2015-2016 Religious Education Handbook Religious Education Office 24040 Raphael Farmington, MI 48336 248-474-6480 www.olsorrows.com
Dear Religious Education Families, Welcome to the 2015-2016 catechetical school year at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish! We are grateful that you have chosen to have your children participate in our Religious Education program. To raise children who delight in knowing, loving, and serving Jesus we must work together in partnership. As parents, you have been entrusted with a special role and responsibility in forming your children in the Catholic faith. The Bishops of the United States remind us that parents are the primary educators of their children. Child psychologists say that parental role modeling is the most impressionable modeling a child has. You give tangible witness to the faith and practical example in the home. Besides your good example however, we need to depend on you for some very specific educational support. First and foremost, attending Mass each week as a family is key to your child s formation and yours. Making this a priority is vital. In addition, we ask you to have ongoing discussion with your child about the prayers, terms, and religious concepts taught in your child s religious education classes throughout the year. Our wonderful catechists will help your children grow in knowledge and in a deeper relationship with Jesus. They will use their gifts of faith, hope, and love to nourish the seeds of faith in their students. We encourage your children to attend classes regularly and to participate in their faith formation classes to the best of their abilities to help these seeds flourish. In an effort to strengthen your understanding of our Religious Education program, we encourage you to carefully review this parent handbook and become familiar with the prayers, terms, and religious concepts. This material correlates with the children s curriculum and will be reinforced during their class time. May the Holy Spirit guide us throughout the year and help us to understand and appreciate God s immense love for us. Sincerely, Rev. Mark S. Brauer Pastor Laura Spencer Director Religious Education
Religious Education Vision Statement We recognize that to build intentional disciples and people of great faith we must provide strong catechesis through creative programing in an environment that models the love of Jesus Christ. We understand that faith, like a flower, needs to be nurtured from seedling to full maturity through education and instruction in sacred church teaching and the scriptures, regular Mass participation, and receiving the sacramental gifts of the Catholic Church. We recognize the importance of prayer and the role it plays in developing a committed Christ-centered relationship. We acknowledge the gifts of the Holy Spirit to actively guide and form us as disciples. We strive to support the efforts of parents as primary catechists of their children. We seek to instil a love of Jesus Christ and his teachings and an appreciation for the Community of Saints
Our Lady of Sorrows Religious Education General Information STAFF Mrs. Laura Spencer... Director of Religious Education Miss Sue Siemiesz... Administrative Assistant Ms. Grace Papa... Religious Education Consultant MAIN OFFICE NUMBER (248) 474-6480 OFFICE HOURS School Year Monday... 8:30 am 7:30 pm Tuesday Friday... 8:30 am 4:30 pm OFFICE HOURS Summer Monday - Thursday... 7:00 am 3:00 pm CLASS TIMES all Classes on MONDAY Grades 1-8... 5:30 pm 6:45 pm CLASS LOCATION Our Lady of Sorrows School 24040 Raphael Farmington, MI 48336 PARISH WEBSITE www.olsorrows.com
2015-16 Program Calendar Date Week Date Week 09/14/15 1 01/11/16 15 09/21/15 2 01/18/16 No Class MLK Day 09/28/15 3 01/25/16 16 10/05/15 4 Family Mass 02/01/16 17 10/12/15 5 02/08/16 18 10/19/15 6 Safety Drill 02/15/16 No Class Winter Break 10/26/15 7 02/22/16 19 11/02/15 No Class Elec on Day (Catechist For 02/29/16 20 11/09/15 8 Back up Safety Drill 03/07/16 21 11/16/15 9 03/14/16 22 11/23/15 10 03/21/16 23 11/30/15 11 03/28/16 No Class Easter Break (OLS) 12/07/15 12 04/04/16 No Class Easter Break (FPS) 12/14/15 13 04/11/16 24 12/21/15 No Class Christmas Break 04/18/16 25 12/28/15 No Class Christmas Break 04/25/16 26 01/04/16 14 Catechist Roster Grade Class Catechist 1a 102 Jennifer Kennedy 1b 103 Lynda O'Donnell 2a 106 Michelle Evangelista 2b 107 Grace Papa 3a 109 Pam Cullen 3b 110 Ellen McCarthy 4a 111 Jennifer Exline / Lorraine Furtado 4b 113 Marianne Weiss 5a 215 Katie Dimmer 5b 217 Lori O'Neil 6a 216 Theresa Wisk 7a 219 Nick Garry - Boys 7b 221 Sarah Walker - Girls 8a 220 Dorothy Phillips - Boys 8b 222 Mari-Kay Haubert - Girls
Office of Religious Education 24040 Raphael St. Farmington MI 48336 (248) 474-6480 2015-16 Policy and Procedures for Our Lady of Sorrows Religious Education Program To ensure the safety of all students, they are to be dropped off at the designated drop off site in the front of the school exiting only the right doors of the vehicle. Grade 1 and 2 students need to be personally escorted into the building. Grades 3 and above enter at the main school entrance. Hall monitors and safety coordinators will assist in this effort. At dismissal, students in Grades 1 and 2 are to be picked up at their classroom. Siblings in grade 3-8 will be escorted to the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. All other students will meet in the Cafeteria and be dismissed by family number. **Please see parking lot schema in the student take home folder.** After 7:00 pm any remaining students will be escorted into the Cafeteria with staff. Parents must park and come in the cafeteria to pick up their student(s). If you need to come to the Religious Education Office before or after classes you are asked to park 3 rows back from the designated drop off/pick up zone and personally escort your child into or out of the building using the sidewalks in front of the Parish Center before entering the parking lot to your car. We ask your full cooperation in adhering to this drop off and pick up policy. Attendance: Catechists will be taking attendance at the beginning of each class. If you know that your child will be absent please call the RE office at (248) 474-6480 as soon as possible. Archdiocesan and sacramental preparation requirements allow for a maximum of five class absences. Attendance helps ensure the students comprehension of the material. If an emergency situation arises and you must pick up your child early, please stop in the Religious Education Office and we will have a hall monitor escort your child to the office.
Weekly Mass Attendance: As partners in the faith formation of your child(ren) we strongly encourage weekly Mass attendance with your family. The success of our efforts hinges on your partnership. Your children need to have their faith formation experiences come alive as they regularly participate by attending Mass and receiving the sacraments of our faith. In case of Illness: If your child becomes ill during class, we will notify the parent using the telephone number(s) provided on the child s registration form. Homework/Textbooks: Be sure to ask your child about their Religious Education lessons and engage them in conversation about what they are learning. Students may have take-home assignments to complete. Students must bring their blue take home folders each week. Folders and their bible should be brought to class each week. Our current curriculum is Harcourt s Call to Faith thematic series for grades 1-8. The interactive website supporting this curriculum is available free of charge at www.harcourtreligion. Emergency Closings: On a rare occasion it may be necessary to cancel classes due to inclement weather. If this is the case, an e-mail will be sent to all families and signs will be posted on the front doors of the building. Please make sure your most current email address(es) are on file in the Religious Education Office. Electronic Devices: Students should leave at home all electronic devices ie: cell phones, I-Pods, electronic games or any other such device. If the student is found using such a device while at Religious Ed it will be confiscated and returned upon dismissal. Non-disclosure Policy: Under this policy we require information be disclosed to us concerning medication, allergies and any other situations that the DRE and Catechist should be made aware of to ensure the health and well-being of your child while attending the Religious Education program. We appreciate your ongoing cooperation in this matter. Discipline Policy: While the rights and integrity of each individual in the program is of primary importance, we must also respect the rights and integrity of the whole class. In the event that a student chooses inappropriate behavior and/or language the policy is: 1) The catechist will discuss and take action for the inappropriate behavior of the student. 2) The catechist will refer the student to the DRE if the behavior continues to be disruptive in class. 3) The DRE will call the parent if the behavior remains inappropriate. 4) Fire arms, illegal substance items or Violence of any kind. In keeping with school policy of Zero tolerance for any use of drugs, alcohol, violence or illegal threats and fire arms including any firecrackers, cap guns, Beebe guns, switchblades or jackknives, immediate action will be taken. The child will be removed from class and a parent will be called to take their child home. A meeting will then be called with the DRE, Pastor and the parents to determine expulsion or suspension.
Rights of Non-custodial Parents: The parish RE program at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish follows the provision of the Buckley amendment with respect to non-custodial parents. In absence of a court order to the contrary, we will provide the non-custodial parent with unofficial copies of records. It is the responsibility of the non-custodial parent to provide in writing mailing instructions for any information concerning dates and program happenings. If there is a court order specifying that there is to be no information given, it is the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide the DRE with an official copy of the court order. Joint Custody Situation: It is the policy of this office to allow both parents to make the decision regarding their child s Religious Education. Please make sure that any decisions regarding dates, announcements, notes are shared among each other and that we are made aware of who and with whom your child will be with on a certain day.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CURRICULUM The Religious Education program uses catechetical materials published by Our Sunday Visitor. Call to Faith is a K-6 comprehensive religion program. It provides a solid foundation of Scripture and Tradition, a rich diversity of prayer, and a developmental sequence of activities. Call to Faith draws on the following sources of Catholic wisdom and experience: Scripture: The treasure of God's word is highlighted and integrated into the program instruction, reflection, sharing, and prayer. Doctrine: Each lesson of Call to Faith draws on Church doctrine in ways that help students, catechists, and families appreciate the Church's teachings as they apply to life today. Lives of Saints and People of Faith: Call to Faith takes seriously the importance of models and witnesses of faith as a factor in the faith development of both children and adults. Church Feasts and Seasons: Complete seasonal lessons and celebrations introduce children to the feasts and seasons of the Church year. Music, prayer, and ritual actions draw children in to participation in the liturgical life of the Church. Cultural Customs and Celebrations: Call to Faith is unique in that it involves customs, devotions, and culture of many local communities. This component assists parishes in making the curriculum their own. Catholic Social Teachings: Call to Faith provides a curriculum for Catholic Social Teaching: "Faith in Action," a comprehensive, age-appropriate lesson at the end of each unit that correlates to the text and key Catholic Social Teaching themes. Call to Faith is committed to partnering with parents and guardians in order to provide many opportunities for families to enrich their children's learning experiences. *Family Connections: Throughout the program, family connections are reinforced through the lessons and activities. *Family Faith: Each chapter of Call to Faith includes a Family Faith page-a weekly resource that brings the lesson home. The Family Faith page includes lesson content summaries, scripture readings, family prayers, and activities that encourage students to live their faith. *Call to Faith on the Web: The Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division website offers a continually growing collection of resources to assist in the process of faith formation while reflecting the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church. Features include online versions of key print materials and an assortment of unique web-based activities, such as a multimedia glossary. *Faith at Home: Nurturing Households of Faith: This engaging magazine features practical suggestions, tips for sharing and celebrating faith at home, a section on using Call to Faith at home, and real-life articles about today's families.
PRAYERS TO BE MASTERED Families are strongly encouraged to help your children with the memorizations of traditional prayers that we expect the children to master at each of the grade levels listed below. Grade 1: The following traditional prayers should be learned with appropriate explanation of words: The Sign of the Cross Our Father Hail Mary Meal Prayers Morning and Night Prayers Grade 2: All the prayers learned in Grade 1 should be reviewed. The students should also be able to recite the following traditional prayers: Act of Contrition Apostles' Creed Grade 3: Prayers learned in Grades 1 and 2 should be reviewed. The children should also learn private personal prayer, spontaneous prayer, and the prayer responses at Mass. Grade 4: The prayers learned from Grades 1, 2 and 3 should be reviewed. The children should be able to recite the Ten Commandments and know what the Beatitudes are. In addition, they should learn the following prayers: The Rosary Prayers of the Mass Grade 5: All the prayers learned previously in Grades 1, 2,3, and 4 should be reviewed. The children should be able to recite and explain the seven sacraments. They should know what we celebrate during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent Grade 6: All prayers from previous grades should be mastered. The children should know what a creed is and should memorize the three major prayers of the Mass: The Confiteor Gloria The Nicene Creed Grade 7: All prayers from previous grades should be mastered. In addition to personal and communal prayer, the children should learn special prayers called the Psalms, Prayer of the Hours, and the Way of the Cross. Grade 8: All prayers from previous grades should be mastered. The children should be able to recite the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.