Joan Sundstrom, Coordinator of
Religious Education
Pamela Ashmankas, Office Assistant
Parish Hall Office (508) 798-0612
namparish@charterinternet.com
Mission Statement
The
Religious Education staff for the North
American Martyrs parish community is
committed to supporting all its members
in their life-long journey of faith.
We seek to
create an atmosphere of formation and
learning – one that is motivated by a
strong desire to be in relationship with
our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The
Religious Education Board
members serve as
advisors to the coordinator as well as
advocates for our parish program.
Their major
tasks are to assist pastoral leadership
in setting goals and objectives and
planning and evaluating programs.
The board
members meet on the third Tuesday of
each month.
We hope to expand
the board membership and invite any
parishioner to join.
There are no
special qualifications required except a
love of God and a desire
to help shape the spiritual growth of
our entire faith community.
The
current members are:
Joan Sundstrom, Coordinator
Pamela Ashmankas
Kathy DeBartolomeis
Michelle Durocher
Mary Scully
Gwen White
Our Goals are to:
-
make Jesus Christ come alive in the
hearts and minds of our people and
to teach His message of love and
salvation.
-
assist parents in their role as
primary educators in the faith for
their children.
-
enhance the prayer and worship life
of our parishioners.
-
foster a spirit of outreach and
service to others.
-
provide faith formation
opportunities for all parishioners.
-
provide
training for our catechists.
The parish Religious Education program
requires the support of the family to be
successful.
Parents are
the first and primary teachers of their
children.
The way a family learns and lives out
the Gospel teachings, establishes and
encourages Christian values, instills
prayer and worship practices, and
involves itself in the faith community
are irreplaceable modeling practices for
children.
By registering a
child for religious education classes,
parents are reaffirming the baptismal
commitment to pass on their faith to
future generations.
Accomplishing this requires the combined
effort, belief and support of all —
families, catechists, and parish
community.
The parish Religious Education program
provides
systematic learning, sacramental
preparation
classes, and yearly opportunities for
adult education.
This enables all members of our faith
community to broaden their knowledge of
Catholic Christian beliefs, receive
life-giving grace through sacramental
participation, and enrich their lifelong
spiritual growth.
Systematic Learning
is that part of the parish program that
focuses on intentional learning – the
“academic” part of religious education.
The systematic learning for
grades 1-6
follows a model drawn up in our diocese
and first tested at Our Lady of Loreto
Parish in Worcester.
This
Loreto Model
is designed to begin in the parish
school of religion during the summer
over a
one-week full day
span (approximately 35 hours) and
continues throughout the remainder of
the year with Gathering Day sessions.
The pastoral
staff decides the number and content of
the sessions during the remainder of the
year.
The core curriculum for the systematic
learning for grades 1-6 of the Loreto
Model consists of a three-year cycle of
repeated themes:
YEAR 1
-
CREED
YEAR 2 -
CHURCH
YEAR 3 -
SCRIPTURE
Students
are grouped in a cluster of three grade
levels (1-3, 4-6).
After
students have completed the Creed,
Church, and Scripture curriculum on the
primary level, these themes are repeated
with content appropriate for the
intermediate level of learning.
The
systematic learning for
Grades 7/8
and
9/10
includes
Sunday evening classes and an annual
retreat.
These
sessions will cover such topics as
Church history, Scripture, Creed,
prayer, morality, and discipleship.
The
systematic learning for grades 7-10
are conducted
in an assembly style group setting.
The
7/8
program
also includes a component called “Exercise
Your Faith”
designed to
develop and nurture a life of prayer and
service in our young people.
They are
asked to choose activities from three
categories entitled “Soul-Stretching,”
“Parish Pull-Ups,” and “Community
Crunches.”
The
9/10 program
also includes a
ministry component
designed to encourage the students to
commit to a ministry on a monthly basis
that helps them to connect the faith
they profess with how they live their
lives.
If absolutely necessary, a
home study
option is available for all systematic
learning.
However, we
strongly recommend class attendance for
all our children.
Learning in
a group setting with an adult catechist
is optimum for creating community while
encouraging and accepting diversity.
Religious
Education
Policies &
Procedures
The effective management of our
religious education program relies on
knowledge of and cooperation with the
following polices and procedures.
Registration:
Students must
register in order to attend classes.
Registration
will take place annually in March.
Dates will
be announced through the parish bulletin
and home mailings.
New
parishioners, of course, may register at
any time during the year by calling the
Religious Education Office.
Attendance:
As in any
educational process, effectiveness is
strengthened by regular attendance.
We
anticipate the cooperation of parents
and students to ensure that absences are
minimal.
Students are
expected to attend all classes except
for illness or family emergency.
Parents are
asked to call the Religious Education
office if their child will be absent.
Class Cancellation:
If inclement
weather develops, please call the
Religious Education Office.
There will
be a message announcing any necessary
class cancellation.
Please note
that school cancellation DOES NOT
necessarily mean evening religious
education class will be cancelled.
If class
needs to be cancelled for any other
reason, the student will receive a call
from the coordinator or catechist.
Course Completion:
Each year’s
systematic learning curriculum is based
on knowledge acquired in previous years.
In order for
a student to have complete knowledge of
Catholic creed, history and scripture,
they must participate in and complete
each year’s course of study.
Students/parents will be notified if
work still needs to be made up after
each session has ended so that they will
have sufficient time to complete the
work.
For grades 7-10,
any work not done due to absences must
be completed in order for the student to
receive credit for the course.
Home lessons
should be returned to the catechist
within two (2) weeks of the missed
class.
If the year
has already concluded, the home lesson
should be given to Mrs. Sundstrom at the
Religious Education office as soon as
possible.
If a full
Home Study was
necessary, it should
be completed
and returned by April 30.
For grades 1-6,
if your child is
absent during the summer Loreto program,
he/she will be given a home lesson.
This lesson
should be completed and returned to Mrs.
Sundstrom at the Religious Education
office within two weeks of the end of
the summer session.
If a full Home Study was necessary, it
should be completed and returned by
September 1.
Discipline:
Mutual respect
within the classroom is necessary in
order for successful learning to take
place.
Should a
problem arise, the following procedure
will be followed:
·
The catechist will
address the issue in class.
If the
behavior does not change, the student
will be sent to the office.
The student
will be allowed back into the classroom
at the discretion of the coordinator and
the catechist.
·
If the student is
sent to the office a second time, the
parent will be called and informed of
the situation.
The student
will not be allowed back into class that
day and will be responsible for
completing any missed class work.
·
A parent conference will be required
following any subsequent inappropriate
behavior.
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