Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church 1914 Ridgeview Drive Allen, Texas 75013 March 2015 Dear Parents, It is time to register for faith formation in 2015 2016! In this packet, you will find: Information on classes for grades 1 st thru 5 th. First Communion and First Reconciliation information for the two years of formation. Calendar of all class dates and retreat dates. List of volunteer opportunities. There are no paper forms! The online registration process is as follows: Early registration will be open until April 19 th for catechists and their children. We cannot have a class until we have two cleared adults who commit to teach. We hope that this will help us confirm classes earlier and let everyone plan their schedule. If you are unable to commit to being a catechist, registration for all who participated in 14-15 faith formation and parishioners opens on April 20 th. Keep in mind that space is limited on Sunday and Monday at 6pm. Registering in May will help secure a space in these sessions. Open registration for all other students will open on June 15 th. Please register by August 1 in order to give staff and volunteers adequate time to prepare. By honoring this date, your considerateness of our time and efficiency is greatly appreciated. Registration for ALL faith formation is once again ONLINE! To register, go to www.ourladyofangels.com. Look for the icon that says Click Here. If you have a child who has not yet made First Communion, please look at the sheet included in this packet with important information and dates for Sacrament Preparation! Please register as soon as possible and prayerfully consider volunteering to help. We need over 100 volunteers to run our program! No amount of assistance is too small! If you have any questions regarding our faith formation classes, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to serving your family. In His name, Liz Adams Elementary School Ministry Coordinator Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church 469-467-9669 ext. 106 469-667-2712 cell ladams@ourladyofangels.com 1914 Ridgeview Drive Allen, Texas 75013 (469) 467-9669 Fax (469) 467-0114 www.ourladyofangels.com
PARENTS, SHARE YOUR GIFTS AND TALENTS! Volunteer Opportunities Catechist Catechists are people of faith, sharing their faith with the children of our Parish. There is a team of two people for each class. Some have children in the program; some do not. Some have experience teaching; most do not. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to pass on our faith and a sense of ministry. Also needed is a willingness to come for training and meetings, to prepare well, and to nurture the future of the church. This Ministry offers a chance to grow in your own faith and strengthen your sense of belonging to our parish community. We provide clearly written text material with on-going support. All crafts, music, materials, videos, etc. are also provided. Training includes two workshops, a formation meeting during the year and an opportunity to attend diocesan workshops with an exciting variety of topics. Substitute Catechist Catechists are sometimes unavailable to attend due to illness or other obligations. Every classroom must always have 2 cleared adults. Substitutes are necessary to avoid class cancellations. We need at least ten substitutes for each class session. Sacrament Preparation Catechist There will be additional sessions to prepare students to receive First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. There will be 4 half day retreats, 2 in the fall and 2 in the winter/spring. Teen Classroom Aide An excellent opportunity for teens to become involved in Elementary Faith Formation as invaluable assistants to our catechists. Our aides assist the catechist with classroom activities by reading stories, helping with projects, etc. There is a form on our web site for teen volunteers. Nursery Provide on-site child care for Catechists children under the age of three during Elementary Faith Formation sessions. Hallway Monitor Hallway volunteers monitor various locations throughout the building for the safety of our children during our sessions. These volunteers choose their time; parents often help while their child is in class. Whether you are able to volunteer once a month or every week, bring your coffee, newspaper or even your laptop! We welcome your help with this important position. Office Volunteers Many hands do indeed make light work during our weekly sessions or a few hours during the day as needed for onetime projects. Volunteers help with mailings, collecting attendance, phone work, preparing crafts, collating program materials, etc. Grade Level Supply Coordinator This involves coming in approximate two weeks before the lesson to inventory the existing supplies and coordinate the creation of needed supplies with other volunteers. You can work with others or on your own schedule. Material Assembly Volunteers Bi-weekly sessions or a few hours during the day as needed for one-time projects. Volunteers enjoy coffee and camaraderie while helping assemble lesson materials for each class. Elementary volunteers need to become cleared adults. Please look on our web site for details. Thank you for taking the time to volunteer. We need help year round to prepare and equip our program.
Our Lady of Angels Children s Faith Formation Classes 2015-2016 This year all classes begin the week of Sunday, August 30 th and will meet at our Ridgeview Campus. Sunday 8:45 10:00 am Sunday 10:45 am 12:00 pm All classes will be 1 hour and 15 minutes. CLASS DAYS AND TIMES Monday Monday 4 5:15 pm 6 7:15 pm Tuesday 4 5:15 pm The grades and classes available will be dependent upon two cleared adult volunteers per class and a minimum of 5 students. Our calendar considers the liturgical calendar as well as the school calendars for Allen, Frisco and Plano ISDs. If two or more school districts have a holiday, classes will be suspended for the week. You can find a copy of the calendar on our web site. All registration is on a first come basis. An exception may be made for a volunteer catechist. Any fees should be paid at time of registration. No child will ever be turned away due to financial need. Scholarships are available and fully confidential. FEES As part of Our Lady of Angel s mission Continuing Christ's mission to further the Kingdom of God, we aim to provide quality faith formation. For the annual registration, a fee of $95 per child/teen with a maximum of $285 per family is requested. Since it is our mission to provide formation and nurture young disciples of Jesus, we will always provide no-questions-asked assistance to families who find themselves in financial hardships. Program expenses such as books, materials, volunteer training, staff salaries, and the use of the building are not covered entirely by registration fees. The remaining cost for each child s formation is financed by the generosity of our regular Sunday contributions and donations. We encourage all families to give regularly according to the gifts God has bestowed upon them. CURRICULUM Our curriculum for 1 st through 5 th grade is Christ Our Life which utilizes a spiral curriculum that allows for continuous growth of faith in the students both in scope and depth. With a focus on Scripture, the content blends core beliefs: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer. Each chapter includes opportunities for prayer, family features to encourage parental involvement, classical and multicultural artwork, Catholic social teaching applications, and activities. STUDENT SAFETY We need to keep our children safe at all times. Catechists in the classroom are the ones who keep attendance for the class and are the first line of response in the event the building needs to be evacuated. All students must be brought into and picked up from class by an adult or a responsible teen relative. Students cannot come into the building for class by themselves. A responsible caregiver must come in to ensure that there are two cleared adults in the classroom and that your child is safely in their classroom. Thank you for your help with this. ATTENDANCE POLICY All students are expected to attend regularly to gain the most benefit from the program. Students in sacramental preparation must attend 80 percent of classes in both years to be considered ready to receive their sacrament and all four sacrament retreats. Make up classes and additional work can be arranged for special circumstances. Missing a retreat or more than 20% of classes may add additional time to your child s sacrament preparation. 1914 Ridgeview Drive Allen, Texas 75013 (469) 467-9669 Fax (469) 467-0114 www.ourladyofangels.com
FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST EUCHARIST Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation (also called Confession or Penance) and First Eucharist (also called Communion) normally takes place in the first and second grade for children baptized in the Catholic Faith. Essential for the preparation of First Eucharist is regular worship in Sunday Mass, participation in faith formation classes, and participation in our sacrament preparation retreats and home study. Diocesan policy requires that students have two consecutive years of preparation prior to First Eucharist. Our program uses the classroom to teach the basics of our faith and family retreats to build community and foster family faith formation, realizing that the primary teachers of the faith are family. Sacramental preparation includes regular religious education classes for children, and two parent and child preparation retreats for each of the Sacraments (a total of 4 retreats over two years.) These retreats are in the fall for the first year of preparation and in the winter/spring for the second year. Missing a retreat may add additional time to your child s sacrament preparation. Year One The first year the student is enrolled in the appropriate class for their school grade and they must attend 2 retreats with their parents in the fall. Although this is usually 1 st grade, a student can be a year one student in 1 st thru 6 th grade. This first year concentrates on beginning to understand and appreciate Mass as well as the Commandments and forgiveness. Year Two The second year students also enroll in the appropriate grade. Although this is usually 2 nd grade, a student can be a year two student in 1 st thru 6 th grade. There are 2 family retreats in the winter and spring concentrating on Reconciliation and Eucharist. If your student attended class in another parish last year and is enrolling for the 2 nd year of sacrament preparation, you will need to submit a letter from your previous parish to confirm attendance. If your child was home schooled, please let us know the method or curriculum used. If your child has missed some or all grades, there is a place for your child to begin sacramental preparation. Please indicate on the registration form if your child needs Baptism or First Communion. We will contact you to discuss a plan for your child. DATES Saturday, 11/7/15 Saturday, 12/5/15 Saturday, 1/30/16 Saturday, 2/27/16 Saturday, 4/9/16 Saturday, 5/7/16 Description 1 st Year Forgiveness and Commandments Family Retreat (for all students in 1 st grade OR in the 1 st year of sacrament prep OR students who missed this retreat in 2013) 1 st Year Mass Family Retreat (for all students in 1 st grade OR in the 1 st year of sacrament prep OR students who missed this retreat in 2013) 2 nd Year First Reconciliation Family Retreat (for all students in the 2 nd year of sacrament prep) First Reconciliation Service 2 nd Year First Eucharist Family Retreat (for all students in the 2 nd year of sacrament prep) First Eucharist Mass Please put these dates on your calendar! We will work with you for unavoidable circumstances (such as illness) but please remember that we have a small staff and limited space availability that makes it very difficult to conduct make up retreats. We appreciate your consideration of our parish family.
Our Lady of Angels Sacrament Preparation Eucharist and Reconciliation Two Year Schedule Classes 24 26 Classroom Lessons 24 26 Classroom Lessons Children attend classes in their school grade level, learning and sharing faith with catechists and other children their age for Family Retreats There are 4 parent led retreats over 2 years for sacrament formation. They help families learn about the sacraments together and build faith with activities that continue at home to bring the joy of Christ into our lives and set a foundation of lifelong growth for our children. Year One: 11/7/2015 Year One: 12/5/2015 Year Two: 1/30/2016 Year Two: 4/9/2016 Commandments, Forgiveness and Conversion The Mass Reconciliation Formation Eucharist Formation
Program Information: 2015 Dates: July 20-24, 2015 Times: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Location: OLA campus at 1914 Ridgeview Drive, Allen Ages: Entering kindergarten through 5 th grade in Fall Cost: $45 per child, with $135 family maximum Register online at ourladyofangels.com Adult and Youth (6 th through 12 th grade) Volunteers - We need you! Early Registration for adult volunteers and their children begins on March 28 th at 9 a.m. We provide a nursery and preschool program for children of volunteers. The program cannot be run without the support of our amazing teens and adults! Registration for all other Parishioners begins on April 11 th at 9 a.m. Registration will be open to the community on May 2 nd at 9 a.m. For more information or if you have any questions please contact Jennifer Hardee @jhardee@ourladyofangels.com or 469-467-9669 x109
Our Lady of Angels VBS 2015 Program Schedule SonSpark Labs Saturday, March 28 at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, April 11 at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 2 at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 10:00 11:00 a.m. or Monday, June 1, 7:00 8:00 p.m. Registration opens ONLINE for adult volunteers and their families. Registration opens ONLINE for all parishioners Registration opens ONLINE for non-parishioners Volunteer Meeting, both youth and adult, in room 103 of the Education and Formation Building. Additional training for new volunteers will continue for half an hour after meetings. Saturday, June 27, 10:00 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 11:15 12:15 p.m. Monday, July 6 Friday, July 10 Monday, July 13 Friday, July 17 9:00 a.m. to noon Sunday, July 19, 3:00 p.m.? Monday, July 20 Friday, July 24 Friday, July 24, 12:45 p.m. Safe Environment Training for volunteers needing to be cleared or have status updated Center Leader Meeting Skits group Practice, Room 108 Education and Formation Bldg. Work week! At Education and Formation Building VBS set-up in the Worship Center and Education and Formation Building VBS! All volunteers need to arrive by 8:30 a.m. The program ends at noon, and youth volunteers can be picked up at 12:15 p.m. Volunteer luncheon celebrate a fantastic week! Questions? Please do not hesitate to call! VBS Director, Jennifer Hardee at 469-467-9669 x109 or jhardee@ourladyofangels.com