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Introduction

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Therese serves to educate the youth of our parish who do not attend the Catholic school system in what it means to be a Catholic.  As such, we strive to give our students a Catholic identity based on the teachings of the Bible, Magisterium, Ecumenical Councils,  Catholic Tradition, Reception of the Sacraments, and the Lives of the Saints.  Our CCD program runs from September through May and is available to students in grades one through nine.  For more information, please contact Mike Lambrecht at the Religious Education Office at 359-9006.

Letter from the Director

Dear Parents,

Welcome back for another year of Religious Education. I am pleased to see so many returning faces and a few new ones as well. As you know, forming your children in the faith is a responsibility that I take very seriously. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule” (CCC 2223).

It is my duty to assist you as best I can in this most important endeavor. I would encourage you to look over our partnership detailed on the back of this page. By living these roles, we can ensure that your child has a solid foundation in the Catholic faith which they can rely on through the rest of their life.

For the parents, I would encourage you to continue your own
education as well. We have two wonderful Bible studies that we are offering this school year. One is called “The Great Adventure” which is a chronological study of scripture. The other is “Adventures in Matthew” which covers the gospel of Matthew in depth. For more information on either of these, please see the section in this handbook or give me a call in the R.E. office.

Lastly, if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I can be reached by stopping by the Religious Education Office Monday – Friday or by calling 359-9006.  Thank you and may God continue to bless us in the coming school year.

Sincerely,

Mike Lambrecht
Director of Religious Education

Partners in Religious Education

The Parents’ Role in Our Partnership:  

· Being a witness to your Catholic faith by attending weekly Mass with your family, following the precepts of the Church, and celebrating the Sacraments.

· Fostering Christian values in your home.

· Keeping current with Religious Education
communications; e.g.: reading the Religious Education Handbook, the S & P Newsletter, and Sunday Bulletins.

· Actively participating in the program by attending parent meetings and completing your assigned hall monitor duty. 

· Bringing your children to sessions regularly and promptly.

  The Parish’s Role in Our Partnership:

· Taking responsibility for our role in assisting parents in their role as the primary educators of their children.

· Supporting your household of faith by providing resources and prayer rituals to help you to share your faith with your children.

· Communicating regularly and honestly by distributing the Religious Education Handbook, phone calls, mailings, bulletin news, etc.

· Providing progress reports for your children when necessary and communicating promptly if concerns arise with your children.

· Monitoring your children while Religious Education Classes are in session.

· Maintaining an atmosphere of love, care, respect, and acceptance.

The Importance of Attending Mass

The importance of the Eucharist can not be overstated. In fact, the Catechism tells us that, “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ ‘The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch’ (CCC 1324).” As such, it is a very serious tragedy that takes place when we withhold the Eucharistic blessings from our children. For this reason, it is vital to the spiritual wellbeing of you and your children to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. As you know, our actions speak louder than words. We can tell our children that it is important to attend Mass or we can show them the way. As St. James says, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead (James 2:26).” Put your faith into action by taking time out of your busy schedule to worship God each week at Mass. I believe that if you do so, you will be pleasantly surprised at the results of God’s grace at work in your lives.

Second Grade Mass Requirement

This year, St. Therese parish has added a new requirement for parents of students in the second grade preparing for Reconciliation and First Communion. Starting in October and continuing through the month of May, Fr. Janusz has asked that each family attend the 9 AM Mass on the First Sunday of each of these months as a part of the second grade catechetical program. Father will focus his homily at these Masses specifically on the second graders and may give religious items to the children to help prepare them for these very important sacraments. If, for some reason, you are unable to attend, please call the religious education office to let us know why you are not able to make it. Absences will be handled in the same manner as absences for our CCD classes. The same excused/unexcused policies apply. Please see the “Absences” section of this handbook for further information. 

2008 - 2009 Religious Education Schedule Grades 1-8

Parent Meeting

Sunday, August 17th at 6:30 pm

CCD Class Days  (Wednesdays from 6:30-7:45 pm)

2008 Religious Education Schedule Grade 9

*At Saint Therese Parish the Sacrament of Confirmation is Celebrated in the Fall of Ninth Grade*

Roots Requirement

All eighth grade students are required to attend at least two of the four offerings of Roots. This program takes place the first Sunday of the Month immediately following the 9 AM Mass. (About 10:00–11:45 AM)

Faith and Life Series Textbooks

Please see the Ignatius Press Website for the Catechetical Overview

Traditional Catholic Prayers:  

OUR FATHER

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; 

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen

GLORY BE

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen

ACT OF CONTRITION

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.  In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You, Whom I should love above all things.  I have hurt myself and others.  I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more and avoid what ever leads me to sin.  Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.  In His Name, my God, have mercy.  Amen

GRACE BEFORE MEALS

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy Gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty.  Through Christ our Lord   Amen

GRACE AFTER MEALS

We give Thee thanks almighty God for these and all Thy gifts, who live and reign forever and ever.  Amen

The Precepts of the Church

· You shall attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.

· You shall confess your sins at least once a year.

· You shall humbly receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.

· You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.

· The faithful have the obligation of supporting the Church.

Religious Education Policies

Registration:

All students must register each year.  Families with outstanding balances from previous years are reminded that these fees are due at the time of registration.

Fees:
First Child                     $60.00
Second Child                 $50.00
Third Child                    $30.00
Fourth Child                  $10.00

Fee for Confirmation Candidates (9th Graders):
Per Child                       $40.00* 

Other Fees:
Replacement Textbook $12.00

Attendance:

In order to ensure that the students of our religious education program receive the proper formation necessary to receiving the Sacraments, St. Therese Parish has the following attendance policy:  Parents of students who miss class should call the Religious Education Office to let us know why the child has missed class.  This should be done as soon as possible but may be done on the following day if circumstances warrant. There may be make-up work assigned to help keep the child from falling behind his or her peers.  Students will be granted an excused absence for valid reasons.  Some examples are:  illness, family vacations, family emergencies, or anything else deemed suitable by the Director of Religious Education. Three unexcused absences will require the parents of the child  to make arrangements with the Religious Education Office to avoid having their son or daughter repeat the grade. Please keep absences to a minimum as they create a lot of extra work for the teachers and students trying to catch up on material missed. 

Homework:

The student is responsible for completing all work assigned by their teacher, and turning it in on time.   

Father Janusz will be celebrating the Mass and Reconciliation with the students periodically throughout the year.  Please refer to the Religious Education Schedule for details as to when these will be celebrated.  Masses will begin at 6:45 pm and students will be dismissed immediately afterwards from the Church. Reconciliation will begin at 6:35 pm and will also be held in the Church.  Parents are enthusiastically invited to attend.

Student Envelopes:

Each student will be issued a packet of offertory envelopes at registration.  The student is encouraged to give to the Church as acknowledgment of God’s gracious gifts to us, as well as developing a spirit of charity.  The envelopes are to be added to the general collection at weekend Masses.

Evaluations:

Evaluations will be given out as deemed necessary by the teacher and the program coordinator.  Evaluations will be given out at the end of the year so that we may evaluate our effectiveness and see which areas to improve upon.

Dress Code:

 Hats and jackets may not be worn in the classroom.  Bare midriffs and visible undergarments are unacceptable attire for the Religious Education setting.  Parents, please discuss this policy with your children before classes begin so that it does not become an issue the teachers have to deal with.

 Discipline:

The student is expected to be respectful and cooperative during class.  This is required in order to have an effective learning environment for all students.  If a teacher deems it necessary to remove a student from the classroom and sends him or her to the Religious Education Office, the student will be given a verbal warning.  Based on the discretion of the Director of Religious Education, the student may be sent back to class or wait out the remaining class time in the office.  Contact to the parents will be made the second time a student is sent to the office or if the first offense is deemed serious enough to warrant it.  On the third offense, or for extremely serious infractions, the parents will be required to attend classes with their child for the remaining classes of that semester, or until the Program Coordinator deems it no longer necessary.  If the parent chooses not to attend class with their child, they have the following options:

1. They can do home study with their child, for which they will be accountable to the Religious Education Office.

2. They can take their child out of the Religious Education Program.  Please note: If this option is chosen, in order to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation, proof of
completing Religious Education Courses in the form of a
written examination is required.

Snow Days:

Religious Education classes will be cancelled if the D.C. Everest Schools are closed for the day or dismissed early.  Please listen to local radio stations for these announcements.  

Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices:

The use of electronic devices including cellular phones, video games, mp3 players, etc. are prohibited during class. 

Sacraments:

Children who are older and have not celebrated First Eucharist and/or Reconciliation should notify the office at the time of registration in order to take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation.  Baptismal certificates are needed for our records.

School Building:

Students must respect the property of Saint Therese School.  The student responsible is accountable for replacing any damaged or missing property.  In the event the student responsible cannot be determined or does not accept responsibility, the entire class in which the loss happened will be accountable.

Service Hours:

The purpose of service hours is to encourage students to live the Christian Life.  “…When you have done this for the least of my brethren you have done it to me” (Mt 25:40).  As such, a minimum of 30 hours of community service are required as a prerequisite for Confirmation for those in the 8th grade or younger in the fall of 2008.  Those in 9th grade will retain the previous requirement of 24 service hours. St. Therese Parish sponsors several events which help students meet this requirement.  Please see the Volunteer Service Hour Form for more details. The form is available online or in the R.E. office.

Textbooks:

As noted in the Catechetical Overview above, we have chosen to use the Faith and Life series.  These books contain excellent content for teaching the faith.  However, the students will no longer be able to write in the textbooks.  The reason for this is that we will no longer be buying textbooks for each student every year.  Instead, there is a separate activity book that each student will be given that contains the lessons for each class.  The students will be required to complete the lessons assigned by their teacher in the activity books.  At the end of the year, the activity books will be the students to keep.  However, the textbooks will have to be returned in good condition.  Failure to turn in a textbook in good condition will result in the parents of the student being billed for a replacement text.  As such, I strongly encourage the students to cover their textbooks.  This will enable us to save money in future years by only reordering the activity books. 

Sacraments for the Students:

Father Janusz will be celebrating the Mass and Reconciliation with the students again this year.  Please refer to the Religious Education Schedule for details as to when these will be celebrated.  Masses will begin at 7:00 pm and students will be dismissed immediately afterwards from the Church.  Reconciliation will begin at 6:30 pm and will also be held in the Church.  Parents are enthusiastically invited to attend.

Hall Monitors:

Parents of students who wish to have their children in our parish CCD program will be asked to periodically supervise the halls.  Please review the schedule and keep it for future reference.  If you are unable to be a monitor on your appointed evening, please contact another parent to take your place.  Hall monitors are to be at school no later than 6:15 pm.  We ask that you remain in your appointed spot and supervise the students from before class begins until after dismissal from classes.  Please check into the Religious Education Office when you arrive.  Thank you for your time and cooperation.

Hall Monitors Schedule:

Please see your R.E. Handbook for the Hall Monitor Schedule.

Prayer for Insight

May the Lord Jesus touch our eyes, as he did those of the blind.  Then we shall begin to see in visible things those which are invisible.  May he open our eyes to gaze, not on present realities, but on the blessings to come.  May he open the eyes of our heart to contemplate God in Spirit, through Jesus Christ the Lord, to whom belong power and glory through all eternity.