SO YOU’RE ENROLLED IN THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM…NOW WHAT? Grade 10/Confirmation Orientation

Format of the Religious Ed Nights The format of the Grade 10 Religious Ed teaching nights are…  Gather  Opening Prayer  Preparation/activity geared towards teaching content  Proclaim  The actual content & teaching  Small group discussion  Send  Summation & recap  Closing prayer

Grade 10 Classes Confirmation Classes Sundays 6—8pm  September 16  September 30  October 21  November 4  December 2  December 16 Sundays 1:30-2:30pm  January 6 (A) & January 13 (B)  February 3 (A) & February 10 (B)  March 10 (A) & March 17 (B)  March 24 (A) & April 21 (B) Grade 10/Confirmation Classes for

Confirmation Year Field Trips/Retreat December 2, 2012  10:30 AM Mass with Bishop St. Joseph’s Cathedral— Students & Families January 27, 2013  2:00 Our Lady of Victory Basilica March 3, 2013  Christ the King Seminary (BOYS ONLY)  Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph Convent (GIRLS ONLY) April 14, 2013: Confirmation Retreat  10:00 AM—5:00 Harvest House in South Buffalo April 28, 2013  SSPP Gymnasium—Guest Speaker

Service Hours Grade 10 & Confirmation Students  Must complete 20 hours of volunteer service What are some good ways to get hours?  Servant for a Day  Friends of the Night People  SABAH  St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy  Response to Love Center  Volunteer teach/aide religious education classes for younger grades  Contact Mrs. Chlebowski for more information After this orientation, I will be posting the service hour sheets on the website for you to access and print

Religious Education Online SSPP Religious Education Website   Click “Program Information” to take you to the main page The website has the following…  Calendar of the school year  Files/forms for download (registration forms, service hour forms, handbook)  PowerPoint presentations from religious education classes  News & upcoming events in the program  RSS Feed Subscription

Religious Education Online SSPP Religious Education Blog  The blog has the following…  Calendar of the school year  Articles/posts to educate you on your Catholic faith  Links to the website and other Catholic sites  Additional catechetical resources for both students and parents  A comment board for feedback and sharing ideas  & RSS Feed Subscription

The Religious Education Facebook Page SSPP Religious Education Facebook Page:  The Facebook Page has the following:  Articles/posts that will connect you to everything Catholic  Links to Catholic websites  Links to Homework assignments, SSPP Blog, SSPP Website  Keep you updated on happenings/events going on in the SSPP parish & the universal Church  Comment board for feedback

Communication The Religious Education Program will be communicating with parents largely through Please be sure to give Peggy your address(es) to make sure you’re receiving the latest news and updates to the SSPP Religious Ed Program

Q-Pay Tuition Payment

Absence Policy What happens if my child is absent?  Your child will need to complete a makeup assignment for the class that you missed by the next class date How is he/she going to do that?  The makeup assignment will be posted up on the website & the blog What kind of a makeup assignment will it be?  It will most likely involve a presentation or PowerPoint slides from the night (posted on the website) and answering some questions based on it  These must be turned in to the small group leaders  If no makeup assignment is handed in, your child will be penalized with an additional absence until the assignment is turned in

Absence Policy My child will not be able to make class on Sunday (Group A/B) because of ‘excuse X’. Can he/she attend the other class on the following Sunday (Group A/B) and not be marked absent?  As long as you contact the office by either phone/ a week before the scheduled class, this can be arranged  DO NOT TELL ME IN PERSON! I WILL FORGET! If a student has more than 2 unexcused absences, he/she will have to repeat Grade10/Confirmation next year  Unexcused absences include: Bills games, Sabres games, family vacations, high school sports practices/games, leaving class early  Excused absences include: death in the family, sickness (w/ note from parent), family emergencies/unforeseen circumstances

Weather Cancellations In the event of bad weather, we will use TV- channels 2 and 4, the website, and radio WBEN 930AM to announce cancellations of classes Do not call the rectory!

Harvest House We will begin collecting children’s clothes (sizes 0- 12) at the beginning of September  If you have any boots, jackets, shirts, jeans, etc. that you no longer use, please consider donating them Also, we will be collecting Bottles for Babies to help support the financial needs of mothers and their babies

Theology of the Body Catechesis The Theology of the Body refers to the series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in Rome between September 1979 and November 1984  These lectures were later compiled and published as a single work entitled The Theology of the Body According to John Paul II  Blessed John Paul II discussed topics such as bodily dimension of the human person, the nature of human sexuality, the human need for communion, and the nature of marriage

Theology of the Body Catechesis The Theology of the Body for Teens is the first published curriculum which applies the Theology of the Body to the lives of teen and pre-teens  The High School and Middle School Editions specifically address questions relating to chastity and sexuality in the lives of students  It is a multifaceted, segmented program that can be used in a variety of different contexts

Theology of the Body Catechesis On September 7pm, we’ll be hosting a walkthrough of the program Those who attend will receive a free copy of the Parent’s Guide book  The Parent’s Guide serves as an excellent and informative overview of the TOB for Teens: High School Edition curriculum  While it has been specifically written for parents of students participating in the program, it will help any parent learn more about the Theology of the Body so that they may pass this life-changing message on to their sons and daughters If you are interested in receiving a free copy of the Parent’s Guide at the meeting, please sign up on the back table You have to attend the parent walkthrough meeting to get your free copy

Questions/comments/concerns…