about Christian living, chastity, character formation, and safe environment training promotes communication between you and your child. You are encouraged to review the program materials that the teacher/catechist will be using in the classroom. After examining the program, if you have any questions or concerns about your child participating in this program, please contact Sister Cecilia at Other Faith Activities for Children Children s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) Children three years old through 3rd grade are invited to participate year-round in the Children s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) during the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. After the opening prayer of Mass, the children are dismissed to an area where the Word of God is shared with them on an age-appropriate level. They return to their families in the main worship area after the priest s homily. No registration is required. Sunday Nursery Free nursery service is provided in a classroom during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass for children under three years old. Vacation Bible School (VBS) VBS is a fun, week-long summer religion program conducted during the last full week of June from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day for children ages three through 5 th grade. Program and registration information becomes available in April.

4 Sacred Heart Religious Education Volunteer Opportunities Volunteers are needed for all programs; please consider becoming involved with Religious Education! Put a check mark next to all of the positions and times that interest you. For volunteer fee discounts, regular weekly service is expected during our school year, which runs from mid-september until early May. Name: Phone #1: #2: #3: Important note: If you have a cell phone #, please CIRCLE it. You will receive Flocknote text alerts when we have class cancellations, etc. Address: City: State: Zip Code: Address: Catechists (Religion Teachers) Teacher volunteers are our biggest need! Would you consider ministering to our children each week by sharing your faith and teaching our Catholic beliefs? This is a very rewarding and important ministry for our parish. We will guide you and help you learn how to prepare the religion lessons and work with the children in class. If you have children in our religion program, there is no charge for your children if you serve as a catechist. Sunday 10:00 11:30 a.m. (Pre-K Grade 2) Monday 6:45 8:15 p.m. (Grades 3 8) Sunday 12:00 1:15 p.m. (in Spanish) What grade(s) do you prefer? If you can t commit on a weekly basis but would like to be a substitute or part-time catechist or could team up with someone as a co-catechist, please check here: Other Volunteer Positions If you have children in our religion program, your total discounted family fee will be $50 if you serve in one of these roles and register the children by June 30. The fee is $75 for registrations received after June 30. These positions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Classroom Assistant Sunday 10:15 11:30 a.m. (Pre-K Grade 2) Nursery (Babysitting) Sunday 10:15 11:30 a.m. What grade(s) do you prefer?

5 Sacred Heart Religious Education New Student Registration Student Information (Please print clearly as you complete all sections.) First Name: Last Name: School: Grade (in September): Learning Challenge(s): Medical Condition(s): Sacrament Information Boy: [ ] or Girl: [ ] Date of Birth: Baptism Date: Denomination (if non-catholic): Name of Baptism Church: (Please include city and state/country.) First Penance Date: First Eucharist Date: * If your child (3 rd grade and up) has not received the Sacrament of Baptism, Penance, and/or Eucharist, check here: Preferred Session and Program Sunday Morning: Pre-K (3 and 4-year-olds) 10:15 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Sunday Morning: Grades K, 1, and 2 10:15 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Monday Evening: Grades 3-8 7:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m. RCIC (Grades 3-8 needing sacraments) 7:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m. (Mondays) Family-Home Study Program Monthly gatherings Español: Grados K 4 y RCIC 12:00 mediodía 1:15 p.m. (Domingos) Sunday Evening: High School SOURCE Confirmation Program After the 5:00 p.m. Mass; grades 9-10 Usually done in grade 10 or 11 2 years of SOURCE/Catholic school required Parent/Guardian Information Parent/Guardian Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip Code: Phone #1: #2: #3: Important: If you have a cell phone #, please CIRCLE it. You will receive Flocknote text alerts when we have class cancellations, etc. Address: (Updates, announcements, and other information will be sent home by .) Can you volunteer weekly with the Religious Education program? Yes: (Volunteers receive discounts!) C Fee Enclosed: $ A $50 deposit is required when you register. If you need financial aid, please contact us. Thanks!