Parish Religious Education Program
Printable version of PREP Handbook
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All young people attending Kindergarten
through 8th grade in
Non-Parochial schools should be registered with Sacred Heart Parish's
Religious Education Program. Students attending the Pre-K and
Kindergarten program should pre-register due to the limited size of the
classes. Students attending St. John Neumann Regional School are
invited to attend if they so wish. The Faithways program is especially
encouraged for those young people in grades 6, 7, & 8.
According to Diocesan Regulations all students
participating in the C.Y.O. program must be enrolled and participating
in either the Catholic School or the Parish Religious Education Program
(PREP or Faithways).
PREP Parent's Handbook
An Introduction to Whole Community Catechesis
The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian Life” (Lumen Gentium).
Catechesis is a lifelong matter, therefore religious education, is not
exclusively for our children, but should focus on the whole community of faith.
This is called Whole Community Catechesis, and it seeks to establish the
essential link between catechesis and the Sunday Assembly for Mass, the
liturgical year, and the whole life of the church.
A major part of WCC are the Intergenerational
Gatherings.
These gatherings are programs designed to prepare the whole community to
celebrate the liturgy in a meaningful way - all generations - families with or
without children in the home - single parent families and extended families -
everyone in our sacrament preparation programs, Family Program, School families,
and those in our youth ministry programs. Some gatherings are designed to
fulfill sacramental requirements. Families
pre-register for the gatherings and at times pay a fee to cover the costs.
Children may not attend alone, for this is a family activity.
PREP
The PREP program follows a level system based on the religious education blocks the students have completed.
PREP Blocks:
Level I-A & I-B
Level II-A & II-B
Level III
Penance
Eucharist
Level IV-A & IV-B
Level V-A & V-B
Level VI-A & VI-B
Old Testament
New Testament
Junior High
Revelation
The Trinity
Jesus Christ
The Church
Morality
Sacraments
Kingdom of God
Confirmation
** Children must also attend age appropriate Intergenerational Gatherings for the Diocesan Mandated Child Protection Catechesis. This occurs during the first year for a new student then again when the child is in levels III and VI.
Sacramental Requirements
First Penance: Completion of Blocks I-A, I-B,
II-A, II-B, Penance, and their respective assessments, age appropriate participation in
the Sunday Liturgy, and a First Penance Retreat.
First Communion: Completion of First Penance, Eucharist
Block and their respective assessments, Seder Supper or First Communion Retreat, Teaching Mass,
and age
appropriate participation in the Sunday Liturgy.
Confirmation: Completion of First Penance and First Communion,
Blocks IV-A & B, V-A & B, VI-A & B (Old Testament & New
Testament), Junior High Blocks as necessary to continue religious
education until sacrament (Revelation, The Trinity, Jesus Christ, The
Church, Morality, Sacraments, Kingdom of God), Confirmation; and their
respective assessments, age appropriate participation in the Sunday
Liturgy, student interview, completion of Confirmation Packet, and the Confirmation
Retreat.
Reception of The Sacraments
The Sacraments of First Penance and First Eucharist will be celebrated upon
completion of the requirements.
Confirmation will be celebrated upon completion of the requirements and
when the Bishop or his representative celebrates the sacrament in the
parish.
Block Scheduling allows the students and families to attend
religious education classes at times that are more convenient. The Rite
of Christian Initiation of Adults makes it very clear that not everyone
is at the same place at the same time on their faith journey. Block
scheduling allows students the opportunity to receive sacraments when
they are ready.
Please note: The Diocese of Allentown requires children to have
at least 2 years of religious education before the reception of any of
the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation).
A child who enters our program at an older age will be interviewed to
determine the appropriate Level that they should be attending. If it is
determined that the child should be enrolled in the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults (RCIA) modified for Children, the CRE will
determine the appropriate blocks that the child needs to attend. The
Pastor, the Coordinator of RCIA, the CRE and the parents or guardians
will determine when the child will be receiving the Sacraments of
Initiation according to Diocesan guidelines.
Kindergarten Level: Liturgically based faith
formation using the parables and hands-on methods of teaching and the Call to
Faith text series. The students follow the same schedule as the other PREP
students.
Levels I, II, III, IV, V & VI: This
program follows a more traditional approach to catechesis. The Call to
Faith series, published by Harcourt Religious Publishers, is used for
faith formation in these levels. Level VI emphasizes the Old and New
Testaments.
Levels VII & VIII: This program uses Harcourt's Call to
Faith series for Young Adolescent Catechesis that offers a thematic
approach and engages our junior high students in discussion topics
about Revelation, The Trinity, Jesus Christ, The Church, Morality,
Sacraments, Kingdom of God. Junior High aged students are strongly
encouraged to continue this program after they have received the
Sacrament of Confirmation.
First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation: At this
time we prepare our students for the Sacraments using the Celebrating
Our Faith series by Harcourt Religious Publishers.
Home Schooling is available to all families. Pope
Benedict makes it clear that the family bears the primary responsibility for
educating children, "It is very obvious that in educating and forming people in the faith
the family has its own fundamental role and primary responsibility. Parents, in
fact, are those through whom the child at the start of life has the first and
crucial experience of love, of a love which is actually not only human but also
a reflection of God's love for him. Therefore, the Christian family, the small
"domestic Church", and the larger family of the Church must take care to develop
the closest collaboration, especially with regard to the education of children.
Special Circumstances
Special Education: Parents of students with any
type of learning or physical disability should note this on the
student’s registration form.
Learning Disabilities: Every effort will be made to work with
the parents and student so that the child may participate in the
classroom. Other provisions will be made for those students who are not
able to handle the classroom experience, either by home-schooling or by
the parents acting as aides in the classroom.
Custody Issues: Please include on the registration form any
custody issues that involve your child. If at anytime during the year
custody arrangements change please notify the CRE. This information
will help us ensure your child’s safety.
PREP REGISTRATION
All young people attending Kindergarten through 8th
grade in Non-Parochial schools should be registered with Sacred Heart
Parish’s Religious Education Programs. Students attending St.
John Neumann Regional School are invited to attend if they so wish.
Registration forms are available through the Religious Education Office
or by using the link above. Registration and
payment is to be made by July 1st for the Summer block, September 1st
for the Fall block, & January 1st for the Spring block. If your child is new to the PREP
program and has not been baptized at Sacred Heart, please include a
copy of the Baptismal Certificate with registration.
Active Membership is determined by 3 things:
♦ being registered in the parish for one year
♦ faithful attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holydays of
Obligation;
♦ the weekly use of the envelope system in support of the
parish. Envelopes are to be placed in the collection basket at Sunday
Masses or the Saturday Vigil).
Please make registration checks payable to Sacred Heart Church.
Registration fees for catechists and aides are waived.
Individuals having difficulty paying this fee should contact the CRE to
make other arrangements.
PREP PROCEDURES
Arrival and Dismissal: Class time on Sundays is
from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Please do not send children any earlier than
9:25 a.m. Students attending class in SJNRS building should arrive and
leave through the glass door in the alley. If you do bring your child
to class and the catechist is not there, please stay with your child
until the catechist arrives. Please be prompt in picking up your child.
As a safety measure, please pick up your child at his/her classroom at
10:45 a.m. Children will be released only to those authorized on the
registration form.
ANY CHILD REMAINING AT 10:55 A.M. WILL BE TAKEN TO THE 11:00 A.M. MASS.
Walking Students: Students who have the permission of their
parents to walk home after class should give a note, signed by their
parents, to their catechist at the beginning of each block.
Attendance: If a child misses a number of classes in a block the
child will be assessed to make sure that he or she grasped the kowledge. Repeating
a block or home
schooling may be required to make up work for that block. We request that the parent or guardian
phone, or e-mail the Religious Education Office before the start of
class, and report the reason for absence if possible. If you get the answering
machine, please leave a message.
Cancellation of Class: In the event that classes would be
cancelled because of weather please call the Religious Education Office
at 610-826-2849, check the PREP page on the parish website at
www.shcpalmerton.org, or check Channel 13. We will include e-mail
notification if we have been provided with an e-mail address. Please do
not call the Rectory. Parents and guardians should use common sense in
regard to transporting their children. Rural road conditions may be
very different from those in Palmerton. If weather conditions are too
bad where you are located please call to tell us your child will not be
attending class that day. If classes are cancelled due to weather a
make-up class will be scheduled.
Suspected Child Abuse: Suspected child abuse must be reported by
the Catechist to the CRE. The CRE will then discuss the situation with
the Pastor, and then the proper authorities will be notified.
All Catechists, aides and volunteers working with children are required
to have a background check completed, and are required to attend the
Diocesan Training Program “Protecting God’s
Children”. Any type of harassment, either sexual, physical
(bullying) or psychological by students or any representative of Sacred
Heart Parish must be reported to the CRE or the Pastor.
Emergency Procedures: A child who becomes ill during class time
will either remain in the building in which they attend class or be
taken to the Annex. An aide will notify the CRE and the parents will
then be called.
Fire and other Emergencies: The students will be evacuated in
an orderly fashion to a safe location on the property of Sacred Heart
Parish. If such an emergency occurs parents will be notified by the
proper authorities. No student is to be removed from the area without
the notification of the CRE. In the event of a natural or other
disaster the Catechist will be warned, if possible, and the children
will be moved to the area that has been designated as safe by the
Emergency plan, whether it be on or off site location. Children will
only be dismissed to persons who have been authorized by the custodial
parent on the registration form.
Responsibilities of Parents: Religious Education can be
effective only to the extent that parents regularly participate at
Eucharist, nurture prayer life in the home, are involved in parish
activities, and strive to live daily by gospel values.
Participation at Sunday Eucharist: PREP (Parish Religious
Education Program) can be understood only in the broader context of the
Church as a whole. Children who participate in PREP must also be
present when the Church gathers for Eucharist on Sunday.
Rite of Penance: Children are encouraged to go to
Confession with their parents and guardians as frequently as possible.
Parish / Family Penance Services will be scheduled several times during
the year for the students. Parents and Guardians will be informed of
these dates in the bulletin and notices will be sent home with the
children.
Responsibilities of Students
In addition to attending classes regularly, students
are expected to participate fully, complete all assignments and conduct
themselves in a Christian manner and exhibit that same Christian manner
towards fellow students and catechists.
Assessments: Each student is expected to demonstrate an adequate
understanding of the content presented during a block. At the beginning
of the blocks each student will be given a set of questions and prayers
on which they will be assessed on at the end of the block. If a student
does not attain an 80% on the assessment they will be asked to retake
it. This may be done in an oral or written format, whatever is best for
the child. If the child does not attain an 80% upon the second review
it will be determined whether the child can move on to the next level.
Conduct: If a child is disrupting the classroom, the catechist
will meet with the child after class to discuss his/her behavior. If
the CRE deems it necessary the parents will be asked to come in for a
conference, and at that time the coordinator may suggest other
alternatives for religious education.
CATHOLIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION (CYO)
According to Diocesan Regulations all students
participating in the CYO program must be enrolled and participating in
the Catholic school or in PREP.
PREP students must be registered during the year in which they wish to
participate in CYO. They must attend two blocks and three (3)
Intergenerational Gatherings during the year, or they will not be
permitted to participate in CYO the following school year. Failure to
attend classes will result in the students not being eligible to
participate in the games.
ADULT EDUCATION
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA):
RCIA is a process for adults and children to become members of the
Roman Catholic Church, while completing the Catholic Sacraments of
Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist). It is a process that
gives all who partake a chance to discover more about themselves and
our faith. For more information on our RCIA program, contact the
Religious Education Office of Sacred Heart Church (610-826-2849).
Intergenerational Gatherings offer another means by which the
adults of the parish are able to participate in faith formation. These
Gatherings, open to the whole parish, offer education, faith sharing,
and a sense of community fellowship.
Scripture Study is a group that meets Friday evenings to study
and discuss Scripture. Please call Peg Duell for more
information.
Institute for Lay Ministry is a three year program to provide
education and formation in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council for lay
persons desiring to live their baptismal call through ministry and service to
the people of God. Visit
www.LiveYourFaith.org/ilm for more information.
DIRECTORY
Rectory: 610-826-2335
Fax: 610-826-5360
Religious Ed. Office : 610-826-2849
Website: www.shcpalmerton.org
Rev. William T. Campion - Pastor
Dr. Edward J. Girard - Coordinator of Religious
Education
St. John Neumann Regional School: 610-826-2354
Diocesan Victim Asst. Coordinator:
Mrs. Helen P. Kelleher, L.S.W . Confidential: 800-791-9209;
Diocesan Safe Environment Coordinator:
Sr. Meg Cole, SSJ; 610-289-8900 ext. 222
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