Pastor - Reverend Cadmus D. Mazzarella

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1 Pastor - Reverend Cadmus D. Mazzarella Co-Coordinator - Deacon Jim Hallman Co-Coordinator - Clare Lafferty Religious Education Office reled@olopp.org Website: Parish Center - 32 Carroll Avenue Williamstown, NJ Parish website:

2 Welcome Parents A new year is upon us and we are back with more enthusiasm than ever. Yes, a new year where we are dedicated to helping your children understand the fruits of our Catholic faith. For this to become a reality, we need your help. For these children to grow closer to God they must witness and experience the formation of these fruits from their parents and guardians. You are their role models, setting the example for them to follow by building that solid foundation that is much needed in today s world. I like to think of all us a team - the catechist, you, the parent and your child - focusing on a single purpose of teaching our children what matters most in life - their journey to heaven. There is no better way than for a family to share special moments by praying and receiving the sacraments and attending weekly Mass together. The reward will be eternal. We invite you to please take the time to read this handbook and just as importantly, to introduce yourself to your child s teacher. They are extremely dedicated and committed in serving the needs of your children as are our aides, hall monitors and coordinators. This handbook will inform you of our policies and procedures as well as highlighting some of the extraordinary events we have planned for this year. Use it as a guide for things to come, a resource tool to prepare your child for class, and an informative book to learn more about our great parish. As you journey with your child this year, may God send you his blessings and guide you always. Fr. Mazz, Pastor Deacon Jim Hallman, Co-Coordinator of Religious Education Mission Statement The Religious Education program at Our Lady of Peace Parish is devoted to the teachings of God s Word and that of the Universal Church placing itself under the protection of our Blessed Mother. It shares with parents and guardians of our children the values of living a God centered life by preparing them in receiving the Sacraments with complete respect, reverence and love for our Lord. We help our children to recognize the importance of developing a close relationship with Jesus through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the true meaning of sharing this love with all of God s people. This Guidebook is written for the Parish students enrolled in a public education school program and their parents/guardians. You will receive notice of any changes to the content of this Parent Guidebook, as well as other information pertaining to our Religious Education through , social media and text alerts. Changes to this Guidebook may occur at any time.

3 Program Registration Family registration in a Catholic Parish is needed before a student s religious education registration can be processed. All children must register annually. A Baptismal Certificate is required for first time registrations unless baptized at OLOPP or previously submitted. A copy of the original certificate received at the time of baptism is acceptable. If this is not available, a copy from the church where the child was baptized needs to be received. Any allergies, medical issues, or special needs must be listed on the registration form at the time of registration. This information will be kept in the strictest confidence possible. Family Information Current contact information with the parish for all family members is necessary. Please contact the parish offices ASAP with any changes of contact persons, residences, addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contact information. Our office uses and the REMIND app as the primary tools for communicating. Children will be placed in the grade that they are enrolled regular school, unless there has been gap in their religious instruction. If a circumstance should arise in which a student must be changed from one class to another, a written request by the parent/guardian must be sent to the Director of Religious Education. Session Schedule The Religious Education school year begins in September and closes in May. Classes will meet once a week in St. Mary s School. Class Sessions are assigned after registration is submitted on a first-come basis. Preferences will be granted as seats remain available. You will receive an of your children s class assignment. Religious Education sessions are: Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Sunday 9:00-10:00 AM or 10:30AM - 11:30AM Grades 2nd 8th Monday 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM Tuesday 6:15PM - 7:30 PM Thursday 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM Tuition Tuition is due at the time of registration and has not increased in years. One child: $150. Two children: $200, for both. Three children: $250, or more children, for all. If your child is entering 8th grade, there is a Confirmation Fee of $17 and checks must be made out to Our Lady of Peace Parish. *Parents who are experiencing severe financial issues are advised to arrange a payment schedule by contacting the Religious Education office by reled@olopp.org. An inability to pay should not be a reason for a child to miss Religious Education. Volunteers will receive tuition credit for the cost of one student when the semester has been completed. Volunteers must be present at least 75% of class sessions to be eligible for credit.

4 Attendance Parents are strongly encouraged to have their student attend every scheduled class during the year. Absences should be reported to the student s catechist via noting the nature of the absence. An excessive amount of absences may require additional class time/assignments to indicate readiness for the next grade level. Parents are expected to review the information discussed during the student s absence Late arrivals must report to the office before going to their classroom. In cases of joint custody, each parent needs to be aware that it is the responsibility of the Catholic parent (or the parent that has majority of custody) to assure that the other parent is informed of all assignments and responsibilities of the student. For serious reasons, parents may request an early dismissal for their student. In these instances, a parent/guardian must fill out a form in office before class. For the safety of our children, no one will be permitted to leave early without a form stating the time of early dismissal and who will receive the student. Parents arriving for an early dismissal are to come to the religious education office located in the H.O.T. Program room. A staff member will retrieve the student from class. Because our class time is short and valuable, class should not be interrupted for non-serious early dismissals. (Sports, dance and similar activities are not valid reasons for early dismissal or absence. Late arrivals & early dismissals impede the catechesis of your students and their classmates.) Arrival and Departure Before and after classes, drivers may not stop/park along the curb line along the school or Church to drop off and or pick up students. Parents/guardian must park in a designated parking space. The speed limit of our parking lot is 5 MPH at all times. Parents/guardians of children in 1st- 3rd grades must escort their child to and from class and sign them in and out. Older student siblings are not permitted to retrieve and sign out students in younger grade. For safety concerns, doors will be locked 5 minutes after session starting time, and unlocked 5 minutes before dismissal. Doors are monitored during locked times. Textbooks, Supplies and Assignments Textbooks are provided for students in all grades and are required for every class. Parents must ensure that books are brought to class each week. If for any reason a book is lost, destroyed or becomes unusable the student must purchase another copy of the book at the cost of $ Assignments missed for any reason, including absence, lateness or early dismissal must be complete for the next class. Students are expected and required to have either a pen or pencil. Crayons, glue and other art materials will be provided for the students.

5 Dress Code Students are not permitted to wear clothing that is inappropriate for class instruction in a Catholic environment: No revealing garments. No articles of clothing with inappropriate sayings or images. No hats or hoods. No cleats are permitted in the school. No tank tops, sleeveless jerseys and spaghetti straps The Religious Education program has adopted the Monroe Township Board of Education Dress Code for Williamstown schools Shirts, dresses and tops must cover the shoulders completely. Tank tops, sleeveless jerseys and spaghetti straps are not acceptable attire. Shorts, skirts, dresses must reach the mid-thigh. Pajamas/sleepwear is not permitted. See-through clothing is not permitted. Any articles of clothing left behind will be held in the office for a period of 2 weeks. It is advisable to have the child s name on articles of clothing. Please call the office as soon as possible at when losses occur. Student Behavior While our catechists and other staff members are volunteers they deserve the same level of respect and good behavior as any would other teacher or authority figure. A disruptive student affects the entire class of students, abuses valuable time and lessens the ability to achieve the expectation and goal of teaching the faith of the Church. The same code of conduct of the Public School system is expected to be followed by every student, when engaged in religious education classes. It is the standard of behavior expected at all times when on the Parish campus, or when involved in any activities no matter of location. Violation of any point of the code will be remedied by disciplinary action. 1st offense: will have the catechist speak privately with the student. 2nd offense: the catechist will inform the DRE/CRE and we will contact the parent. 3rd offense the DRE/CRE, catechist, parents and child will have a conference about the situation.

6 In the rare event that a child is removed from a classroom, the student will be escorted to the office and the parents will be called to pick up the student. If together we cannot come to a point where the student will improve their behavior, the DRE has the right to help the parents arrange for Religious Education outside of a classroom. If the unacceptable behavior becomes chronic, the child will be dismissed from the Program with a forfeiture of tuition paid. Cell Phones and Devices Phones will be taken by the teacher and returned at the end of the class session. Staff members will exercise their responsibility to use communication devices in the case of an emergency. Classrooms Religious Education shares the educational space of St. Mary s School to conduct our program. Students are required to treat all campus property, but especially the school building, grounds and classrooms with respect and care. Any school or personal items that are damaged or removed from classrooms or desk will be the parent/guardian responsibility to repair or replace such items. Closing Dates/Inclement Weather The Religious Education program follows the calendar for the Monroe Township Public Schools. If the schools are closed for any reason (holiday, inclement weather), there are no classes. For inclement weather, the information will be posted to the website as soon as the decision is made. A text alert through the Remind app will go out immediately upon a decision. In addition, please listen to KYW 1060AM Radio. Communication Methods The Remind app is our primary tool for messaging. Instructions for signing up for Remind are on the religious education website. Please check your often. We also have a Facebook page (group) Our Lady of Peace Parish Religious Education. Announcements are also included in the Sunday Church Bulletin. Catechists and Volunteers Our volunteer catechists are fellow parishioners who give their time for the desire to pass it on to the next generation. We ask that you support their efforts by reinforcing your children s cooperation, positive attitude and respect of our volunteer catechists and staff. Please introduce yourself to your catechist and stay in contact throughout the year. Consider joining our staff. We ask you to consider joining our program as a classroom teacher, aide, substitute teacher, or hall monitor. Anyone who is interested in teaching, substituting, being an aide or hall monitor is welcome to contact the Religious Education for further details at any time during the year or reled@olopp.org

7 Sacramental Mandates According to Canon Law and Diocesan Policy, sacraments are to be received at the parish where the family is officially and formally registered. Therefore, a family who has a child in a sacramental year and wants to have the sacraments received at Our Lady of Peace Parish must be registered in our parish. Permission to have sacraments received elsewhere must be obtained by the pastors of each parish, i.e., the parish of registration and the parish in which the family is requesting to receive the sacrament. Likewise, to attend an alternate Religious Education program, permission from both Pastors is required. First Reconciliation (2 nd Grade) After Baptism, the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, i.e. Penance or Confession, is a prerequisite for receiving the other sacraments of full initiation of the Church. Parental attendance is required at the Parent Pre-Sacramental Programs given for the reception of this sacrament. First Holy Communion (2 nd Grade) The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life, as noted in the Catechism of the Church. Parental attendance is required at the Parent Pre-Sacramental Programs given for the reception of this sacrament. Weekly Mass participation aids the Religious Education process for all of these major events in their faith journey. Information about Reconciliation and Holy Communion and the requirements will be posted to the religious education website under the 2nd Grade Sacramental Tab. Confirmation (8 th Grade) The reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation only completes full initiation into the Church, but not an end to the student s faith journey. Parental attendance is required at the Parent Pre-Sacramental Programs given for the reception of this sacrament. Weekly Mass participation aids the Religious Education process for all of these major events in their faith journey. Information about Confirmation and the requirements will be posted to the religious education website under the 8 th Grade Sacramental Tab.

8 Our Lady of Peace Parish Mass and Confession Schedule Mass Schedule - Saturday 4:00 PM Sunday 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM and 12:00 noon Sunday Evening 6:00pm Reconciliation/Penance - Saturday 10:30AM 11:30AM and 3:00PM 3:45P If there are any other questions or concerns please contact the following: Co-Coordinator of Religious Education - Deacon James Hallman deaconjim@olopp.org Ext 22 Co-Coordinator of Religious Education - Clare Lafferty clafferty@olopp.org Ext 24 Religious Education Office reled@olopp.org Website: