St. Paul of the Cross Catechesis

August Mailing 2008

August 2008

Dear Families,

            Wow!  Summer just flew by.  I can’t believe I’m already writing to you.  I hope you had wonderful, restful and fun summers.

            Catechesis begins this year the week of September 2 forward, depending on what day you come and what program you’re in.  Seventh grade and Directed Study check your starting date as it may be different than regular Catechesis.  Enclosed you will find a letter indicating your specific start date, option and time and how to access our website for the entire calendar.  If you did not receive a call from us you may assume that your child is in what you requested.  If you received more than one code for class and time that is because you have children coming on different times &/or days.

            When the children come to class for the first time there will be people directing them to the rooms.  Class lists will be hung on the wall in a central location in the hall.

ARRIVAL & PICK-UP FOR REGULAR TUESDAY & THURSDAY CATECHESIS

GRADES 1-6 & 8

            When children attending classes on a weekday in the Elementary or Upper Grade Center buildings arrive, they should wait outside the door of their building until they are told to enter.  There will be a supervisor at the door five (5) minutes prior to class beginning.  Before this time there is no supervision.  In good weather the children remain outside the front of their entrance until a few minutes before class begins.  They have been in school all day and enjoy talking and visiting outside.  In rain, snow or below zero temperatures they will be let in at ten (10) minutes prior to class beginning.

            The first few classes parents may enter the building and make sure their children find their classroom.  After the first three classes we ask that parents walk their children to the outside door and let the child enter the building alone cutting down on a lot of hall congestion.  If you are dropping off your child without leaving your car, please drive through the lot and pull up along side of the large sidewalk area located between the rectory and the Morello Parish Life Center (MPLC) or pull into a parking space adjacent to a sidewalk.  Children should not be walking in the parking lot without an adult.  Cars should only be parked in parking spaces otherwise the flow of the lot is disrupted for everyone else.  No one is to enter the small parking lot behind the church by car.  And please be courteous!

            When the children are dismissed they are brought down to the outside door of their building and they then walk to the large sidewalk area between the rectory and Morello Parish Life Center.  Parents do not enter the building to pick up their children because this would cause a crowd on the stairs and in the halls.  For safety reasons parents are asked to park their cars and stand on the sidewalk or at the door the children come out from, to wait for their children.  Parents then walk their children to the car as the parking lot is dangerous.  At dismissal the sidewalk area directly between the rectory and the MPLC is supervised and the children are not allowed to stand in the parking lot.  If you want to know that your child is safe with an adult the area between the MPLC and rectory is the place to have them wait for you.  If you have them meet you elsewhere and you are detained there will not be a supervisor there for them to rely on.  St. Paul is not responsible for parents calling their children into the parking lot to enter their car.  If parents choose to remain in their car and call children from a distance, the responsibility is in the parent’s hands.  Parents of younger children usually wait outside the elementary door and walk their children from there.  Please be courteous and do not block the parking lot.

            If you are more than TEN (10) MINUTES LATE IN PICKING UP YOUR CHILD the children that are remaining in the supervised area between the rectory and MPLC will be taken to the RECTORY or to the Kinane Center (across from Ryan Park Funeral Home).  This depends on circumstances of weather and number of children waiting.  The children will call home and wait in the safety of the building.  We ask that this does not happen often as it detains us from preparing for the next session of children coming later in the evening.

            EARLY PICK-UP is discouraged because it disrupts the class but we know sometimes it can’t be helped.  A NOTE should be SENT to school with the child requesting early dismissal and be signed by the parent.  The doors to the school are locked so we will watch for you.  NO CHILD WILL BE SENT OUT OF THE SCHOOL ALONE.  PARENTS MUST COME INTO THE SCHOOL TO GET THEIR CHILD.  This is for the safety of your child.

LOCATION

Elementary Grade Center – parallel to the church, runs parallel to Ridge Terrace

Upper Grade Center – next to the rectory, attached to the Morello Parish Life Center (MPLC)

Kinane Center – behind rectory, fronts Ridge Terrace

Holy Family Chapel – basement of the church


SUNDAY CLASSES meet in the Elementary Grade Center and Upper Grade Center from 8:45 – 10:15.  Children should arrive no sooner than five (5) minutes prior to class and should immediately enter the building due to the fact that it is Sunday and there is a lot of traffic in the back lot.  For safety reasons we ask that parents walk their children to the door.  The door we use is in the tiny back parking lot between the church and school.  P/K, 1st grade and one class of 2nd grade are on the first floor, go straight as you enter through the cloister and then turn left into the school.  The other 2nd grade class through 6th grade are on the second floor.  You go straight up the stairs as you enter the door.  Parents need to come into the building and go to their child’s room to pick them up.  Again this is for safety reasons because on Sunday the parking lot is being used for handicapped parking and is not safe.  7th and 8th grade meet in the Upper Grade Center, enter through the doors facing the parking lot that are beyond the MPLC doors.


REGULAR TUESDAY & THURSDAY CLASSES (Grades 1-6 & 8)

 

 

 

SEVENTH GRADE meets in Holy Family Chapel (HFC).  It follows a special calendar. 

 

FAMILY PROGRAM will meet on Tuesday or Thursday from 7:00 – 8:30 either in the Upper Grade Center Lunch Room or Duffin Hall (entrance next to church door off large parking lot).  On the FIRST NIGHT everyone will meet in the Upper Grade Center Lunch Room.

 

DIRECTED STUDY meets in Holy Family Chapel (HFC).  At least one parent attends with their children and they follow their own special times and calendar.

 

CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD meets in the lower level of the Kinane Center (KC) and they follow their own special times and calendar.

ARRIVAL – Enter the Kinane Center through the back door of the KC (faces the back of the rectory).  The door is always locked.   NO ONE MAY DRIVE UP TO THIS BACK DOOR AS IT IS NOT SAFE FOR THE VOLUME OF CHILDREN WE HAVE WALKING IN THAT AREA.  Prompt arrival is MANDATORY due to the special nature of the classes and the continual disruption of the class from the door buzzing.  Therefore we request that the use of buzzing 001 is only used in an emergency.

DISMISSAL – Parents should wait in the alley until the children are dismissed from class.  Parents should not enter the building.

 

FIRST CLASS – OPEN HOUSE

REGULAR PROGRAM GRADES 1-6 & 8

 

During regular Tuesday and Thursday Catechesis, parents are welcome to stay for the first class.  This means grades 1-5 from 4:00 – 5:30 or grades 6 & 8 from 7:00 – 8:30.  If you have more than one child you may visit both classrooms.  On Tuesday & Thursday afternoon and evening after the first hour of class the children will go as classrooms to church for a short opening welcome and blessing.  You are welcome to go with your child and sit with their class.  If you have children in more than one classroom and you want to sit together in church, you may let the teacher know you are taking your child from class to sit with you and your other child in their classroom seating in church.  At the open house parents in grades 1-3 will be invited to volunteer on a date of their choice in the classroom.  Volunteering is optional.

 

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES
 

ATTENDANCE.  It is our hope that the children are well and can attend class but we know this is not always the case.  If your child is going to be absent please call the office and report the absence.  Homework may be mailed home for completion by the next class.

 

HOMEWORK (Note that 7th grade Tues/Thurs classes have homework every class).  Other than in 7th grade, if there is homework, it will usually consist of either the unit review or the vocabulary words from the chapter covered in class.  The homework will be gone over at the beginning of each class.  Look each week in your student’s folder for their class newsletter.  It will tell you what was covered in class, if there is any homework and any request of snacks for the next class.  In addition, other notes from the parish will be included in their Take-Home folders.  Also you may find a hard copy of your child’s Catechesis calendar in the folder.

 

SNACK.  As the children are in school all day and most will be coming directly from school, we do allow snacks in the classroom.  Snacks are assigned to a child each week, for their classroom.  This allows the child the opportunity to share a snack and the other children to express their appreciation.  We ask that no drinks are brought in, nothing that is too messy and there should be NO snacks with nuts.

 

DISCIPLINE.  Discipline is training that develops self-control, character, orderliness and efficiency. It is derived from the word disciple.  The discipline that Catechesis seeks to develop is that the children grow in their ability to be disciples of Christ.  Ordinarily the children show self-control and appropriate classroom behavior.  They have consistently proven to be a joy to work with.  When a student’s behavior is inappropriate, the student needs to learn another way to behave.  Negative behavior which goes beyond the catechist’s ability to handle constructively in the classroom will result in the child being sent into the hall to speak with a Coordinator.  The second time a child is sent into the hall will result in the Director calling home.  At this point the Director and parents will decide on what is best for the child and for the class.

 

      We look forward to the year beginning and to meeting with the children.  If there are any questions or problems please feel free to call my office or e-mail me.  Thank you so much for your support and for all the hard work you put into the program.  I am always bragging about what wonderful families we have in our program and here at St. Paul.  There is so much life and such a giving and positive spirit.  Truly God is among us!

 

Yours in Christ,

Anna Mae Parkhill

Director of Catechesis

 
Last Update: 9/16/08

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