First Communion/First Reconciliation Class Parent Information 2010-2011 General Information
Class Day/Time: Classes meet on scheduled Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:15pm. Please refer to the Religious Education calendar a complete schedule. The first day of class for this year is Tuesday, September 14, 2010. CATECHISTS for FIRST COMMUNION PROGRAM: We are blessed to have Sister Carolyn Bennett, IHM, from St. James School, as one of our lead catechists. The other lead catechist for this program is Mrs. Mary Kelly. Mary has taught fifth grade in the St. Anne Religious Education Program, and has an extensive background teaching sacramental preparation in other states. The students will be divided into two groups and assigned to a permanent classroom. The two lead catechists will switch classrooms each week. This format will have allow each student to benefit from having a religious sister for a teacher, as well as exposure different teaching styles.
Mrs. Beverly Gorden, a first grade catechist at St. Anne’s will be returning as a teaching assistant and parent volunteers, Mrs. Dawn Marsan and Mrs. Janey Koenig have agreed to be regular volunteers. Please note, additional parent volunteers are still needed to keep this program flowing efficiently. TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE: Reconciliation/ First Communion class students who attend either Richmond Hill Elementary or Carver Elementary Schools may take bus 52 (with driver George Scurzo) from the new RHES to the old RHES. Parents of older students or whose child attends school outside of the Richmond Hill area (not attending either RHES or Carver) will need to make their own arrangements for transportation. SCHOOL NOTIFICATION / PARENT PERMISSION FOR TRANSPORTATION: Parents must send a note in to their child’s teacher explaining that your child will attend the Tuesday afterschool program at St. Anne’s each week. Children will ride bus 52 (with driver George Scurzo) except when notified by the school of a bus number change. (Please use form letter- provided). PARENT VOLUNTEERS: Parent volunteers who have had VIRTUS Safe Environment training and have had a background screening will collect the students when they arrive & walk them to Holy Family Hall (HFH). These same two parents will also supervise the students at snack time until class begins at 4:00pm. Two parent volunteers are needed each week to walk with the students from the old RHES to HFH. Please see the attached VIRTUS information and permission form to process a background check. Each family is requested to sign-up to help in a classroom at least one Tuesday. Parents help is needed to assist in class control each Tuesday. Each week one (sometimes two) parent volunteer is required for this task. This is part of our parish child safety policy. For parents who work outside the home and are unable to be here during class time, please know that volunteer help will also be needed to host the Confirmation Reception in the spring and to assist with the 1st Communion Class Retreat in the spring. Confirmation parents will host the First Communion reception and First Communion parents will host the Confirmation reception. Each sacramental class will provide the food for their own reception. Details will be shared at the parent meetings. Volunteer sign-up sheets, located in a 3-ring binder, will be placed on the bookshelf outside the Church Office door in HFH. Please check the binder for volunteer information on a regular basis. SAFE ENVIRONMENT / BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS - for regular volunteers: Any parent who will help more than once ( i.e.: “regular volunteer”) in the classroom or who will walk students to the HFH site, is asked to attend the VIRTUS “Safe Environment” class that is required by our diocese. This is a free, one time, 3 hour class and it is recommend that each family who has a child in any parish or school religious education program have at least one parent who has been trained. You can check out the upcoming training schedule at www.diosav.org Click on “Child & Youth Protection” and follow the links for VIRTUS. We will try to set up a class at St. Anne’s. Typically, the diocese requires 20 participants if they are asked to go to a parish site to present this class.