Religious Education Classes will not meet in the schools for the 2020-2021 academic year and we are unsure of upcoming years, due to the Covid virus. Because of the inability to use school classrooms the need to finish the addition to our church is becoming a crucial need for our parish. We need your support in the final effort so that we will have four classtooms onsite that can be used to give us the space needed to have CCD classes here. Please make a small donation if possible to help in our financial need.
This year, we will be using a new format out of necessity, since the space available is the body of the church and outdoors weather permitting. We will continue to use the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies for the curriculum, which will also include Digital Access for parents and children. We will have classes in Kindergarten meet in-person twice a month from 11:30 a.m. - Noon. Children in grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 may meet in a variety of ways. In-person small groups in the church or outdoors weather permitting, Google Meet classes weekly/biweekly and PTAH, (Parents Teaching at Home). The in-person classes will of course be done using all precautions for Covid safety: wearing of masks, social distancing and hand sanitizer on the way in and out of class and limiting each class to the "safe" number of attendees.
We know that it is important to have children learn in a safe environment and will be sure that is done here. But, if the schools should close sometime during the year, the ability to have in-person classes may not be possible. We will need to make that decision at a later date. We hope to at least be able to have in-person classes for the Sacrament Grades, 1, 2, 9, 10, if possible to prepare the children to receive the sacraments. But, if that becomes unsafe, we will ask parents to prepare their own children at home for the sacraments, given the curriculum we will provide. Safety first is our goal. We will take no chances with the well-being of our children!
If parents, even in the sacramental grades, are not comfortable having their children come to class in the church hall, Parents Teaching At Home, (PTAH) will be an option. The opportunity to have children come to in-person classes is not available for all grades, but is done with the discretion of parents. Parents are the First Teachers of Faith for their children and we honor
this sacred ministry of parents.
Please continue to pray with your children at home and watch the live-stream Masses on the St. Patrick Website at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday. Also, Liturgy of the Word for Children is taped every week and can be viewed any day/time of the week on St. Patrick Channel of YouTube. This is a resource necessary for the Lectionary-Based Curriculum offered in the Pflaum Gospel Weekelies that will be the curriculum for the children.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. We will get through this together ~ that is what everyone is saying. But, I must add that: "We will get through this together ~ with the help
of our God."
God's Blessings!
Eileen Dignazio
Director of Religious Education
eileen@stpatsfarm.org