Nativity
of Our Lord
Parish
Religious Education Program
Mrs.
215-672-5316
Classes
Kindergarten through Level 6
(Confirmation)
Wednesdays - 6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.
Levels 7 – 12
Tuesdays – 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.
Normal
Office Hours
Monday and Thursday
9:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Tuesday and Wednesday
12:00 noon – 7:00 P.M.
Registration
– New Families please call the PREP Office for an appointment. Please bring each child’s Baptismal
Certificate.
Re-registration for students currently enrolled in PREP begins in March. Information
will be sent home prior to re-registration.
PREP Tentative Calendar
2010-2011
School, Hall, Church
September
12 Catechetical Sunday 9:00 Faculty Meeting, 11:00 Mass
15 Back to PREP Night
22 Class
29 Class
October
6 Class
13 Class
20 Class
27 Class
November
3 Class
10 No Class
11 Faculty Meeting
17 Class
24 No Class (Thanksgiving Break)
December
1 Class
8 No Class – Feast of the Immaculate
Conception
15 Class
22 Christmas Break/ No Class
29 Christmas Break/ No Class
January
5 No Class/ Faculty Christmas Party
12 Class
19 Class - End of First Semester
26 Class - Report Cards Distributed _ Safe Environment Lesson
February
2 Class
9 Class
16 Class
23 Class
March
2 Class
9 No Class – Ash Wednesday
16 Class
23 Class
30 No Class - Faculty Night of Reflection
April
6 Class
13 Class
20 Holy Week
27 Class
May 4 Class – End of Year Tests
7 First Holy Communion
11 Last Class
18 End of Year Party
TGIF Tentative Calendar
2010 -2011
Rooms 115 & 117
October
5 First Night of Class
12 Class
19 Class
26 Bowling
November
2 No Class – Election Day
9 Class
16 Class
23 No Class/ Thanksgiving
30 Class
December
7 Class
14 Class
21 No Class
28 No Class
January
4 No Class
11 Class
18 Class
25 Class
February
1 Class
8 Class
15 Class
22 Class
March
1 Class
8 Class
15 Class
22 Class
29 Living Stations Practice - Hall
April
5 Living Stations Practice – Hall
11 Monday - Living Stations Practice – Church
20 Living Stations – Dress Rehearsal – Church 5:00 p.m.
22 Living Stations 7:00 P.M. - Church
26 Last Class - Hall
Nativity
of Our Lord Parish
Sacrament
Schedule
2010-2011
First
Penance
PREP – Thursday, February 10,
2011 – 7PM
Confirmation
TBA
Practice – TBA
Sponsor Practice – TBA
First
Holy Communion
Ceremony – Saturday, May 7, 2011
Prep – 11:30 AM
Retreats
Day School – TBA
PREP – TBA
Nativity
of Our Lord
Parish
Religious Education Program
(215)
672-5316
Family Handbook
2010-2011
Purpose:
This handbook is designed to
familiarize families with the policies and procedures of Nativity of Our Lord
PREP.
What is PREP?
PREP (Parish Religious Education
Program) is a program, in place at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, to assist
parents in a more formal way, meet the religious education needs of their
children in grades K – 12 who do not attend a Catholic elementary or high
school.
Structure of PREP
The pastor appoints a
Director of Religious Education who is responsible for the overall operation of
PREP. Trained and screened volunteers
act as catechists, assistants and monitors in the program.
Curriculum
PREP follows a curriculum for
each level established by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and stated in the
Religion Guidelines of the Archdiocese.
Text books are selected from a list of Archdiocese approved texts that
are found to be in conformance with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Classes generally cover one
chapter a week. Both written and study homework is usually assigned for each
level. This gives the parents an
opportunity to reinforce and expand upon concepts and doctrine being taught in
class. Prayers are assigned for memorization
at each level.
Registration
New registrations are accepted at any time.
v
PREP families
must be registered as parishioners of Nativity of Our Lord Parish.
v
Baptismal
certificates must be presented at registration.
v
Tuition must accompany
registration.
Re-registration begins in April.
v
Notices will be
sent
v
Tuition should
accompany the re-registration form.
v
Re-registration
will take place in the school building on designated PREP nights in April or
parents may mail forms and tuition to the Religious Education Office.
v
Late fees will be
levied if a family re-registers after the stated deadline. If a family has a financial or family
concern, please call the D.R.E. prior
to this deadline to avoid a late fee.
Children with Disabilities
As defined by Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the term disability means a child “with
mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech and
language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious
emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, brain injury, other
health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and who, by reason
thereof, needs special education and related services.
We recognize the dignity of
God’s creation and we attempt to provide religious educational opportunities
for those children with disabilities. We
ask that parents share with the DRE the nature of a child’s disability so we
can make accommodations for that child in his /her learning and testing.
We also ask that when
registering or re-registering the parent let us know and provide us with a copy
of a child’s IEP from his/her public school. An IEP can help guide us in making
accommodations for a child. The IEP will be shared with the child’s catechist
to insure we are working to accommodate a child’s needs. The IEP will be
handled in a confidential manner by both the DRE and catechist.
Tuition
v
Tuition covers
the cost of each student’s textbook as well as audiovisual materials, resource
materials, catechist and assistant training and other items purchased for use
in the program.
v
Tuition is set
after consultation with the business manager and approval by the pastor.
v
SCRIP credits may
be used to pay tuition or fees.
v
A replacement fee
of $12 is charged for lost textbooks.
v
If a family has a
financial concern or difficulty, please contact the D.R.E. at the PREP Office
(215) 672-5316.
v
A returning
catechist will have tuition waived for the family. A returning assistant will
have half tuition waived for the family.
v
New catechists
and assistants will have tuition reimbursed at the rates stated above. This reimbursement will be issued in the late
fall through the parish business office.
v
A fee is charged
for all children preparing to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First
Holy Communion and Confirmation. This
fee covers materials used especially for sacrament preparation including parent
meeting speakers, retreats, practices, Confirmation robes, speakers, crafts,
refreshments and videos for Confirmation and First Holy Communion
Classes
Classes are held
on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M.
Classes are held
in Nativity of Our Lord School.
Children are usually
assigned to a level corresponding to their public school grade, BUT if they
have started late or have missed a year or more of religious instruction, they
may be assigned to a more appropriate religious education level.
Parental Responsibilities
v
Send children to
all classes on time.
v
Check the child’s
school bag for assignments, notices and calendar updates.
v
Read all notices
sent
v
Help the child
learn the assigned prayers for his or her grade level. (The National Directory
for Catechesis states that “parents are the most effective catechists of
prayer…”
v
Supervise
completion of
v
Make sure the
child comes to PREP prepared for class.
v
Help the child
make up any work missed on account of absence.
v
Attend “Back to
PREP Night”.
v
Attend all
required sacrament preparation meetings.
Assessment
Assessment is a necessary
component of instruction. Assessment may
be formal or informal. Along with
informal assessment, the following formal assessments are part of the Nativity
of Our Lord PREP:
v
Mid-year tests
are given to students in grades2-6 in January.
These tests are designed by the catechists.
v
Children are
verbally tested throughout the year for knowledge of prayers appropriate for
each level of instruction.
v
End of year tests
are written in conformance with the Religion Guidelines of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia. They are administered to
students in Grades 1 – 6 in April.
v
Progress Reports
are sent
Promotion and Retention
Promotion is based on the
following criteria,
v
Consistent
attendance and displaying knowledge of the Catholic faith appropriate for
level.
v
A student may not
be promoted if he or she has missed 4 or more classes and does not display
sufficient knowledge of the faith on the end of year test.
v
A student may
re-take an end of year test during the summer, and if he or she passes this
test, the DRE may consider promotion.
Communication between PREP and Parents
Effective communication
promotes a mutually supported program.
PREP communicates with
parents through:
E-mail
Notices sent home (please check school bags each week)
Mail
Parish bulletin
Media outlets in emergencies
PREP
Link on School web-site www.nativity-school.org
Parents are asked to keep the
PREP Office informed of a current e-mail address. We will use e-mail as our
primary form of communication with parents. This reduces our use of paper, ink
and postage. If you do not have an e-mail account, please notify the PREP
Office and we’ll send
Parents are asked to contact the
Religious Education Office or their child’s catechist with any questions or
concerns they may have. It is better to
call the office or write a note to the catechist. Class time is short and catechists and the
administration may not have time to address your concerns on class nights.
Arrival
v
Classes begin at
6:00 P.M. on Wednesday evenings. Please
plan on arriving 10 minutes prior to class.
v
Children and
their parents may enter the school through the entrances marked A, B, or
C. Please do not enter the building
through any other door.
v
Please exercise
extreme caution while driving or walking in the parking lot.
v
To facilitate traffic flow, please enter the
front parking area using the opening across from Burger King and exit using the
opening near the church.
v
Please do not
park in the area marked as a fire zone.
v
No child may be
left in a classroom unattended. If the catechist is late, please wait in the
hall with your child until an adult is present to supervise the class.
v
Parents are asked
not to allow their child/ren to walk or ride a bike
to and from PREP.
Dismissal
v
For safety
reasons, the doors of the school are locked during class time. They will be unlocked at 7:28 P.M. for
dismissal.
v
Children in
grades K – 4 must be picked up in
their classrooms by their parent or other designated adult.
v
Parents are urged
to meet their fifth and sixth graders in the school building. These children
are dismissed from the classroom when the bell rings at 7:30 p.m.
v
Please be aware
of traffic and pedestrians and use caution in the parking lot.
v
Students may not
wait outside for their rides. If a
parent is late picking up a child, we will wait with them in the PREP room
until a parent or designated person arrives to take them home. The PREP room is #104 and located near
entrance “B”.
Early Dismissal
Early dismissals are
disruptive to learning. If for some urgent
reason a child needs to be dismissed early from class, please observe the
following rules:
v
A written note must
be turned in to the catechist by the child at the beginning of class.
v
We ask that you do not pick up a child before 7:00 P.M.
A child will not be considered to have attended a full class if he or she
leaves before 7:00 P.M.
v
Parents are to
report to “A” door and check in with the door monitor. We will send a hall
monitor to bring the child from class.
v
Sports practices
or games are not considered an urgent
reason for early dismissal.
Emergency Closing
v
If
v
Centennial’s
closing number is 753.
v
Closings will
also be broadcast on KYW 1060 radio.
v
Closings will
also be posted on our PREP link which you can access from the Nativity of Our
Lord School’s web site. The web address
is: www.nativity-school.org.
v
We will also send
an email notice whenever possible.
Attendance
v
Thirty hours of
instruction are the norm for a Religious Education Program in the Archdiocese
of Philadelphia.
v
The Archdiocese
requires that absence be no more than 15% of this time. For Nativity of Our Lord PREP, that
translates to 3 classes.
v
Any child who
misses 4 or more sessions, and does not pass the End of the Year Test, will be
required to make up work as deemed necessary by the D.R.E. and retake the test
in August in order to be promoted. Parents are responsible for contacting the
Religious Education Office to schedule a make up test.
v
If a long term
absence occurs due to illness or family situation, parents should contact the
D.R.E. to arrange for make up work.
Discipline Policy
Discipline should be fair and
consistent. Classroom rules are
introduced during the first class, posted each week, and reviewed regularly
during the school year. Minor infractions should be dealt with by the catechist
or assistant.
The parish is responsible for
determining what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior,
both in and out of the classroom, in the PREP community generally and outside
the PREP community where such improper behavior affects the school community.
Conduct by children,
parents/guardians, or anyone acting on their behalf, incompatible with the
educational and religious mission of the parish is grounds for disciplinary
action including, but not limited to the immediate dismissal of a student, as
well as reporting the incident to the proper legal authorities.
If a child repeatedly
exhibits disruptive or inappropriate behavior during PREP time the following
steps will be followed:
v
The D.R.E. will
speak with the student and develop a behavior plan.
v
The D.R.E. will
notify the parents of the problem.
v
The D.R.E. will
meet with the parents and student.
v
The D.R.E. may
recommend Home Study.
A serious behavioral problem may be dealt with
immediately and the D.R.E. may take appropriate actions including notifying the
pastor and/or calling the police.
Safe Environment
The Archdiocese of
Philadelphia has a safe environment policy in place. A summary is added to the
end of this handbook. One lesson per
year is taught in PREP. You may view
these lessons online prior to it being taught at www.virtus.org.
Parents may opt out of these
lessons for their child by contacting the PREP Office in writing prior to the
published date on which the lesson will be taught.
It is the policy of the
Archdiocese of
Harassment
Harassment,
when one person repeatedly makes verbal or physical contacts with a person who does
not want these contacts, by staff, volunteers and students will not be
tolerated.
Contraband
Some
items are illegal for minors to possess and some items are considered
inappropriate for a Religious Education setting.
Items
such as weapons, alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs are illegal for minors to
posses. Any student found to be in possession of such illegal material will be
removed from class, have their parents notified as well as notification of the
appropriate authorities if deemed necessary.
Some
items such as, but not limited to, cell
phones, iPods, MP3 players, hand held video games are
not necessary for class and should not be brought to class. A catechist,
assistant or the DRE may confiscate these items if they are being used during PREP.
They will be returned to the parent.
Search and Seizure
It is the
policy of Nativity of Our Lord PREP to respect the privacy of its
participants. Unnecessary intrusions
into persons and possessions are to be avoided.
However,
in the event that a student is suspected of having weapons or drugs in his/her
possession, the DRE is to be notified immediately. The DRE will conduct the search with an adult
staff member as a witness. Refusal on the part of the student will result in
parents/guardians being contacted and asked to assist with the search. Parental
refusal will result in the student’s immediate dismissal from the program.
Sacrament Preparation
v
Sacrament
preparation is a joint effort of the parish, parents and Religious Education
program.
v
Enrollment in
PREP or Day School does not imply enrollment for a sacrament. Parents must
complete and return a sacrament information form in order to enroll a child for
a sacrament.
v
The Archdiocese
of Philadelphia recommends a two year formal preparation period for reception
of a sacrament.
v
Parent attendance
at Sacrament Preparation Meetings is an essential and required part of this program.
v
Families must be
registered in Nativity of Our Lord Parish or have permission from their pastor
to receive a sacrament at Nativity of Our Lord.
v
A baptismal
certificate must be presented and a copy must be on file in the Religious
Education Office.
v
A fee is charged
to cover the costs associated with preparing a child to receive a
sacrament. Each fee and what it covers
is published in the information parents receive to register their child for a
sacrament.
v
First Eucharist
and Confirmation, along with Baptism, are Sacraments
of Initiation into the full sacramental life of the Church. Active participation
in the Sunday Liturgy, the Mass, is an essential part of preparation for a
sacrament.
v
The Religious
Education Office will keep parents informed of meetings, practices, projects,
dress codes, retreats and requirements for receiving a sacrament.
v
Paperwork and fees have due dates. These due
dates allow us sufficient time to verify information and print sacrament
booklets and certificates. PLEASE
OBSERVE OUR DUE DATES.
Safety
Please be
aware of basic safety procedures in class and in other parts of the school,
church and parking areas. Children
should be supervised at all times.
Children must be escorted by an adult when they are outside of the
classroom.
A fire
drill will be conducted during the first month of class, weather permitting. Please be aware of the fire drill route for
the classroom to which you have been assigned.
Also be aware of the fire drill route for any other part of the building
you may be using. During a fire drill
the children should leave silently and in a single file line.
In the event of another type of
emergency please follow the directions given by the D.R.E. or her assistants.
SAFE ENVIRONMENT
The Archdiocese of
Philadelphia is committed to the implementation of the
Conference
of Catholic Bishops Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The
Office of Child and
Youth Protection assists parishes in the on-going development of safe
environment programs in the
school, religious education program and all parish ministries which
involve children.
The Safe Environment
Program includes but is not limited to:
• obtaining the
background checks of all archdiocesan personnel, including clergy, religious
and
laity, as well as
volunteers who regularly come in contact with children
• providing
educational programs for students who attend Archdiocesan elementary and
secondary schools and parish
religious education programs
• providing training
to clergy, parish personnel, catechists, teachers and volunteers regarding
their responsibility,
under civil law, as mandated reporters. This training also pertains to
Archdiocesan
personnel who are working in social services and educational ministry.
BACKGROUND
CHECKS
All clearances must
be updated every five years. It is the responsibility of parish administration
to
keep the records of each
employee and volunteer, and to renew these background checks.
Attendance at Safe
Environment Training is expected within ninety days of start of hire.
Complete information
on required background checks can be found on the Office for Child and
Youth
Protection webpage on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia website
(www.archphila.org).
PARISH
EMPLOYEES
Employees must
secure the required documents within thirty days of hire. During this
provisional
period, their service to
children must be supervised. If the FBI Criminal History Record
(fingerprint
check) is delayed in being processed, the employee from day of hire needs to
provide
proof that he/she has
completed the process for securing the fingerprint check.
PARISH
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers should
have all of the required background checks as they begin their service to
children or receive
provisional permission to volunteer as long as these forms are submitted within
thirty days. During this
provisional period, their service to children must be supervised. Refer to
Appendix
XIV for a Parish Religious Education Program Safe Environment Checklist.
PROTECTING
GOD’S CHILDREN
TRAINING
PROGRAM
(VIRTUS)
The Protecting God’s
Children Program is a required awareness program for adults who are
Church employees or
volunteers of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and who interact with
children. Trainees learn the
signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders
commit abuse, and five
empowerment steps to prevent or avoid sexual abuse. Training dates and
locations are listed on the
Office for Child and Youth Protection webpage on the Archdiocese of
17
THE STANDARDS
OF MINISTERIAL
BEHAVIOR
AND BOUNDARIES
The Standards of
Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are
intended to provide clear
standards and boundaries of behavior regarding all interactions with
children and young people by
priests, deacons, religious, pastoral ministers, administrators, staff
and volunteers. These
standards are reviewed and signed by trainees during the safe environment
training.
“KEEPING
GOD’S CHILDREN
SAFE” LESSONS
The Parish Religious
Education Program is required to teach one personal safety lesson annually.
The Parish Religious
Education personal safety lessons are entitled “Keeping God’s Children Safe”
and can be found at:
http://archphila.org/catechetical/resources/resources.htm.
The Office for
Catechetical Formation and the Office of Child and Youth Protection recommend
that these lessons are
taught in the second semester as a relationship between the catechist and
students has been
established.
PARENT
OPT OUT
After a review of
the personal safety lesson, parents/guardians may opt out their child from the
scheduled session for the
teaching of this lesson. The Director of Religious Education should,
however, encourage parents
who do not wish their child to receive a personal safety lesson to
review this important
lesson with their child at
The Director of
Religious Education must obtain a written signed and dated opt out letter from
the
parent or guardian. These
forms are to be submitted to the Office for Children and Youth with
the annual parish audit
report.
MANDATED
REPORTING
LAWS
Under the Federal
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) passed in 1974, all fifty
states have passed laws
mandating the reporting of child abuse and neglect. A child is defined as an
individual under the age of eighteen.
Each state is
responsible for:
• providing its own
definition of child abuse and neglect.
• describing the
circumstances and conditions that obligate mandated reporters to report known
or suspected child
abuse.
• providing definitions
for juvenile/family courts when to take custody of the child.
• specifying the forms of maltreatment that are
criminally punishable.